Re: Fw: shelton,shoes, no shoes

["Sandy Bolinger" <bolinger@bigsky.net>]

Tender footed horse is not a good thing---but a road foundered horse is even
worse. It is another form of laminitis that can permanently cripple a
horse...

----- Original Message -----
From: Dot Wiggins <dotwgns@ruralnetwork.net>
To: ride camp <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2000 10:30 PM
Subject: RC: Fw: shelton,shoes, no shoes


>
>
> First, I would like to make one point.   The ride that Cheryl  Shelton
> decided not to enter because management urged the use of  some kind of
foot
> gear for horses, was the Weiser River Rail Trail.  As the name implies,
this
> trail is being developed from a railroad  bed.   Much of the original rail
> ballast  (gravel) is still in place.  This ride was honestly described in
> all pre-ride info as being rocky, and pads or easyboots were suggested.
We
> did not  decide at the "last minute"  not to allow unshod horses.   Some
> riders did complete successfully with only regular shoes.
>
> As someone who has been riding for many years, under lots of different
> conditions,  I have a problem with some folks refusal to recognize the
need
> for working horses to wear shoes.
> I feel that "most"  horses benefit from time barefooted.   Some horses, in
> some circumstances, can certainly be ridden without shoes.    While I have
> never seen one,  I expect there are 50 mile endurance rides a horse could
> finish without shoes,  and I'm sure there are LDs also.    I think it has
> been established it is up to ride management to make the decision, shoes
or
> no shoes.
> As a long time ride manager in the NW,  where the mountains have rocks,
> valleys, too,  I cannot,  in respect for the idea of what is best for the
> horses even think about letting a horse start a 50 in my area unshod.   I
> have in the past  allowed a few on LDs, but was not happy with the end
> result on the whole.   The picture of sore footed horses is not what we
want
> for our public  image.
>
> I'm sorry Cheryl wasn't able to find a way to protect her horse for the
WRRT
> ride.      On the other hand,  I'm not sorry we did not have to trailer a
> sore footed horse in from the Vet check.   I cannot agree with  "starting
> and then pulling" if it doesn't work out.   That's not fair to the horse.
>
> 40 horses, all distances, entered this ride.   All had some kind of foot
> protection,   35 completed,   and as far as I know, only one was pulled
for
> a reason that may have been "rock related",   I think the horse may have
> lost an easy boot.
>
>
> Dot Wiggins - AERC #968-- over 7500 miles--ride manager since 1982-- life
> time horseback--kinda been there, done that,  hate seeing tenderfooted
> horses.
>
>
>
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