Have to say, I'm learning a lot from this discussion. It seems the Strasser method has its problems. I did check out some of the web sites people listed here. One, listed by imacowgirltoo, was particularly interesting. That one was: www.hoofarmor.com. By the way, I tried nail-on plastic shoes. My horse seemed to like them. She was more sure footed over rocks and on pavement. Problem was my farrier didn't want to use them. Does anyone else have experience with them?

castleton, no, i'm not a farrier, regardless of having done it as a youth, on the ranch horses. However, I DO recognize a competent farrier when i meet one, and if he/she is working on my horses's feet, i know enough to scrutinize his/her work, and if it's not satisfactory, I don't have that person back. regardless of technical disagreements, general opinions, even specific opinions...those who know me, know that i never stoop to personal insult, nor derogatory inuendo. if you wish to discuss horse issues, i'm right there with you...supporting your right to agree or disagree on any subject, with any person. but.............

When you remove horse shoes, the soles are still thin from all the sole scraping the farriers do, the sole is flattened (not concave) due to farrier science (and a sharp knife) and in some cases the coffin bone is near breaking through the sole. I don't know about you but if someone shaved the sold of my foot razor thin I would be sore too!!! Think about it, the shoe is a metal contraption wrapped around only the outer shell of the hoof (protection similar to our nails). That is like typing with acrylic nails (to put it mildly)...it kinda hurts and pulls your nail. Mr. Cloud are you a farrier? Before you go off on everyone who might be interest in letting their horses perform the way they were made, read Pete Ramey's work on foundered and Laminitis horses.

I keep five of my six horses barefoot and they do just fine on a six week schedule. I haven't had any problems with having the horses barefoot, except when they get cut too short on rare occasions...then they get bruises on rocky trails.

Hi all I think KSANGEL said it best.....use some common sense! If you trust your farrier then let him be your guide. But...that doesn't mean you can't try something new. Hey and what the heck...if it doesn't work you can always go back to using shoes. Don't be afraid to experiment....but think of what is best for the horse! Buffy

If you really want to go "traditional", go barefoot. That's how horses were ridden for hundreds, if not thousands, of years before we learned to shape metal. I've been riding barefoot cow horses all my life and have never had a problem with it. A good farrier will look at the horse, look at what you're doing with it and the ground conditions where you're riding, look at the hoof condition, and tell you whether or not you need shoes. Most horses in this area are barefoot, and they're only trimmed every 3-4 months. You better believe they're sound because a real ranch cowboy cannot afford to have a lame horse. There have been barefoot horses being ridden for a whole lot longer than they've been putting shoes on them. Use some common sense and look at your individual situation and then decide what your horse needs. There is no one size fits all solution.

Thanks, Filly, I hear what you are saying, and who knows, maybe he will be back in shoes some day. I'll keep everyone posted on his progress. By the way, great pictures on your profile - North Carolina is one of my favorite states! Elli

Point made, Singlefilly. Although, what did the Native Americans wear on their feet??? As mentioned before, there are many methods that are not as invasive as the Strausser method. Pete Ramey and Jamie Jackson's seem to make more sense and be more natural. Cloud, as you put it, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". That is my point - it IS broke, and I am trying to fix it!!! I have tried for 5 years with traditional shoeing methods and farriers to fix it, now I am trying my way. I don't intend to take my horse through sharp rocks and scree without boots. But in the pasture and riding in the adobes, there is no reason that he needs to have shoes or boots. Cloud, I'm kinda surprised that you tried internet dating - what happened to the traditional, tried-and-true method of meeting women, wasn't it working??? ;-) Elli

elli. it was one of those forward thinking souls that came up with the strasser method...which has sored up many horses' feet...to reiterate, traditional methods have been used for quite some time. they work for me, soooo, like my ole Grandaddy sed: if it works, it ain broke...

Thanks, Cowgirl. Well stated. Cloud, I agree that if the farrier is competent, he will recommend what my horse needs. Unfortunately, most of the competent farriers only go to the big barns and don't take on new horses here. The good ones that I used are hours away, and I didn't have a truck until recently. However, even the Certified Journeyman Farrier I used recommended leaving his shoes off a couple of years ago. He was an awesome farrier, but I couldn't find a ride to get Nash to him, and he doesn't travel. The farrier who cut all of his sole off and contracted his heels is actually well thought of my some of the large barns around. But I have also heard others like me who had bad experiences with his work - contracted heels and no sole. He also refused to return phone calls and ignored a vet's prescription for shoeing. Another one I tried left the sole, but his toes were so long he was stumbling when he walked. I am tired of feeling helpless and at someone else's mercy with my horse's feet, and decided to be proactive on the issue and learn as much as I can myself. Who knows, I may end up in farrier school in Oklahoma before it is all over! After all, as someone else on here said, the barefoot trim was developed by expert farriers and veterinarians who were foreward-thinking souls. Ok, I'm off my soapbox, now. I'll let everyone know how this works out for Nash, though. Elli Elli