“Hoof groomer” Courtney Vincent inspects Jule Drown’s Paso Fino mare, Natalie.

Last year, my friends, Mary Elizabeth and Dave, visited from Phoenix to ride the trails near my home. My Paso Fino mare, Natalie, is full of spirit and fast on the trail. But my friends’ Paso Finos, Destino and Remolino, put Natalie to shame. They can gait so fast, Natalie has to lope and gallop at times to keep up.

There’s no such thing as a smooth, soft trail in my area — the ground is hard and covered with rocks. What was most amazing to me was that my friends’ horses raced down the dry washes and trails barefoot.

At the time of my friends’ visit, I’d recently moved into my new house where I could keep my horses at home. I wanted to reconsider how I kept and cared for my horses, rather than continue all the practices utilized at the Paso Fino farm where I’d purchased and boarded them. This included hoof care.

After asking Mary Elizabeth and Dave why their horses weren’t shod, they referred me to their “hoof groomer,” Courtney Vincent (www.naturaltrim.com; e-mail, naturalhorsetrim@aol.com). Courtney recommended that I search “natural horse trim” and “barefoot horse care” websites. She also suggested I read Breaking Traditions: A Veterinary Medical and Ethical Perspective on the Modern Day Usage of Steel Horseshoes, an essay by Tomas G. Teskey, DVM, of Hereford, Arizona (www.naturalhorsetrim.com/Dr_Teskey.htm).

My research indicated that going shoeless would probably save me money, improve the condition of my horses’ hooves after the initial adjustment period, and be advantageous for trail riding. Last April, I asked Courtney to remove my horses’ shoes, examine their hooves, and give them their first barefoot trim.

A Natural Approach
At the initial session, Courtney warned me that I’d need to be very patient, since it’d likely take four months or more for my horses’ hooves to toughen and adapt to going barefoot. It was disheartening to learn from her that Natalie had severely contracted heels from poor shoeing, a condition that may improve a little over the years by going barefoot.

My new broodmare, Porcelana, had ill-shaped hooves due to poor shoeing in the past, but Courtney assured me her hooves would recover their natural shape in a relatively short amount of time, with proper trimming. My best trail horse, Alegro, had good hooves.

When Courtney performed the first trim, she fit my horses for trail-riding boots to ease their barefoot transition. On the second visit, five weeks later, I told her that the boots weren’t staying on during rides. We concluded Natalie’s hard hooves had adapted so quickly to going barefoot that she didn’t need boots. Courtney traded me for a different kind of boot to use on Alegro; his second pair of boots fit much better, are easy to put on, and don’t come off on the trail.

As I write this, four months have passed since my horses have worn shoes. Converting Natalie was a breeze. On the other hand, riding Alegro has been a true test of my patience and dedication to going shoeless. He still stumbles a little, walks gingerly and prefers to wear boots if we’re riding on a hard surface. This is much better than two months ago, when a tortoise could have won a race with Alegro and he couldn’t even gait or lope in our arena.

A Growing Trend
A new neighbor, Andy, who owned a stable in Chicago, has occasionally ridden Alegro since moving to Tucson this year. Andy thinks I’m crazy to take the shoes off my horses and tells Alegro out loud that he feels very sorry for him, knowing full well I’m not changing my mind. 

But now I’m discovering how many people in Tucson have barefoot horses. For example, my veterinarian’s personal horses aren’t shod. My neighbor, Cheryl, took the shoes off her Arabian mare, Sierra, six months ago.

And I’ve just become acquainted with Lola’s Place (www.cowgirlsandcompany.com), a friendly training center for horses and people featuring lessons, classes, and group activities. “We have two farriers taking care of the 19 horses living at Lola’s Place,” co-owner Sharon Boenzi tells me. “Since two-thirds of the herd — soon to be the entire herd — doesn’t wear shoes, both farriers love to come out here, even though they are collecting half the fee per horse when trimming versus shoeing. Trimming requires about a quarter of their time, a third of the work and very little cost to the farrier in supplies and equipment. This results in a three-way benefit: Our unshod horses seem to be better off mentally and physically, the farrier is actually making more money per minute, and I’m spending less on hoof care.”

Dr. Teskey says of his family’s horses (all unshod): “Riding a sound, barefoot horse feels so much more comfortable and safer than riding a shod one, especially in rough terrain. The stimulation and minor wear on the horses’ hooves keeps them healthy and calloused, and I never end up with a lame horse due to a lost shoe.

“Should I have a horse that needs a little help on rougher trails, hoof boots work great for protection and can be taken off when I get back from the ride, just like people would take off their own shoes after a long hike or a day of work.”

In his veterinary practice, Dr. Teskey has determined that shod horses are unable to accurately sense their surroundings and end up with more injuries from slipping and stumbling, besides the damage to their hooves from nails and to their joints from concussion.

Mary Elizabeth and Dave offer this advice, based on their own experience: “If you want your horse to go barefoot, we recommend looking for a trimmer or farrier who’s been specifically trained in shoeless trimming.” They chose Courtney because she’s had extensive training and she respects the natural shape of the individual horse’s hooves rather than trimming them into a predetermined shape.

Thankfully, I won’t have to go through this rigmarole with my new little Paso Fino colt, Clementino. His barefoot hooves are hard and well-shaped by Mother Nature; I’ll never have them altered with shoes. TTR

Jule Drown can usually be found with her horses if she’s not asleep or at work in Tucson, Arizona. Her e-mail address is juledrown@juno.com