Re: Bibliographies on Barefoot Info for Sue, Truman, etc.

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Well, thanks for the citations, but as far as I can see (my German is
limited but passable for this), all the citations are either very general
articles (here's a drawing of a horse, this thingy here is the hoof...), or
editorial opinion type articles published in non peer reviewed journals.


> pathology.  I would be interested to see if she obtained her "findings" on
> higher protein levels taxing the kidneys from verifiable research studies
or
> if she just came to this realization on her own.

If it's the latter, then she needs to read the literature.  There's been
good research into this particular area (none of it having to do with feet),
which resulted directly from an unproven belief that high protein did tax
the kidneys.  The only time high protein becomes a burden for the kidneys is
when glomeruler flow rate is compromised, or renal pathology existsthat
compromises function.  Believe me, if high protein in and of itself was a
problem for equine kidneys, I'd be on that band wagon in a flash.


> Don't get me wrong, I have had nothing but good luck with her trimming and
> maintainance methods, but then again, there were no pre-existing
pathologies
> in in my horse's hooves or legs when we started using this method.

Then I think that's all that matters *for you*.  My only objection, as with
all things, is when science gets bent and wildly extrapolated to try to
prove theories that may well not be universally true, as they seem to be
suggesting here.  Maybe this method has alot of good attached to it, but
*speaking only for me*, the author really loses credibility when she
apparently starts talking about effects on kidney and liver function,
excreting toxins, protein utilization and such.  Sorry, I nearly hurt myself
laughing last night when I read that.  I _really_ get bent out of shape when
those theories are used to potentially recommend using their dogma as the
solution for virtually every ill, including colic, laminitis and a poor
fashion sense.  Good lord, I can just see some naive horseowner reading
these wonderful promises, noticing impending colic or laminitis in their
horse and thinking they need to get a rasp instead of a vet.  Speaking only
of colic, there are a thousand different causes of colic (since colic is a
symptom, not a unique disease in and of itself) and of those thousand
causes, 99.9% don't have a damn thing to do with feet, so let's not pretend
that merely taking shoes off your horse will miraculously solve every
problem.

If this method works for you, great.  I sure get twitchy when it starts
evolving into a religion, though.  JMO.

Susan G