Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Barefoot

In a message dated 10/3/2002 11:20:38 PM Mountain Standard Time, ridecamp-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:


> 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.  


I owned a mare that literally could not walk across the pasture barefoot. When she was young I thought I could use her lightly without shoes as you can most horses. I was driving her in a training cart and she laid down in the road because her feet were sore. OK, so this mare was a huge wimp. After a few years of Biotin she got so we could actually keep shoes on her. I've read that hoof health depends a great deal on pasture conditions. I can't argue with that when I see horses here running on vast dry hills but in my 4 acre pasture I've had horses that had great tough feet and also the wimpy mare with feet like soap. Go figure. 
Debbie