<% appTitle="Ridecamp Archives" %> Ridecamp: Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] barefoot endurance
Ridecamp@Endurance.Net

[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]
Current to Wed Jul 23 17:36:25 GMT 2003
  • Next by Date: Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] barefoot endurance
  • - Maggie Mieske
  • Prev by Date: [RC] Shoeless Joe
  • - Steve Elliott (EQUINE PERFORMANCE)

    Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] barefoot endurance - Vicki Austin


    OK,........ I have been reading ALL the coments about barefoot verses shoes.
    I have had horses all my life.  All (but one) have been able to be barefoot
    at least for a short amount of time.  Usually in winter when not ridden
    much.  They could go well in the ring and in the nature preserve across the
    street from my house and be just fine. I have always put some sort of
    protection on when summer came and I knew they were going to be ridden up in
    the mountains.
    
    I said(but one)!!   King cannot go bare foot AT ALL.  When I first started
    working him (before I owned him) he was bare foot and very ouchy.  His owner
    said he would get used to it.  He didn't.  She put shoes on him and he was
    better.  Long story short.  I have tried many times to let his feet "rest"
    and leave him barefoot.  He is miserable.    Recently he had surgery and I
    thought a wonderful oportunity to let him be bare foot during recouperating.
    For one I knew he would not run around while barefoot and thus I could let
    him be outside instead of couping him up in his stall.  I also took the
    oportunity to have his hooves x-rayed to see just where his bones were so
    that I could have him trimmed and shod with his feet in perfect alignment.
    In the x-rays it showed that he had no sole, to speak of.   The farrier has
    never been alowed to pare away the sole so it came as a surprise to me.  His
    bones were lined up perfectly so all he needed was toe chopped off.(natural
    four point trim) He was barefoot for six weeks and then it was time to put
    him back to work starting at a walk a little each day until he was back into
    his regular work schedule.   I tried to ride him once.     He was literally
    crippled barefoot and I rode ten minutes and got off.  I didn't ride him
    again until he had shoes.   He is flat footed, thin soled, huge frog (a good
    thing I understand) and no heels to speak of.    For a few years I had th
    farrier put a wedge pad on because I thought he needed it for the (no heel
    thing) and the tenderfoot thing.   Turns out (via x-rays) should not have
    wedge pads so the last two times I had him shod was with out pads of any
    kind.
    
    I know it sounds like rambling but I say that to say this.  SOME horses
    cannot go with out shoes EVER and be happy.
    
    I myself can go barefoot a lot. I even go out in the snow to get my mail in
    the winter barefoot as I am too lazy to bother to put my shoes on.
    Most people cannot go barefoot much at all.     Doesn't it make sense that
    horses can be the same??   Some barefoot some not.   Personal prefrence,
    thats all.  Of the horse I mean.   Vicki
    
    I
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Deanna German" <finishis2win@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
    To: <mmieske@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <mailto:drhopkins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
    <mailto:ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
    Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 6:06 PM
    Subject: Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] barefoot endurance
    
    
    > Hey Maggie,
    > After so many years and so many hooves, does Nelson really HAVE to measure
    > toe length and angles, or does he do it just to double check himself? I
    know
    > that after close to 20 years of doing graphic design, I can see right
    angles
    > (or not), parallel lines (or not) and can put together complex charts
    > without measuring and have them come out dead accurate -- I'll drop or
    pull
    > an occasional measurement to double check myself; I can't remember the
    last
    > time I was off, but one never knows, so I continue to double check.
    >
    > My farrier does much the same thing. The first few times (3 years ago) he
    > worked on my horse (barefoot trim then), he measured toe length and
    angles,
    > but since then he hasn't. I trust his eyes and his level of experience --
    > but I trust my eyes too. He watches her coming and going and looks at her
    > squared up and then proceeds.
    >
    > Like Nelson, my farrier doesn't just snip, snip and drop the foot. It's a
    > true barefoot trim without all that sole paring -- not a so-called
    "pasture
    > trim". For those of you who haven't seen a Strasser trim, a significant
    > amount of sole is pared away. The last time I saw that much sole removed,
    a
    > farrier was trying to get at an abcess with a vet leaning over his
    shoulder
    > watching.
    >
    > New horse at our place is getting the Strasser treatment. Horse has a flat
    > foot. So does my mare. New horse is very ouchy on gravel. I could yank my
    > mare's shoes (well, my farrier could because when I've done one, it's been
    a
    > lot of work) tomorrow and she wouldn't be ouchy, even ridden.
    >
    > Is the new horse ouchy because that's the way he is? He's been barefoot
    all
    > 6 years of his life. Or is it the Strasser trim to which he's been
    subjected
    > for the last 3 months, paring away all of that protective sole? Food for
    > thought.
    >
    > No, I haven't read "the book". I trust my own senses. But you all make
    your
    > own decisions. This is just what I've observed first hand.
    >
    > Suffice it to say that what I've seen of the Strasser trim has not
    impressed
    > me. And it comes at a premium price. It is better than no farrier care at
    > all, I'll say that much. Get yourself a good farrier. Period. (They can be
    > hard to find, but they're out there.) And commit to regular farrier care.
    No
    > criticism of Howard undertaking to do it himself -- I'd do that if I had
    his
    > level of frustration and couldn't find a good farrier.
    >
    > Happy trails all!
    >
    > Deanna
    >
    >
    >
    > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    >  Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
    >  Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
    >  Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp
    >
    >  If you are an AERC member - PLEASE VOTE in the upcoming By-Laws
    >  Election!!!! (it takes 2/3rds to tango!!)
    >
    > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    >
    >
    
    
    
    
    
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
     Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
     Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
     Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp
    
     If you are an AERC member - PLEASE VOTE in the upcoming By-Laws 
     Election!!!! (it takes 2/3rds to tango!!)
    
    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    
    

    Replies
    Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] barefoot endurance, Deanna German