Natural hoof-care is a growing in the equine world. More and more people are pulling the steel shoes off their horses and discovering a better way to care for their horses. Tons of research is, and has been, proving that horses are better off without steel shoes, or anything, nailed to the hoof.
  Going Bare is more than just pulling off the shoes and hoping for the best. It takes a good trim to re-create the natural balance the hoof is seeking. Diet and exercise play key roles in affecting hoof health. A sugary, grain based diet served in a few, huge meals to a horse that's idle in a stall, will likely cause a myriad of health issues, which will be most visible in the hoof. Regular exercise and a steady diet of grass hay will benefit any horse, shod or not.
  

   The natural trim mimics natural wear that a domestic horse isn't able to achieve, thanks to confinement and rich diets. Since we prevent that wear, by limiting movement,  we must replace it by trimming. A classic farrier, or "pasture"  trim carves the shape we want, often times leaving the internal structures unprotected and creating a need for protection, i.e. shoes. Barefoot trims maintain and build the natural protection of the foot, and allow it to have it's own unique balance that it needs to work for that horse. 

Going bare isn't about just letting the horse suffer through some tenderness, and some hooves may always need boots. Boots allow the horse to have the benefit of being bare when not worked, but still be protected when needed. It's a marriage between modern materials and nature. Shoes were invented to help horses, before people could see what was going in inside the hoof, or analyze it with slow motion cameras. Hoof boots and better trims that cater to natural hoof shape are the newest tools to keep horses sound.
   

Bare hooves (and even booted) get excellent traction and maximum shock absorption. A shod hoof on dirt gets the same amount of concussion as a barefoot on concrete!!! Metal shoes maximize concussion can induce leg strain and injuries. A barefoot is already designed to absorb the impact and prevent injuries, naturally and metal shoes simply cannot allow that natural function to occur.  Barefoot horses are capable of performing any task, from polo, racing and a roping cows and more. They get better traction and negotiate hills better than their shod counterparts.