# The barefoot diet



## scrunchie (23 September 2012)

Just wondering what it is essentially.

I've seen lots of threads saying feed this, feed that, don't feed this etc. But can't find a thread that explains it properly in layman's terms. Is it similar to what you'd feed a laminitic?

I'm interested because my youngster is coming into work and I don't really want to go down the shoeing route.


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## Wagtail (23 September 2012)

Good question. I was wondering that as well. I have my horses on Pure Feeds Easy. Is this enough?


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## AFlapjack (23 September 2012)

Most people feed Fast Fibre (or equivalent) as a base feed as it is a hay alternative and low sugar content etc. I also give mine a sprinkle of Pure Easy to help him slow down whilst eating! 

It is then important to give the horse correct vit and mins. A lot of people get their hay/grass analysed to see exactly what their horse is lacking vit/min wise. I don't as my boy comes with me to uni so hay and grass is changing throughout the year so I feed him Brewers Yeast.

Quite a few (inc. myself) feed MagOx (or equivalent) which helps  with a huge amount of processes within the horse, is known to help reduce fatty deposits (ie, crest) and is pretty much low in grazing in general so important to feed. It can also help with calming.

Finally I then feed Linseed (micronised) which contains omega 3 which is low in restricted grazing and helps give good coat condition etc. and helps put on condition if fed in large amounts without risking laminitis etc.

That is what I feed mine. I think it covers the basics but welcome to be corrected!


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## Goldenstar (23 September 2012)

Laminitis need a high fibre low sugar diet in this they are the same as BF horses and in fact all horses as this is just a healthy diet.
But BF horses are just horses with no shoes on mine often need very high energy diets and at that time they get lots to eat , oats , alfafa linseed and haylage in quanties that you would never give to a lamintic .
They are also the same in that need to feed and supplement a BF horse to maximise healthy hoof growth and of course you need that in a laminitic as well.


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## weebarney (23 September 2012)

Where do you buy micronised linseed? Is it in a bottle or bag?


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## Goldenstar (23 September 2012)

weebarney said:



			Where do you buy micronised linseed? Is it in a bottle or bag?
		
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In a bag ,Charnwood milling is the best place they deliver it.


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## paddy555 (23 September 2012)

Goldenstar said:



			In a bag ,Charnwood milling is the best place they deliver it.
		
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however if you contact your local feed merchant they can often supply it for you. They get the same micronised linseed from Charnwood but it is usually a fair bit cheaper. 
For example charnwood including delivery is around £28. My local feed merchant in the west country ie Mole valley farmers supply it at £19.12 for the same 20kg bag. Obiously you may well have to order it but it is a worthwhile saving. 

http://www.charnwoodmilling.co.uk/mail-order/Horse_Food.html#a55

The bags are 20kg and most people feed around 100g per day or perhaps a little more depending on why they are feeding it and horse size so it is pretty economical. It is a dry coarse powder you just stir into the feed. 

BTW I don't think there is such a thing as a barefoot diet. There is a good diet of low sugar and high fibre with the correct minerals, salt etc. but every horse deserves that. 
It has only become known as a "barefoot diet" as it has become very obvious that often if you feed a barefoot horse a rubbish diet you get rubbish feet. 

OP the biggest mistake people make at your stage ie youngster coming into work is feeding too much. By the age they start working they have done a lot of their growing and the feed needed for growing then goes into weight gain so low sugar and high fibre is the key. (and that means keeping an eye on the grass) 

I feed my barefoots all the soaked hay they want, a very small feed of fast fibre (or unmolassed beet pulp) with 1lb a day of spillers or (D & H) hi fibre nuts soaked to make it tasty to get them to eat a good mineral supplement (meta balance, pro hoof or forage plus ones) plus salt, yea sac and magnesium. 

They can do a fair bit of work on that and certainly all that a youngster would be able to do. If I wanted to work them hard (eg hunting etc) I would obviously feed extra for that.


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## weebarney (23 September 2012)

Goldenstar said:



			In a bag ,Charnwood milling is the best place they deliver it.
		
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Thank you, their dlivery price seems very reasonable too. Is this a suitable barefoot diet- baileys lo cal and speedi beet molasses free? I had to make do with what i could find at my local store the other day. Should i be feeding the linseed as well as what i have or is it an alternative to a balancer? I'm so confused!


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## thatsmygirl (23 September 2012)

Aliceflapjack has said what I was going to say. 
Molasses and grass sugars and starch ( sugar) are known to weaken feet so should be kept out of horses diets as much as possable even if shod. 
My tb use to cost so much money to feed as was on all kinds off conditioning feeds but never looked how I wanted him to look. 
He's now on fast fibre ( safe base feed to add supplements) micro linseed ( safe weight gain) equimins advance complete ( great vit/min supplement, calmag ( helps strenthen feet, most grazing is lacking) and salt. 
2meals a day and very small meals. Fast fibre is a mug full just to carry vits etc and a mug of linseed and he's the best iv ever seen him. Ribs well covered.
Feed simple, cut out sugar,starch ( go for under 10% if you can) no molasess or cereal.


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## scrunchie (23 September 2012)

Thanks for the advice, Paddy 555.

One thing - unmolassed beet pulp - can you use traditional molassed sugar beet and rinse the molasses off once its soaked? Or does rinsing not remove enough of the molasses?


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## Lego (23 September 2012)

This is something I keep eyeing up as my horse's feet aren't great... Part of me wonders if he wouldn't be better without shoes as he frequently gets chips etc around the nail holes and after the odd weather we had, my farrier is struggling to find enough good horn to nail into when shoeing recently. His feet were improving but that seems to have ground to a halt...

He has a high fibre, low sugar/starch diet, with brewers yeast and extra biotin but is it worth using magnesium in some form too? If so, which type? I've seen people talking about calmag and magox - which is best for supplmenting diet for feet?


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## thatsmygirl (23 September 2012)

I believe Lego calmag is best and is cheap to buy but magoz if you have IR problems. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Iv got 1 horse left shod now out of 6 and iv put her on the same diet as the others for when her shoes come off and she always goes 8 weeks between shoes with no problem but since being on this diet and I believe it's the advance complete her feet need shoeing already after 4 1/2 weeks. She's grown so much foot it's unreal.


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## Oberon (23 September 2012)

scrunchie said:



			Just wondering what it is essentially.

I've seen lots of threads saying feed this, feed that, don't feed this etc. But can't find a thread that explains it properly in layman's terms. Is it similar to what you'd feed a laminitic?

I'm interested because my youngster is coming into work and I don't really want to go down the shoeing route.
		
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A barefoot diet is basically a low sugar and starch, high fibre and balanced mineral diet that is suited to all horses.

The reason barefooters bang on about it so much is that we have found time and time again that what the horse eats directly affects the quality of hoof the horse produces and their comfort on all surfaces.

Dr Chris Pollitt as part of his research on laminitis experimented on 'waste' Standardbreds.

He induces laminitis and then PTS at various stages. Upon dissecting the hooves, he found damage and inflammation to the laminae even in horses who were PTS before they showed any symptoms at all.

Years ago it was found that turning our back on most commercial mixes made for more comfortable barefoot horses. We used 'Magic Barefoot Powder' made from seaweed, brewer's yeast and linseed. 

But there were still some horses who were just not 100%. These were the horses who people considered, "could never go barefoot".

Then some started experimenting with forage analysis and mineral balancing - and suddenly the difficult horses became not so difficult any more.

In the last two years a couple of people have brought out supplements that are mixed to this new style of mineral balancing - but most of the feed companies haven't caught on yet .


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## Holly Hocks (23 September 2012)

Wagtail said:



			Good question. I was wondering that as well. I have my horses on Pure Feeds Easy. Is this enough?
		
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Wagtail, I have my barefoot TB mare on Pure Easy as she went right off Fast Fibre.  Her hooves are wonderful and she looks fabulous.  I also feed Pro hoof and micronised linseed with it.


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## paddy555 (23 September 2012)

scrunchie said:



			Thanks for the advice, Paddy 555.

One thing - unmolassed beet pulp - can you use traditional molassed sugar beet and rinse the molasses off once its soaked? Or does rinsing not remove enough of the molasses?
		
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yes I do that. Rinsing doesn't get too much out so I spray mine. You can use a garden hose spray attachment or even just your finger over the end of the hose. Spraying it really gets the molasses out.


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