Sorry Rosalind, You've just been hi-jacked

No, I don't believe in natural/barefoot or whatever name they've called it lately.
Don't get me wrong a number of my horses are barefoot, but it has nothing to do with this new idea that all horses should/can go that way.

It is because they have very good conformationly correct legs, proper foot/leg flight and are overall healthy animals.
But, they are trimmed... period.

By a very good and highly educated farrier.

A proper, balanced trim is essential to barefoot or shod horses alike and a well experienced professional will strive for this every time.To describe someones work as a traditional or barefoot trim is ridiculous. In practice simply trim each horse (shod or not) to accomodate that particular animal according to their conformation and environment.

On the topic of barefoot trims, however, Dr. Turner has some words of caution.

“Some are really radical,” he says. “My rules of thumb are: Anything that draws blood can’t be good. Anything that leaves your horse lame afterward can’t be good.”

In theory, a “barefoot trim” gives a domestic horse’s hoof the same shape as a wild horse’s hoof. Supporters of the barefoot trim believe that if it happens in nature, it must be the best thing for the horse. So, it would be reasonable to associate a ‘barefoot trim’ with ‘natural.’

This ‘natural’ design is based largely on a study of mustang hoof wear in some specific western North American environments. Sometimes, you will also hear a barefoot trim referred to as a “mustang trim” for this reason.

None of my horses are Mustangs, and for @ least 5 generations have been bred and born in captivety under a very artificial environment.
So, to try an impose something on them, so radically against the way they are nutured in my minds eye makes little to no sense.

In another research study;
Research has shown that when a foot is routinely trimmed too close at the toe each time the horse is shod, P-3 seems to settle some and the horse can be 'off' for a few days. It is our belief that the sole plays a major role in supporting P-3. When the sole ridge is over-trimmed, the laminae attachment of P-3 at the distal border may be compromised, which can allow the hoof wall to migrate forward, much like in laminitis. The settling of P-3 within the hoof capsule causes a vertical deformity in the hoof wall at the hairline. A common practice for farriers is to trim the toe and leave the heels in order to achieve pastern alignment.� However, when farriers trim the sole close at the toe to raise the foot angle, the heels are frequently left too long. With the weakened laminae attachment at the distal border of P-3, the hoof wall and the long heels will migrate forward, allowing the entire hoof wall to migrate ahead of P-3. This can be easily seen when viewed from the bottom as well as when viewed from the side.

Most, users of the barefoot method agree that your horse will show some signs of foot soreness while adjusting to his new feet.
Why cripple a good foot.

Bottom line, no horse should be sore after any type of correct farrier work.

As, for the above pictures, they don't show the radical side of barefoot, just good common sense and a practical,slow,correct hands on approach.