Trivia Challenge: Do You Know Barefoot Basics?
Challenge yourself! Have fun and test your knowledge of horse hoof health with Horse&Rider’s Trivia Challenge, featured in The Ride newsletter.

Illustration by Navah Rae Adams

1.True or false: Any horse can eventually be ridden barefoot, given enough time to adapt plus the right trimming and management.

T / F

2. True or false: A barefoot horse should have his hooves trimmed every 4 to 6 weeks, just like a shod horse.

T / F

3. True or false: Pull-on hoof boots are the latest innovation to help barefoot horses remain comfortable on various terrain.

T / F

4. To maximize the hoof health of your barefoot horse, you should…

A) give him as much turnout as possible.

B) maintain him on a low-sugar diet.

C) keep him on the type of footing you typically ride him on.

D) all of the above.

HOW’D YOU DO? (Answers below.)

1. F is correct. Although many (and perhaps a majority) of horses can ultimately perform under saddle without shoes, some may need hoof boots to be ridden in certain circumstances. If you’d like to try the “barefoot way” with your horse, educate yourself on the topic, then use common sense and the advice of professionals to guide you. (Learn how three different riders made the shoes-or-not decision for their horses.)

2. T is correct. Ideally, a barefoot horse should be trimmed every 4 to 6 weeks by a hoof-care professional knowledgeable about this method of trimming. A traditional pasture trim or prep-for-shoeing isn’t necessarily the same as a trim based on natural hoof dynamics, but a “barefoot trim” can be learned by any interested farrier. (Learn the “basics of barefoot” from a natural-hoof-care expert.)

3. F is correct. Pull-on hoof boots in a wide variety of styles are old news; the full range of what’s now available includes glue-on boots, specialty pads, flexible epoxy fillers, casting material for custom fabrication, and more. (Want details? Discover a range of strategies to smooth your horse’s transition to barefoot.)

4. D is correct. All of these management strategies will affect how well your horse does without shoes. Constant movement over terrain similar to what you ride on helps his hooves become strong and adapt to that surface. Correct nutrition helps maintain the integrity of his hoof capsules. (Learn about the extra needs your horse’s hooves have in the summertime.)

Hey! Not already receiving H&R’s fun and informative newsletter? Sign up right now for The Ride.

CATEGORIES
TAGS
Related Articles
Horse Knee Injection
Comfort Management Matters
Common Treatment Options for Equine Osteoarthritis
156A5641 (1)
Let's Move!
Strengthen and Support: Exercises for the Arthritic Horse
The front view of a rider in jeans, cowboy chaps and checkered shirt on a reining horse slides to a stop in the red clay an arena
Are You Taking Proper Care of His Joints?
Take Our Quiz! How Joint-Smart Are You?
Portrait of horse in barn door
Keep Riding After OA Diagnosis
Life After an Osteoarthritis Diagnosis
Newsletter
Receive news and promotions for Horse & Rider and other Equine Network offers.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Country*

Additional Offers

Additional Offers
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Horse and Rider
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.