‘I love the hollow clopping sound of Tommy’s bare feet as he walks down the road’

Carla Manning owns nine-year-old Carhue Boy (aka Tommy) who she competes at elementary level dressage. Carla made the decision to remove Tommy’s shoes in October 2016, and finds that it has benefited both her and her horse.

“The main reason I transitioned Tommy to barefoot was that he was diagnosed with hock arthritis. I believed that the only way to keep him sound long term would be to remove his shoes,” she says. “The first step was to make changes to his diet. At the time he was on nuts, but after digging into the nutritional content, I discovered his were high in sugar and starch, so I switched to a barefootfriendly feed that was lower in both. “I then arranged for my farrier to remove the shoes and I got in touch with

Emma Burston and arranged for her to come and assess and trim Tommy’s feet. “We did a few weeks of in-hand walking on different surfaces before I rode him, and then it was a couple more months before his feet were conditioned enough for the demands I need to place on him. “I’m hoping that the benefits of barefoot for Tommy are long-term soundness, but having him barefoot also means that I’m able to notice even the slightest changes, particularly when his hocks are causing him trouble, and

Emma can shorten his heels to make him more comfortable again. Having Tommy barefoot saves me time and maintenance jobs — I like to leave his feet alone as much as possible, bar a scrape out once a day. The other benefit is that when it snows, we get to enjoy some lovely rides as barefoot feet don’t ball up with snow. “Emma trims Tommy every 5-6 weeks. It’s not as cheap as a farrier trim, but the extra cost is worth it when you know that an experienced barefoot trimmer will keep your horse not only maintenance sound, but training sound as well. Emma’s advice on hooves, as well as on diet and management, is invaluable.

“In terms of management, you have to condition the feet — so you can’t spend all your time in a soft arena and then expect your horse to do two hours’ road work. But now I’ve made the transition, I’m so pleased with the results. I love the hollow clopping sound of Tommy’s bare feet as he walks down the road.”