There is a misconception held by some, that having your horse barefoot is only suitable for the casual trail rider, lower level competitor or paddock ornament.
This page is dedicated to barefoot performance horses, from dressage to showjumping, endurance and cross-country. We will continue to add this page as more and more competitive riders embrace the natural barefoot lifestyle and reap the benefits of having a healthy, sound performance horse.
Dr. Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRCVS
Dr. Clayton received her veterinary degree from Glasgow University, Scotland in 1973. After two years in mixed veterinary practice in Scotland she returned to Glasgow University and completed a PhD. She worked at veterinary colleges in the UK, Canada and the Netherlands before coming to MSU in 1997 as the first incumbent of the Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine. Her research interests are in biomechanics of locomotion and lameness and development of conditioning programs for equine athletes.
As a veterinarian and researcher, Dr. Clayton's studies on the biomechanics of equine gait have focused on sport horses, including dressage and jumping horses.
Active in the sport of dressage, Dr. Clayton is a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist, and is a certified equestrian coach in the UK and Canada. She has been a member of the Canadian National Coaching Committees for the sports of dressage, jumping and eventing, and is currently a member of the USDF Planning Committee.
Dr. Clayon is currently competing on two barefoot horses, MSU Magic J and MSU Fanfare.
“MSU Magic J”
1991 Arabian gelding, bay, 14.3 hh
Sire: GF Stowaway; Dam: M S Fantaja
Breeder: Michigan State University
Magic was a school horse for students at Michigan State University until I bought him when he was 9 years old. I trained him in dressage. Last year, at 16 years old, he competed at Grand Prix level. Along the way, he has achieved many successes including 3 Arabian National Championships, 10 USDF All Breeds Championships, 5 Midwest Dressage Association Year End Championships, and numerous placings in the USDF Adult Amateur rankings.
Years ago a well-known clinician made told me that if I wanted to compete at the FEI levels, Magic would need shoes. Not true. Magic has been barefoot as long as I’ve owned him, even in Grand Prix competitions.
“MSU Fanfare”
2000 Arabian gelding, chestnut, 14.1 hh
Sire: Concensus; dam: Pasketta
Breeder: Michigan State University
I bought Fanfare at the annual auction of young Arabians at MSU when he was 3 years old and have brought him along slowly as a dressage horse. In the show ring he has won 2 Arabian National Championships, 6 USDF All-Breeds Championships, 3 Midwest Dressage Association Year End Championships, and some high placing in the USDF Adult Amateur rankings.
After Fanfare was knocked down to me at the auction, I looked his four dainty little white feet and couldn’t help think about the old poem:
One white foot, buy the horse
Two white feet, try the horse
Three white feet, look well about him
Four white feet, do best without him
I’ve now had him for 5 years and he has never been shod, just trimmed according to the principles of Dr. Bob Bowker’s physiological trim. His feet are strong and healthy.
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Alex Nicol and “Top of the Decade”
Extract reprinted courtesy of The Horse's Hoof Magazine (Issue 30)
Alex Nicol lives at Pangari Pony Stud in Gidgegannup, Western Australia.
She has been riding and training showjumping horses for over twenty years in Western Australia, the east coast of the USA, and the UK. She has three years experience with jumping barefoot horses.
With the hoof boots available on the market today, I am not aware of any reason why a horse can’t compete in Dressage, Western, Pleasure, Endurance, etc. without being shod. With showjumping, the issue of grip without studs, and the surfaces that we choose to compete on, are major considerations. The surface that a horse jumps on should always be one of the most important things to consider, whether the horse is barefoot or not.
Manuela McLean and “Da Vinity”
Da Vinity is by Dacaprio (Davignon/Caprimond) and out of a Regazzoni mare - a granddaughter of the full-sister to Garibaldi I and II - one of the most famous mares of the master breeder, Dr Schultz-Stellenfleth.
Da Vinity was imported to Australia in 2005 as a three year old by Andrew and Manuela McLean and now competes at Medium level with Manuela, as well as standing at stud at the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre.
Picture: Da Vinty competing at Treehaven in March 2008.
Rick Dabner and “To Liberate”
Extract reprinted courtesy of The Horse's Hoof Magazine (Issue 30)
Rick Dabner riding “To Liberate,” a seven year old KWPN gelding by “Burggraff,” at the 2007 Perth Royal Show. They were the winners of the Part Three Speed class.
Jenny Butler-Smith, United Kingdom
Extract reprinted courtesy of The Horse's Hoof Magazine (Issue 30)
This is Brioche, Belgium Warmblood, 6 yr old, successfully competing barefoot. We bought Brioche a year ago, and she came to us in very poor condition.
Her feet were in shocking condition, and the one front foot in particular had grown into a very upright position. We nursed her back to health, left her barefoot, and trimmed her on a regular basis.
We also managed her feet by not turning her out into very wet paddocks (we live in Surrey, UK), and providing her with an area of hardstanding, so that her feet could harden up. A year later, her feet are in perfect condition, good shape, the quality of hoof is excellent and when everyone else is slipping down a tar road because of their shoes, she is happily gripping onto most surfaces. For showjumping, we compete her on good all-weather surfaces, and she is fantastic. Haven't competed her on a grass surface yet, as most grass surfaces are unpredictable-sometimes hard, sometimes slippery.
All my horses are barefoot, and I have never had any problems with any of them. The thought of shoeing a horse now is horrifying.-Jenny Butler-Smith