Barefoot riding horses.  Have you been reading about this idea?  Maybe you know someone who is riding a horse barefoot, or at least barefoot with hoof boots?  Here in Oklahoma, where I live and ride, this is not a common thing.  However, in the western states, endurance riders have been doing just this (quite successfully!) for several years now.  Also, lots of barefoot endurance horses in Texas.  Lots of sandy trails in Texas, but lots of rocks in the western states.  Regardless of terrain, horses can be kept barefoot and sound.  However, the rider needs to be prepared to use hoof boots when riding in rocky areas, at least during the initial transition phase.  The exception would be if the equine has good, healthy hooves and is ridden at a walk.  A few lucky ones have been working barefoot all of their lives on rocky terrain and seem to handle it quite well at any speed.  But, NOT the average horse or mule who has had to endure years of wearing nail-on shoes and/or not allowed adequate free exercise. Why are you considering going barefoot?  There are several reasons I have heard: 1.  It's healthier for the horse. 2.  To save money on shoes. 3.  As a last ditch effort to save a chronically lame horse that the vets and farriers can't seem to fix. Of course, there are other reasons, too.  Whatever your your reason, I would like to offer a few thoughts from my past 3 years experience of "going barefoot". First of all, it IS healthier for the horse for more reasons than I can include here.  Secondly, however, you probably will not save money...at first.  Well, at least not at first if you have to buy hoof boots.  In fact, in the beginning it may actually cost a bit more.  (Now that's assuming that you ride fairly often and need hoof boots.)  Eventually, once you get past the learning curve and get a supply of hoof boots, you will probably save some money or at least it won't cost any more.  If you really want to save a lot of money, you will need to learn how to trim your own horses.  Or at least do maintenance trims in between the times when you have your professional trimmer out.  There are not that many professional natural hoof trimmers available.  If you are very lucky, you will have one near you.  They may charge more for a trim than your farrier, bu it is much different than what your farrier will do.  It is well worth a few extra dollars.  The average farrier does not do the "natural horse trim".  Rather, they do what is called a "pasture trim" and that does not protect the hoof from chips nor does it place the foot in the best position to develop the crucial heel area of the hoof.  (Here, I am talking about the 'average' farrier.  Some farriers are now beginning to understand about barefoot horses and have begun offering a proper trim.)  Horses who have been kept shod eventually lose a lot of the natural shock absorber that is located in the back portion of the hoof.  A proper natural trim along with lots of movement will allow those structures to develop and regain some of the function that nature intended.  This means a low heel and a short toe along with relieving the quarters and the coffin bone in an anatomically correct position.  (But NOT trimming into any live sole.)  The younger the horse is started, the better the results will be.  Still, even an old campaigner can obtain benefit from this trim.  If you have the opportunity to attend a trimming clinic and learn how to do the natural trim, I strongly advise that you do so.  Even if you do not intend to do all of your own trimming, it is very nice to be able to do touch ups every now and then.  Plus, the information you will gain is priceless.  Assuming that you ride where the ground is rocky or very hard packed, you will want to purchase hoof boots.  They may seem expensive at first, but remember that you only use them when riding.  Depending on how many miles you ride, those boots can last a very long time.  Much longer than your old nail-on shoes.  Sizing is important in these boots.  Do not assume that it equates with the size of the nail-on shoes you have on your horse.  It does not.  Read up on the boots and the follow the instructions on how to measure your horse's feet.  (Measure ALL 4 feet.)  I will post another page about the different brands and styles of hoof boots for those interested. WHOA!  WAIT!!  What's that you're screaming at me?  Oh...you want to RIDE BAREFOOT?   One word for you...PATIENCE.  If your horse has been shod for a number of years, you will need to give him time to transition to going barefoot.  Yank his shoes off and take him riding barefoot over rocks and you may have a lame horse.  Yes, eventually, you will probably be able to ride him barefoot over lots of different surfaces.  But, you do need to be patient and give his feet time to adjust.  All horses are individual.  A lot depends on how long he has worn shoes, how old he is, how much movement he gets daily at home, what condition his feet are in at the time his shoes were pulled, whether or not he has any metabolic issues, whether or not his diet is properly balanced.  So...give yourself some time to address whatever issues need to be addressed, give the horse the time and exercise he needs to grow his healthy new feet and protect them with boots until that time.  My own horses took more time than average because the 2 that I ride the most both have some metabolic issues and both had worn shoes for many years.  I am now riding them barefoot on terrain that has a small amount of rock and lots of hard packed ground at a trot.  If we get on a section of gravel road, I slow to a walk and/or move to the edge of the road.  They seem to be doing well at this time.  However, if I were to do an endurance ride where it was rocky or go to Cedar Lake (lots of rocks and hills and rocks and riding several days in a row), then I would not hesitate to apply boots.  These 2 horses are in their late teens and I feel that neither of them would now be sound if I had kept them in shoes as they were beginning to develop intermittent lameness issues related to their feet.  For the fortunate horses and mules who have never worn shoes or have not worn them very much and get lots of self exercise, those individuals usually have no trouble being ridden barefoot provided their riders use some common sense and pay attention to their mounts.  Slow down when needed and don't expect to trot and canter over tough terrain right away.  Even if you have to apply boots to ride, your horse still has all the barefoot benefits when the boots are removed and he is allowed to move freely at home.  Plus, even in boots, his hoof is able to expand and contract as he moves just as it would in a totally barefoot horse.  It is this repeated expansion and contraction combined with a correct trim that, over time, results in a healthier foot and develops the lateral cartilage & digital cushion in the back portion of the hoof.  Nailed-on shoes prevent such motion.  In time, I believe, most properly transitioned horses can become barefoot ridden horses. Will it 'fix' your lame horse?  That would depend on why he/she is lame.  However, in nearly all circumstances, the horse will improve dramatically.  I have a QH mare who was in shoes, the majority of the time, since she was 3 yrs. old.  By the time she was 8, she was obviously lame in both fronts and diagnosed with "navicular syndrome" by 2 different vets (lameness experts) after exams and x-rays.  For the next 11 years, this mare was kept in special (expensive) wedge, aluminum heart-bar shoes on the front.  It seemed to help her pain a lot at first, then gradually, the mare started showing signs of lameness and the problem just gradually worsened until she was persistently lame at the walk.  VERY lame on many days.  By the age of 19, we considered having her put down to stop her suffering.  At the same time, I had a 8 yr. old Arabian who was showing the same signs of early "navicular".  So, it was the "last ditch" reason that finally made me try the barefoot route.  After only 2 trims, the Arabian showed significant improvement and by the the 4th trim, his feet had improved so much as well as his movement.  The QH took about 6 months to really make me believe that she would be better.  (However, she was never worse without shoes than with them.)  Now, she trots, canters and occasionally gallops around the pasture.  She will never be sound enough to ride, but all I hoped for was sound at a walk on pasture.  This was great!  I was impressed.  As the months went by and her diet was balanced, I begins to also see improvement in the quality of her hoof wall.  Previously, they were very thin & shelly.  Still not great, but much improved. OK.  So, you're kind of thinking about trying barefoot.  Lots of websites out there with all kinds of information.  I have listed just a few that I think are very useful on my "Links" page.  Read.  Read.  Then, read some more.  OK...sorry.  I know you ALL don't have the time or the desire to learn all about this.  But just become a little informed.  It will help you understand why and what is going on and what a hoof is capable of becoming with the right approach.  If you are fortunate enough to have a good trimmer available, you can pretty much let him/her take care of the trim and then go ride your horse.  Yeah!!  Follow their recommendation for trim intervals.  Trying to stretch it out a week or three more than recommended is not in the best interest of the horse if you are really wanting to ride barefoot.  Remember, the fee for the trim may be a little more, but it is less than shoeing and is so much better for your horse.  If you have the opportunity to attend a clinic on trimming, do so.  These are conducted all around the country and are aimed at owners who want to learn to trim their own horses rather than the professional.  Usually they last only 1 or 2 days.   It will help make sense of what your trimmer is doing and how the hoof functions.  Also, you learn how to do some basic trimming yourself.  If you are willing to do touch-ups in between your trimmer's visits, you may be able to space the appointments out a bit and save a little money there.  Plus, you will feel confident enough to do a quick touch up if one of your horses ends up with a chip or if your trimmer misses an appointment or if you want take your horse on a trip and be gone when it is time for the trimmer.  Just do a touch-up and go without worrying about it.  Hoof Boots.  If you decide to take your horse barefoot and can find a trimmer, go ahead and make your appointment.  Before that time, look at the various hoof boots on the market (I have a separate page on hoof boots).  Decide which one you want to try, then look at their hoof measurement guides.  They will be on their websites, so just print it off.  After the trimmer is done, measure ALL 4 feet and write those dimensions down.  Find your sizes in the chart and order the boots.  Before you ride, practice applying and removing the boots at home.  This is the time to check the fit.  If you have the wrong size, you can usually exchange them as long as you haven't ridden in them.  Let the horse walk around in them for a few minutes so that he can get used to the feel before you ride him with them.  For some horses, the first ride may be a bit awkward until he gets accustomed to the different feel.  Usually, the don't seem to notice after a few steps.  Some horses only seem to need front boots and others need all 4.  Best to be prepared.  Eventually, you can ride without boots, but you will want to carry them just in case.  Remember, the boots will last much longer than any metal shoes.  Although they may seem expensive at first, they are meant to last for a long time.