Re: Fwd: RC: conditioning Barefoot horse

["Robyn Levash" <questarabians@inreach.com>]

I have also read in several posts that horses do not naturally "in the wild"
> travel 50 to 100 miles a day. But in Kat's post she claims that her
> horses naturally travel 100 miles a day in her pasture.  So which is
> it? My self I would believe Kat, in that horses travel that far in a
> day, naturally, while they are grazing and going to water.
>

I highly *doubt* that a wild horse travels anywhere even close to a 100
miles in a day, nevertheless packing around extra weight (unless in foal or
overweight). But, whether the horse travels 10 miles a day, or 100 miles a
day in the wild, the point being is that the horse is a highly adaptable
creature. "The Laws of Progressive loading" work the same as on horses feet
as well as conditioning any other part on the horse, e.g heart, muscle,
tendons, ligaments, bone ect.  If you go too far, too fast, or over hard
packed/rocky terrian when the horse is used to soft terrian, the feet simply
cannot adapt quickly enough (or will fail altogether>>> resulting in excess
wear and or lameness). If one does not want to take the time out, to
*slowly* and properly condition the feet for going barefoot over *all
terrian* then hoof protection is a must. It is possible that the people that
say that they've tried going barefoot in endurance rides, and that it
"simply does not work" are going too far, too fast. Or, they are
inconsistant (keep changing things, and the horses feet cannot adapt to all
these changes quickly enough), or they don't condition on trails that are
similar to the terrian of the rides they are doing, and /or they are
impatient in the conditioning process (It doesn't happen over night folks.
Just like a seasoned endurance horse is not made in 30-60 days. It can take
1-2 years or more, to transition a shod horse to be able to successfully
finish a 50 mile ride barefoot. It all depends upon the horse, and or the
extent of damage to the foot e.g contracted/ underrun heels/ heel or toe
pain ect.)

Another point to mention,  is that it may not be possible for horses all
over the country to go barefoot consistantly doing 50 miles +, if their
environment is constantly changing, the owners are not consistant, or they
live and condition on soft ground, and their rides are on hard/rocky ground.
In this case, it most likey is not possible to complete a ride/ or many
rides without hoof protection (unless they move to a more stable climate,
and or similar terrian that they'll race on in order for their horse's feet
to adapt to going barefoot ).

If the "Laws of Progressive Loading" are not exceeded, than it is fair to
say that the horse can adapt to going barefoot above and beyond what is
considered "normal" activity for a horse. It is *possible* that their feet
can adapt to doing 50 or more miles more than once a month (my horse has
done it). It is even *possible* that a horse can even do multi-days, and or
100's barefoot (Darolyn's horses have done it). It's the same principal as
if you took your shoes off, and walked barefoot down a gravel road. It would
take much time before your feet adapted, but eventually you could do it. Now
strap a 20 pound backpack on. Yes, it will take even more time to be able to
walk/jog/ run down that gravel road barefoot with weight on your back, but
it is *possible* (Kenyans do it). It is even more highly *possible* for the
horse to adapt .

Happiest of trails to all . . . .

Robyn :)))

----- Original Message -----
From: Lynette Helgeson <helgeson@ndak.net>
To: hope lundquist <wwho20@hotmail.com>
Cc: <katswig@earthlink.net>; <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2001 5:08 AM
Subject: RC: Fwd: RC: Barefoot/verses steel


> Hello hope,
>
> Tuesday, September 25, 2001, 10:50:24 AM, you wrote:
>
> hl> Hi Kat: Thanks for you analytical post on barefoot verses steel shoes.
> hl> Mankind has relentlessly experimented with hoof protection for the
horses
> hl> that they ride. Vision the huge Armies on horseback from years gone
by.
> hl> Mankind will keep looking for something better because there must be
> hl> something better. Bye Hope
>
> There is something better, the natural hoof. Man can not improve on
> what God has already perfected. It is man's interference with the
> natural hoof that has made it less then perfect. I keep hearing people
> compare with themselves running over rocks and how painful that is and
> comparing it to horses running over rocks. Well, when I was a kid,
> living on the farm, I never wore shoes. The bottoms of my feet were
> well "conditioned" to being barefoot. I could run over rocks all day
> long and not feel a thing because the bottoms of my feet were very
> tough. I also know a lady who stills goes barefoot all the time, and
> she can stand outside in the snow and it does not bother her. Before
> the inventing of the shoe, mankind was barefoot. Then everyone started
> wearing shoes, now people are tenderfooted and can't walk on rocks,
> let alone run on them.
>
> I have also read in several posts that horses do not naturally "in the
wild"
> travel 50 to 100 miles a day. But in Kat's post she claims that her
> horses naturally travel 100 miles a day in her pasture.  So which is
> it? My self I would believe Kat, in that horses travel that far in a
> day, naturally, while they are grazing and going to water.
>
>
I have also read in several posts that horses do not naturally "in the wild"
> travel 50 to 100 miles a day. But in Kat's post she claims that her
> horses naturally travel 100 miles a day in her pasture.  So which is
> it? My self I would believe Kat, in that horses travel that far in a
> day, naturally, while they are grazing and going to water.
>
> Maybe not your horses but it has been done.
>
> --
> Best regards,
>  Lynette                            mailto:helgeson@ndak.net
>
>
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