Re: Re: Barefoot and hoof growth

["Maggie Mieske" <mmieske@netonecom.net>]

I was waiting for Nelson to get home yesterday to comment on the "toxins
build hooves" theory.  Susan responded better than I ever could.  Nelson
said something akin to "hogwash" and "protein builds hooves" which may be
less scientific than Susan's response but is what I suspected he would say.
I, too, would want to see the literature and research to back up these
claims... I have no idea where some of this stuff comes from.  I don't give
a hoot if folks want to ride barefoot....I ride my horse barefoot sometimes,
too but for 50 miles, he gets shoes.  As far as a comment I remember reading
earlier about horses growing faster barefoot than when shod, I have to
disagree.  We have some horses that MUST be reset every 4 weeks...one mare
in particular will grow 1/2"...we know because we measure.  It's phenomenal.
She grows this 1/2" AFTER her owner took her off HT20...on the HT20, she
grew 3/4" in 3 weeks!  So...sorry but shod horses grow pretty fast, too.
One of our clients was a young girl who rode her horse EVERY single day on
pavement and gravel... she about wore those feet right off that poor horse!!
We could barely keep 3 inches of foot on her and at times, it was
dangerously close to only 2 and 1/2 and 2 and 3/4.  My point was that Nelson
couldn't even trim her, she wore so fast...so maybe SOME horses will grow
faster, but I think the majority ridden that way are going to wear faster
than they grow.  Maybe it's time for some more survey when I'm out and about
with Nelson!  :)
Maggie