Converting your horse to bare hooves: How to make the switch

In the first part of our series, you learned what requirements barefoot horses should meet and what advantages and disadvantages a transition entails. Now it's time to get down to the practical implementation: What is the best way to go about the transition? In this article, we will show you how to choose the optimal time, prepare the hooves correctly, and safely guide your horse through the first critical weeks.

Choose a favorable starting situation

The best time to switch from shoeing to barehoof is always the time when the horse is forced to walk on hard and/or stony ground as little as possible. If the horse has to move on unsuitable ground, the hoof wear can very quickly be higher than the growth can compensate for.

Suitable times are, for example, the beginning of a period in the pasture or the winter months, as the ground is usually much softer here. You can also choose a period of forced rest in the stall during an injury break. The current condition of the hooves is also a decisive factor. The two pictures below show very good conditions for a changeover, here the hoof walls are intact and with removal of the shoes also loadable.

On the other hand, bent hoof walls are very unfavorable:

Photo 3: Hoof walls extremely bent outwards. The walls slide over the shoe

Straight hoof walls: Decisive for a successful bare hoof conversion

Due to outwardly curved horn walls, there is no connection between the wall and the base at the supporting edge. The walls can easily break away, the white line is greatly widened and forms an entry point for horn-decomposing germs (white line disease), cracks and horn fissures can easily occur. This applies to shod as well as unshod horses.

The white line does not grow wider here, the horn cells only become wider, more vulnerable, softer and susceptible to white line disease and of course to stones that have entered.

Whether shod or barehoofed: Your hoof trimmer should "stretch" the horn walls from the coronet band to the bearing band over several treatment periods to give them a straight shape. If this hoof treatment is maintained over a longer period of time, the outwardly curved wall section will grow out downwards.

Horn wall damage before conversion

When several generations of nail holes and white line disease have damaged the horn so severely that there is hardly any intact wall horn left, even a farrier can no longer nail on a shoe. In this case, a longer barefoot phase is inevitable. There is simply no other option.

Making the changeover easier for the horse

We recommend treating the hooves 2 to 3 times a week with Keralit® 3 to 4 weeks before the changeover. Keralit Hoof Hardener . This significantly strengthens the wall and sole, resulting in fewer breakouts and allowing the horses to walk more confidently and with less sensitivity after the shoes have been removed.

Support from hoof trimmer and farrier

The care of an experienced hoof trimmer or farrier is particularly important during the initial conversion phase. When removing the shoes, only a small amount of horn is removed from the wall and sole in order to leave as much material as possible for the horse to "wear out". In the first few weeks, the farrier is not primarily concerned with correcting the shape or position of the hoof, but, as far as possible, with preventing the horse from becoming too sensitive and wall breakouts.

With professional help, the hooves can be trimmed as sparingly as possible during shoe removal and thus prepared for the transition. In addition, the professional can show the horse owner where corrections should be made between the appointments and how the edges should be broken at the bearing edge. This avoids a large proportion of the wall breakouts.

Change all fours at once?

As already described, the better the initial condition with shoes, the easier it is for the hooves to cope with the changeover to bare hooves. If the conversion of all four hooves is planned, it is advisable to carry out the conversion at the rear first and a few weeks later at the front. The conversion is usually somewhat easier at the rear, as only around 40 % of the horse's body weight rests on the hind legs and therefore less wear and tear occurs here. The forehand bears 60% of the horse's weight and a larger proportion of the rider's weight. 

Hoof boots as an interim solution

Hoof boots are also useful hoof protection, to help the horse through the changeover phase temporarily and in parts. But CautionMany hoof boots are only suitable for staying on the hooves for a few hours due to the way they are fastened, usually with straps, clamps or buckles.

Over time, unpleasant pressure points and chafing can develop on the ball or coronet band, so they are not a permanent solution for paddocks, paddocks, or stables. Furthermore, hoof boots should always be fitted by a specialist.A combination ofHoof Hardener and hoof boots has alsoproven very effective and is often used as a permanent solution.

Photo 9: Correctly fitted hoof boot (Photo: Hufschuh-Service Jung GmbH)

The first weeks after iron removal

Immediately after the iron has been removed, we recommend a daily application of the Keralit Hoof Hardeneron the wall, white line and sole of the hoof. The first 2 to 3 weeks after removal of the shoes is the most demanding phase for the hooves. Daily application of the hoof hardener provides the best possible support here.

In addition, the hooves, especially the white line, must be checked daily for stones and the sharp edges must be rounded off if there are any breakouts. In this phase, you should start carefully with movement on soft ground. If the horse is not sensitive, it can also be ridden during this phase. There is no general answer to the question "Conversion to bare hooves: How long should I not ride?" - the decisive factor is how the horse feels and moves.

Basic questions that you should ask yourself from the day you start taking iron and then regularly throughout the transition are: 

• How does my horse feel?

• How does it behave in the run / under the saddle?

• Is it sensitive to pressure on the hooves?

• Are the hooves warmer or cold?

• Are the hooves getting shorter?

• How does my horse walk on different surfaces?

If the answers to these questions reveal initial problems, these measures can be used to counteract them:

• Use hoof boots / hoof protection when riding

• Do not ride on stony ground

• Sand and boulders in the run - avoid the paddock

• Continue to use Hoof Hardener on the sole, bearing edge and white line

• apply laurel ointment to the crown edge to accelerate growth

Once the most critical phase of the first 14 days has passed, we recommend the Keralit Hoof Hardener 2 to 3 times a week for further support . If the horse shows no sensitivity, movement and stress from different ground conditions can be further increased.

It is important to keep asking yourself the above questions even after the conversion, because even hooves that have already been largely converted can still wear down considerably when the stress is increased. Long periods of dryness can also lead to brittle horn and increased abrasion due to hard ground. 

Should stones that have entered the white line are removedbe removed?

Among barehoof horse owners and also the "experts", there is always a discussion as to whether to leave stones in the white line or remove them. remove should be removed. A healthy barehoof horse with straight walls (parallel to the coffin bone) and a narrow, firm white line will have very few worn-in stones.

In contrast, the hooves in pictures 4 and 9 + 10 are hooves with an outwardly bent horn wall and thus a wide white line that is pulled apart. The white line does not grow wider here, the horn cells are only pulled wider by the bending, This makes them more vulnerable, softer and more susceptible to WLD and, of course, to stones that have penetrated them. It is very important to check the white line and corner struts.

Here, you should really check for small stones every day and remove them if necessary to prevent hoof abscesses. If two stones come together, they often reach the blood-supplied corium, allowing bacteria to penetrate and potentially resulting in a hoof abscess.

When the horse becomes sensitive: The right treatment

The treatment options depend on the cause. First and foremost, it is important that the horse is only moved gently on soft ground or with hoof boots. Stony runs and paddocks or paddocks should be avoided. A paddock floor with stones (cobblestones, boulders) or sand can also lead to severe abrasion due to the constant turning.

Once the sensitivity has been overcome, the measures can be reduced. Support can also be provided with Keralit Laurel Ointmentto stimulate growth and, as already mentioned several times above, with the Keralit Hoof Hardener.

If a horse becomes lame after switching to bare hooves, no longer moves freely or becomes extremely sensitive, new hoof protection should be fitted as soon as possible. Basically, it is therefore very important to always have a feel for whether your horse is still comfortable.

Conversion to bare hoof - hoof dermis irritation & hoof dermatitis

Overload-related overload-related hoof dermis inflammation always occurs as a result of mechanical irritation of the sole corium. When switching to bare hooves, this is caused by mechanical stress from stones or hard ground when the hoof wall and sole are still weak.

Even later, a long time after the changeover, bare hoofs can still suffer from hoof skin irritation. Not only the horn of the hoof wall, but also the sole horn needs a longer period of time to get used to the new load and to grow thicker. Wall horn takes up to a year, the sole horn has grown out once after approx. 10 weeks.

How often do bare hooves need to be trimmed?

How often a horse without horseshoes needs to be trimmed depends heavily on individual factors. These can be, for example, growth, wear and position. Horses that have a good position and wear is in balance with growth require trimming much less frequently. The length of the intervals should initially be assessed by an experienced hoof trimmer. After the changeover, this is usually every 6 to 8 weeks. A few file strokes in the right place are often enough to bring the hoof back into shape.