I own three horses, each used for different purposes and each with very different feet. One horse is used for barrel racing and speed events, one for english riding and speed events, and one mainly for general riding. All three horses are commonly ridden on trails in the warm season.
The trails where we ride are very rocky and I have all three horses shod during the warm season to protect their feet, and in the case of the speed horses, to prevent excess wear from the arena material.
All three horses are coming six year old geldings. The barrel horse, Tuffy, has tiny little feet for a 15.3 hand horse and they tend to wear all the new growth down when barefoot. Poncho, the english/speed horse, has tremendous toe growth and very very tender soles. I never thought I would be able to ride him without shoes. The third horse, Coda, has very nice rounded feet that don't grow very fast in the winter and won't put shoes on him again until we hit the trails.
I did not know that most farrier textbooks recommend that horses go barefoot, but regularly trimmed in the off season. I thought it was acceptable to shoe all year long.
I read that pulling your horses shoes (either permanently or temporarily) will produce a healthier foot. A rest period without shoes is the best way to cure a soft, weak or damaged hoof. Since this was the first year I pulled their shoes, I wasn't sure what to expect. All three horses are doing very well without shoes.
If you are interested in managing your barefoot horse, you can check out this website that will help you with lots of information about barefoot hoof care.
