Transitioning horses from shod to barefoot management requires careful planning, appropriate terrain, and patient monitoring to avoid welfare compromise during hoof adaptation.
Barefoot transition welfare requires honest assessment of individual horse suitability and commitment to a patient, managed process. Abrupt removal of shoes followed by work on hard terrain causes acute welfare harm through sole bruising and hoof wall stress. The welfare case for barefoot management is strongest when horses have appropriate terrain, are given adequate transition time with hoof boot protection, and are assessed individually rather than ideologically. The welfare risk comes from ideological commitment to barefoot principles in horses for whom the transition is painful and the adaptation inadequate for their workload and terrain.