RE: 7/1 re: Butler on Barefoot/Strasser/fads...

[Darolyn Butler-Dial <darolyn@swbell.net>]

<From Bob:
No I have to disagree with this premise of certain angles and lengths. the
horse is an individual and each foot is an individual with it's own
requirements.
So where do you disagree?
Bob>

From Darolyn:
Bob...  & Heidi,
I know where U are coming from... I too was a real skeptic on how that 30
degree hairline could possible work on all horses... However.... I don't
worry too much about the actual angle, or too much about the toe length...
meaning I don't obsess with the suggested parameters... which by the way
give you a range on both of those measurements).... but what I have found,
if one gets the 30 degree angle pretty right on (I've stopped using the
protractors now, I just eyeball it), the angle & the toe length come out
pretty close to the other Strasser suggested parameters.

 I have found that farriers & men in general, when they learn the trim or
are studying it, have a hard time with all these (supposedly) hard/fast
parameters... When actually, if you will read all the later stuff & the
books, you will find a lot more latitude than U believe now.  Not to be
gender bashing... <no flames>, but I think that is why U will find more
women doing the barefoot trim... we're more willing to use our intuition and
gut instinct to say... hmm, think that toe shud b shorter... hmmm.  gonna
round the toe a little more on this guy since he has forged in the past.....
hmmmm this is more like a 49 degree angle, but he looks comfortable on
that... & his hairline is 30 degrees...  presto... with a little practice
trimmin' & eyeballin', u have a successful trim... & the neatest thing... if
U are doing it urself... & U decide he needs a prep, or ur not satisfied
with it... U just fix it urself... U don't even have to stress with getting
the farrier out there.

Your right about there being no exact measurement for all horses, one has to
use a certain amount of common sense & judgment.... but if everyone will
read the book "Lifetime of Soundness" & study some of the other web pages...
(with an open mind)... u'll be amazed at how much sense it all makes.
There's also an online newsletter  www.TheHorsesHoof.com that U can
subscribe to online & it has some wonderful information in it.  :-)
djbd

Darolyn Butler-Dial  & Mark Dial  (COWBOY)

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