Ridecamp: RE: [RC] [RC] barefoot endurance

--- "Whiteaker, Steve" <Steve_Whiteaker@xxxxxxx>
wrote:
> And, of course, the President of the Guild that
> makes its money from putting shoes on horses is
> certainly an unbiased observer of a technique that
> fosters healthy, barefoot horsemanship.
> 
> Kind of like asking a witch doctor what he thinks
> about antibiotics.

I've been staying out of this... I see both sides (to
a degree)...

However, I don't think that's a very fair analogy. 
Farriers TRIM barefoot horses too.  And, we'll have to
ask the farriers/farriers' wives on the list <g>, but
I think with the time and materials the difference in
profit between a trim and a shoeing is pretty slim. 
In fact, I bet the best profit would be for a farrier
that only trims and doesn't have to purchase the
plethora of equipment needed for shoeing. 

I have NEVER had a farrier suggest shoes on a horse
that I didn't also think needed shoes.  I keep the
majority of mine barefoot, and I've never had a
farrier balk at taking my business, even if every
horse that day was "just" a trim.  And I've known
fabulous and not-so-fabulous and even downright creepy
farriers -- but none have ever said "you must use
shoes."

Oh, and as for the "shoes contribute to laminitis"
post earlier, I've got a foundered mare.  She was
BAREFOOT when it happened.  And shoes helped her
tremendously in her recovery.  Today, several years
later, she can go barefoot again, but I leave plain
shoes on her front feet b/c if left barefoot she'll
occationally get tender and ouchy... A large number of
horses with laminitis get it for reasons that really
have little or nothing to do with their feet.  

~Nicole

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