BAREFOOT HORSES AT THE SA DERBY 2023

By Amelia Campbell-Horne

Photography:  Merlynn Trichardt

Going barefoot or keeping sporthorses barefoot is a trend that is on the rise around the globe. Barefoot showjumpers came into the spotlight after the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, where the Swedes took home the Gold medal with a team of two out of three barefoot horses.

It is a trend that is slowly infiltrating the South African competitive equestrian sphere. In the Cape, a significant portion of competitions still take place on a grass surface, but for the rest of the country, 90% of jumping competitions are held on fibre and sand-based surfaces. Keeping a horse barefoot on these artificial surfaces is generally accepted to be fine. Still, there is much uncertainty from individuals when it comes to competing barefoot horses on grass surfaces.

At the recent SA Derby, we spotted a few horses that competed successfully on grass and chatted with their riders to get some first-hand feedback on what it is like to compete barefoot on grass. Hopefully, this will give some riders peace of mind about keeping their horses barefoot on grass!

Geordi Byrne and Callaho Sequoia-Vella

• 10th in the 1.35m Speed Derby and did a 1.40m Qualifier on Day 2
• “When I first jumped on grass barefoot with Sequoia Vella, I was so wary because I had always ridden horses with shoes before, and it felt strange not having to worry about studs. We contemplated putting shoes on just for the KZN and UAG Derby last year, but I wasn’t so keen on the idea because Ella naturally has a very big stride/step where she can easily drop strides in any related distance, and I didn’t think it was worth it as a temporary solution. I’ve always had Ella barefoot, and I didn’t want to change that. My instructor, Maud Scott-Barns, put my mind at ease, reminding me that naturally, in the wild, horses don’t have shoes, and these are not artificial surfaces. Once I got over my own mental block about jumping with no shoes on grass, I didn’t even notice the difference. This year at the Derby, I jumped my first 1.40m round with her, and it didn’t change a thing about my round and how she went. I’m a big advocate for keeping a horse barefoot if you can, and I am confident in Ella that she is stable on her feet when jumping in a grass arena.”

Tamsyn Muller and Ricochet du Rouet PZ

• 2nd in the 1.30m A2 Competition
• “Pumpkin felt so stable on the grass; not once did I feel that he was unsure about his footing. When I won the Micro Derby in 2015 on Mozart, he was also barefoot.”

Rebekah Klintworth and Dolarch’s Brandenburg Claire (also owns Dolarch Deluxe)

• 9th in the 1.20m A2 Competition
• “You do not worry that your horse is going to slip; it is how they run in the wild. With shoes, it’s like walking on ice with tackies. Last year, even with studs, Deluxe slipped. I’ve taken Deluxe’s shoes off, and she is transitioning with scoot boots and pads in the paddock.”

Kyla Brimacombe and Tack N Togs Onduno Walfaction

• 6th in the 1.20m in the A2 Competition and 4th in the 1.20 Two-Phase
• “‘Tigger’ felt more stable than my horses with shoes! Just don’t tell my farrier 😉”

Shannon Wyndham-Quin and Regenesis Vet Disa’s Esperanto

• Came 2nd in the 1.50m Competition and were just outside of placings in the Big Derby
• Shannon said she got Esperanto when he was 11 years old, and he went down to her in the Cape. They put shoes on as they did a lot of road work and jumped on grass the majority of the time. When they moved up to Jo’burg earlier this year, they decided to remove his shoes (May 2023), and she says he has felt so much better without shoes and highly doubts she will ever put shoes back on him again. She told us, “If a horse can be barefoot, I think it is fantastic for them to be barefoot.”

Kelly Searle and EquiFeeds Just Al

• Came 3rd in the Micro (Speed) Derby
• “Ally felt incredible in the Bob Charter on the grass; we train on grass at home, and most of our shows in the Western Cape are on grass, and I have never felt the need to put shoes on him.”

Courtney Webber and Opal de la Bastide

• Winners of the 1.35 Micro Derby!
• “My Junior horse Foresyte Lois Lane was barefoot, as well, and she felt so good in the Bob Charter. Opal also doesn’t have shoes, and I feel that they are better in the grass without shoes. Opal didn’t slip once and felt super the whole show.”