Absolutely the nylon stirrups. I had one of my best horses get loose thru a
freak trail misshap 3 weeks before Tevis in 1998. The saddled turned,
(Murphy's Law at effect), 'cause it was brand new, & latigos stretched, then
it was really loose & went under her belly. She stepped in one stirrup &
must have run wild like a banshee.... I never, never found that stirrup & I
still ride the same woods where she was loose. The other leg was beat up
too where the other stirrup banged her. Her inserted cannon looked like
hamburer, (oh the fronts were banged up a little too, but if it had been
aluminum, I feel certain it would have cut her leg off as wild as she got.
Thru lots of icing & lasering I thought I got her well enuf 2 start Tevis,
but she reagravated a torn muscle (that I didn't realize was torn in the
wreck & we were out at 65 miles... REally expensive & depressing lesson.
I can reaffirm that the aluminum also bend... had it happen to one of my
clients on trail the other day when a horse went down, squished it so flat
she cudn't get her foot in it & finished the ride rather lop sided.
barefootin'
Still absolutly believing in staying "barefoot" as much as u can.
Everything on the place is barefoot except when we go to really rocky rides
(can't condition for them here in the swamp of HOuston. Then I use the
EquiFlex polyurathane shoe... love them!!!! Wish the American team had been
using them in Spain... myself & all the other horses that used them in the
muddy Biltmore ride this year did not loose one shoe.
Bacl tp Bfng, We did all of Shore to Shores "barefoot" & there were some
days where it was pretty rocky & gravelly. Biggest problem we had was
hamstringing in the deep sand. Our horses were so good metabolically (would
always out recover most of the other horses) that Brit, CeCi & I probably
let them cruise a little too fast the first few days. However, their feet
held up beautifully all thru the week & I was shaping and trimming a bit
thru the week as well.
We shod fronts last Saturday for a "rocky" okla ride, all but one Mustang..
he finished the ride totally barefooted. 50 Miles of really nasty rock,
with a cuple of bad bogs thrown in.
After two years I continue to see a ton of de-contraction in the previously
contracted horses. I guess it will go on for another two years too. When u
consider how long it took them to get there.... I'm actually getting some
club feet allllmooost matching the low heel foot. I would have never
guessed it. Also, our incidence of colic in the last year has decreased
sizeably in our heard of 40 some odd horses. Main truble now, is just
finding time to trim, train, take out trail rides, do book work & share
occasionally with my good friends on the list!!! If u don't hear back from
private posts... please give me time... there's just not enuf hrs n the day
for me it seems.
& Now we're off to Nationals (that is if the hurricane Isadore doesn't get
us)... Murphy & his Law!!!
dare
Darolyn Butler-Dial & Mark Dial
CYPRESS TRAILS EQUESTRIAN CENTER & HORSEMAN VIDEO SHOWCASE
Proven Endurance Horses for Sale or Lease.
Adventure Trail Rides * Boarding * Training*Lessons *Parties
Represents: Sharon Saare Saddles, Professional Choice, Advanced Biological
Concepts, & KM (Human Electrolytes)
ADVOCATE :THE WHOLE HORSE TRIM (Barefootin")
21415 Cypresswood Dr. Humble, Texas 77338
Ph: 281 446 7232 Fax 281 446 0113 Toll Free (800) 228 8768
e mail: darolyn@xxxxxxxxxx <mailto:darolyn@xxxxxxxxxx>
www://home.swbell.net/darolyn/
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