– where it all started
Lucy was my first horse, I got her when my work sent me to Australia for two years. I thought by the end of that time I’d be a legend rider, but what I really learnt was how to care for (and enjoy) my horse.
A chesnut thoroughbred mare isn’t what most would consider a perfect ‘starter’ horse for a newbie horse owner, but happily Lucy was a pretty lazy, laid back character who other than the occasional ‘pull back’ incident, and an inclination to overexcitement when jumping, was a pretty safe character.
It took me about three months to get her going properly – the first few rides she bolted whenever I tried to put her into canter, and one of my wise (and dear) friends, said it would be pain related, and I’d best get her fully checked out. We then realised her back was sore, so we got the saddle refitted, the saddler said get her teeth checked too, so we got the dentist out, and once those were both sorted, we got the chiropractor and bodyworker out too. During all this time the farrier came out to shoe, and everytime I watched him pare back the sole, I could see blood spots and bruising on both the soles and walls of her feet. The farriers view was that ‘ they’re just like that’ but the thought of her being footsore kept nagging away at me.
In fact the story that came to mind was the one about the ‘Little Mermaid’ – who, falls in love with a Prince that she sees sailing past. She is allowed by the Mermaid king to lose tail and become a human, but her penance is that whenever she walks, she feels like she is walking on knives… Fanciful I know, but to me, poor Lucy must have felt like the little Mermaid; every step causing her pain. It didn’t take alot of research for me to become convinced that barefoot was worth a try.
So we took the plunge, removed her shoes, bought some Old Macs and my trimmer persuaded me to go on a short trimming course so that I could maintain her feet with less frequent visits. It worked really well, and what I didn’t expect was that her posture started to change as her feet improved. I think these two pictures tell the tale……..
Lucy’s foot shape improved out of sight, and we were soon able to work on most surfaces without boots. For stony tracks or long distances I’d put boots on her, and if I didn’t need them I’d string them to the saddle. We hacked out, did some low key events competing and the hugely enjoyable Multiple Sclerosis Charity Horseride.
To me there’s some pretty compelling reasons for going barefoot: but making sure your horse is comfortable in their feet and their body is a key one.
Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I’ve enjoyed reminiscing about my lovely horsey and the fun we had together.
