{"id":2136,"date":"2026-01-19T17:10:51","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T17:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/?p=2136"},"modified":"2026-01-19T17:10:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T17:10:52","slug":"barefoot-and-sensitive-soles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/barefoot-and-sensitive-soles\/","title":{"rendered":"Barefoot and sensitive soles?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A barefoot horse can look \u201csound enough\u201d in the paddock but still be uncomfortable on certain surfaces\u2014especially gravel, hard ground, frozen ruts, or after a fresh trim. Sole sensitivity isn\u2019t just about being \u201ctender\u201d; it\u2019s often your horse telling you their feet need a bit more support while the hoof adapts.<\/p><p>What can cause sore soles in barefoot horses?<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Thin soles (genetics, previous shoeing, or trimming history)<\/li>\n\n<li>Sudden changes in terrain or workload<\/li>\n\n<li>Long toes\/low heels creating extra pressure<\/li>\n\n<li>Too much trimming at once (especially if the horse is already sensitive)<\/li>\n\n<li>Seasonal ground changes (dry\/hard summer, icy winter, stony autumn paths)<\/li><\/ul><p>Signs your horse might be sole-sensitive:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Shortened stride or \u201ccareful\u201d steps on firm ground\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n<li>Seeking grass\/soft edges instead of walking straight on gravel\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n<li>Hesitating on slopes, stones, or transitions (arena \u2192 yard)\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n<li>Looking fine after warm-up but stiff again on the way home\u00a0\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><p>Helpful, horse-friendly management tips:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Build mileage gradually\u2014let the hoof adapt <\/li>\n\n<li>Choose kinder surfaces for riding\u00a0<\/li>\n\n<li>Review trimming: frequent, conservative trims often help more than big changes<\/li>\n\n<li>Keep hooves clean and dry when possible; thrush can mimic \u201csoreness\u201d<\/li>\n\n<li>Support comfort during transitions (new routine, new terrain, post-trim) using pads or boots<\/li><\/ul><p>Where Barefoot Pads can be a game-changer:<\/p><p>Our Barefoot Pads are designed to give the sole an extra layer of support\u2014so your horse can move more comfortably while still staying barefoot.&nbsp;<\/p><p>Use them:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>for hacks on gravel or stony trails<\/li>\n\n<li>during seasonal ground changes<\/li>\n\n<li>after a trim if the horse needs a little extra comfort<\/li>\n\n<li>for rehabilitation periods when you want protection without shoeing<\/li><\/ul><p>Important: Pads are support\u2014not a substitute for investigating persistent soreness. If sensitivity is ongoing, check for thrush, balance issues, or consult your farrier\/vet.<\/p><p>Read more and order <a href=\"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/?post_type=product&#038;p=2125\">here<\/a>.<\/p><p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A barefoot horse can look \u201csound enough\u201d in the paddock but still be uncomfortable on certain surfaces\u2014especially gravel, hard ground, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-okategoriserad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2136"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2138,"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2136\/revisions\/2138"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equnique.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}