I would reccomend staying with shoes. they offer support and protection, especially with a reigner. If anything put her on a good hoof supplement and pull the shoes. you must allow alot of time for hr to get acclamated before you even think about riding her.consult your farrier and vet.

good luck!

I took off my 10-year-old mare's shoes for 2 years. She was basicly fine with it. You just have to be carful, don't go on sharp rocks, and go slow on hard surfaces.You can sloly toughen up her feet - after all, the horses in the wild didn't wear shoes! Hope I helped!

Good for you, your mare will thank you in the long run (no pun intended). I don't think you'll need an alternative except the boots. Unless she's in a rocky paddock she'll be fine turned out. As always have your farrier help you with her transition. But you will both be happy in the end!
I think the Length of you slide should be the least of your worries (which it looks like it is) and your mare's foot and overall health should come first (which I think it has!).
Best of luck!

Good for you and for your horse. I presume her feet were tender after pulling the shoes? If so, boots are a good way to go. I love the Easyboot Epic with the gator - they must be a proper fit and you should get your farrier to "roll the toe" just like the toe wall would be, but they are really great. I bought some Old Macs - sorry they are a waste of money. They do have a gator now and have developed pads for fitting but these things were not available when I bought mine. If these are fitted properly, she will have no problem and you should be able to ride her on any terrain while her feet are recovering from the shoes. It could take quite a while for her to recover and that depends on a lot of factors. What type of terrain is she in? Is she turned out or does she have a lot of stall time? Do you ride her on gravel or packed roads or softer surfaces? All of these things will make a big difference in her recovery from the trauma of having shoes for two years. I suggest you get a good "barefoot" trim for her. A hoof trim for a shoe is very different from the barefoot trim. Have her sole evaluated to see how thick her sole is. Unfortunately, shod horses have thin and sensitive soles due to lack of stimulation and the unnatural forces of the shoe. Given time, the hoof wall will grow and recover from the nails. With proper trimming, your horse can develop rock crushing hooves with a calloused sole and frog that will be able to travel anywhere. However, you have to be patient and be willing to take the necessary time for her to get where she needs to be. My eventer has been barefoot (1300 pounds/WB) for 7 years (pulled his shoes when I brought him home) and he does everything without any problems. With the reining, I would definitely use boots to protect her legs, especially with the sliding stops, but otherwise she should be great. Being without shoes will allow her foot to flex in all proper directions, improve the circulation in her feet and legs, improve the neurological response in her feet and legs - it will all be good. When she can go without her boots, the more you ride her, the better her feet will be. Stimulation from travel instigates good healthy growth and the formation of protective tissues on the foot. Again, get a proper barefoot trim and watch your horse. She should have a "heel-first" landing. Look for balance in her gait and you should be able to feel it when you ride also. I think you made the best decision for your horse. Seek professionals who will support you in your goals. I wish you the best of luck.

I recommend you keep your shoes on her if you plan on riding her more than 2 days a week. The hoof wall and hoof sole will bend and crack and cause a lot of damage to your horse's overall health. Remember, the reason people get shoes is to PROTECT the hoof. But if your planning on just joy-riding her 2 days a week (max) then she'd be happiest. Rule of thumb - Growth should equal wear. Heart-rate equals growth.

Also, I'm completely against what Barefoottrimmer said. The only reason to go barefoot is because you don't plan on riding as much or because of medical reasons. "Unfortunately, shod horses have thin and sensitive soles due to lack of stimulation and the unnatural forces of the shoe." That is untrue. A bad farrier will trim a horse too short - thus "tender" feet. Realistically, horses with shoes have the same amount of sole as a barefooted horse - if not more due to they move and get worked more often, and harder than a barefooted horse.

"Given time, the hoof wall will grow and recover from the nails. With proper trimming, your horse can develop rock crushing hooves with a calloused sole and frog that will be able to travel anywhere." That's also not true. ALL horses hooves are made of the SAME exact material. Show me a picture of a calloused sole, please. It's probably just a sole that's been trimmed maybe 1/16th of an inch longer than another horse.

"Being without shoes will allow her foot to flex in all proper directions, improve the circulation in her feet and legs, improve the neurological response in her feet and legs - it will all be good." The tubules will bend, yes. EVERY horse's hooves bend - shod horses or barefoot horses. Barefoot horses however, have a higher chance of getting quarter cracks, rock bruises, tender soles, etc. Because there isn't enough protection on the bottom of their foot for the hoof to grow.

"Stimulation from travel instigates good healthy growth and the formation of protective tissues on the foot. Again, get a proper barefoot trim and watch your horse. She should have a "heel-first" landing. Look for balance in her gait and you should be able to feel it when you ride also." The first couple words are correct - heart rate equals growth. The more she moves, the faster her hooves are going to grow. However.. protective tissues? Horses hooves are NOT made out of tissues. If there's tissue on the outside or inside of your horse's hoof, then there is something seriously wrong and I recommend getting it checked out immediately. "Proper barefoot trim" lands "heels-first"? That's wrong.. that causes excessive wear on the heels and would make the toes flare out. Horses legs should fly straight and land _flat_. No exceptions - barefoot or otherwise. What is balance? Can you define balance, show me a picture of it? Balance according to the AFA (American Farrier Association) is the horse stands in the middle of his foot and bears weight evenly.

Talk to your farrier what'll be best for your horse and what your needs are.

(Sorry for the wall of text..)

Going barefoot whenever possible is IMO the way to go. For the transitional period I would look into the easy boot, or something similar. You will be surprised at just how quickly a horses hooves will adapt & harden up. Recent research shows that a gread deal of support in the hoof depends upon the sole, and not just the hoof wall as previously thought. You will have fewer problems in the long run if your horse is barefoot. many mounted partols go bare now too, and they are on pavement all day! Good luck!

Mine are barefoot, but the boot works fine for me when they need more protection. I take the boots off when they don't need them anymore. My horses are all pastured, and I don't work them hard. I wouldn't use shoes unless absolutely necessary.