This is my 3 year old Spotted Saddle Horse "They Call Me Roy". Roy is ridden barefoot and in Easy Boot Epics and Old Mac hoof boots. He has fantastic hooves and can be trail ridden on very rocky terrain barefoot but I like the extra protection he gets from the hoof boots. When I purchased Roy in February, 2008 he was in shoes and they were pulled within the 1st week I owned him. I do my own barefoot trimming and he has never taken one off step since those shoes were pulled.

 

 

I am new to gaited horses but it appears that the gaited horse community really believes their horses need shoes to gait. My horse gaits without shoes with no problem. The only issue I am having with his gait is getting him to develop a faster speed and stay in his gait for a longer period of time. From what I understand, that will come with developing the muscles that he needs to gait and maturity.

 

— Lisa Grigaitis