Natural Hoof Care Of Colorado.
Contact me, Keith Jacobson, 970-391-1838
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It is usually best to simply call me for information regarding appointments etc.   My cell phone is always on and I try to answer
immediately whenever possible. I have a zillion anytime minutes so I'd prefer to talk between appointments if possible. Call from 7 AM
to 6 PM.   If for some reason I cannot answer, I'll return your call at the very next opportunity.  My phone number is; 970-391-1838
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              These are pretty common questions from people interested in going barefoot.
  • Does the ground my horse lives on make a difference in his ability to go barefoot?  YES it certainly does.  If you
    don't clean his pen and he lives on bacteria rich feces and urine his feet are going to be crappy!  A clean well drained
    pen with a sandy, pea gravel mix called "squeege" will really improve your horses hoof quality and your success with him
    barefoot.  Don't get too carried away with the pea gravel, start with it in a portion of the paddock as some horses will
    overly scrub their feet and get sore.
  • Does what I feed really make a difference?  Yes, it certainly does!!!  Avoid feeds with molasses.  If you really want to
    offer treats to your horse give them a carrot or some of the dried apple pulp snacks.  If you want to feed grain, and most
    horses don't need any grain, then give them a couple of cups of rolled or steamed oats a day.  But HAY is the most
    important part of the whole equation.  Try to find MATURE HAY, that is hay with a lot of stems and seed heads.  Avoid
    the pretties fluffiest priciest greenest hay and you will find you will have a leaner, tougher horse with better overall
    health.  See the links page for the Safer Grass website.  Feed to keep your horse fit and slim, not fat!
  • I board my horse, will Natural Hoof Care work for me?  In the past I wouldn't have been as positive about the
    potential of stalled and boarded horses as I am today.  I have found that people who board their horses ride more
    frequently than those of us who keep our horses at home.  I have several horses in my trimming string that have great,
    healthy feet and they actually live in stalls!!!  The key is the owners ride them frequently!  They ride in the facility
    arenas a lot, and when they go on the trail they boot their horse.  These horses look and act great!  So you don't ride
    your horse very often, shame on you, but, they might as well be barefoot anyway.
  • How long will I have to boot my horses?  I'm asked that question a lot and it is almost impossible to answer because it
    is asking about time and a specific sensitive animal and unknown conditions and rider and tack weight etc.  But re-
    phrasing the question makes it a lot easier.  How long will I WANT to boot my horse?   You will probably want to boot
    any time you plan to ride a long distance in one day, or ride several days in a row that add up to a lot of miles, or any
    time you are going to ride on a trail you have never ridden before because you don't know what the conditions are going
    to be like.  I've not seen a pair of worn out boots yet, so don't worry about that, they have a lot of miles in them.  Just
    use them!  Your horse will like you for it.
  • Do I boot the front feet or all four feet?  Most customers start out with only booting in front.  I find more
    customers all the time booting all the way around.  My personal experience was as follows.  I noticed my horse would be
    heavier on the forehand on long rides when I was booting him only on the front feet.  I didn't really pay a lot of
    attention to it until one pretty long ride and I couldn't get him to collect for me, which was really unusual.  It was one of
    those "duh" moments.  Of course he didn't want to collect, he didn't want to weight his rear end any more than
    necessary!  His front feet were really comfortable even though they carried a heavy load.  Next time out I booted his
    back feet as well and I've never looked back from it.  He has significantly more energy than ever before.  
  • Does the rider & tack weight affect barefoot riding? (I'm asking this question for your horses benefit.)  I've never
    seen this discussed before but I'm certain there is an implication.   I have experienced it first hand in our own horses.  
    Rider and tack weight can have an impact on the comfort of the horse over the course of the ride.  I weigh 200 lbs and
    ride with 50 lbs of tack.   Laura is half that weight and rides in a 25 lb saddle.  She rarely boots her horse when riding
    tough terrain.  But when I takeher horse out for long rides I can tell his comfort declines over the rough ground.  Now I
    boot him all the way around on longer rides and he is more comfortable and has much more energy.  And what is more, he
    actually has a LOT more protection than if he was steel shod.  Again with boots, once you own a pair there is really no
    good reason not to use them.  Don't get into the "macho" frame of mind wanting to prove your horse can handle anything.  
    When in doubt, boot!  
  • I am of the opinion that these are the BIG FOUR for successful hoof care, in order of importance:  
  1. Footing on a regulary cleaned, well drained, slightly abrasive material such as sand and pea gravel mixed.
  2. Exercise, as much as is possible both under saddle and at liberty.
  3. Proper trimming.
  4. Keep proper weight and feed the right food, as described above.