Overview

Many people now realise that shoes—while good for people—are not good for horses. We’ve shod horses for hundreds of years. We always thought that shoes ‘protected’ their hooves. But science is now confirming that metal shoes are detrimental to equine well being.

Before trim

They prevent the hoof expanding to absorb concussion; they increase the shock to the skeletal structure, and they prevent the hoof maintaining itself through natural wear. When a hoof gets overgrown, it doesn’t simply chip, crack and look bad. It also fundamentally alters the balance and stance of the horse, placing additional stresses on the body.

This site is designed to encourage horse owners to consider the benefits of barefooting—for pleasure horses, for performance horses and for those suffering founder, navicular and other problems commonly present in domestic horses.

After trim

There are many examples of horses with significant lameness, gait, locomotion and muscular/body problems which have been found to originate in the foot. Proper hoof care has alleviated and fixed many such problems. It has saved horses which were otherwise destined for the knackery, giving them sound, useful lives.

Barefoot trimmers do not practice magic. They do not rely on traditional treatments which have never worked, such as corrective shoeing. Instead, their technique is based on a comprehensive knowledge of hoof anatomy and function. We aspire to give domestic horses hooves as healthy—and serviceable—as those of their wild counterparts.