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[RC] XP 04/horses shod? - DreamWeaver


Rusty jrusty@xxxxxxx
>How did you guys manage to get your horses shod during the 8 weeks?

Hi Rusty -- how often your horses need shod depends upon your horse, and how many you have. The more days you ride them, the faster their feet tend to grow, and the more critical it is that they are done.


My horses were growing so fast they needed to be trimmed very regularly, every couple of weeks or so, and it took several months after that for their hoof growth to return to normal. They never had to be reshod due to shoe wear, since I used easyboots on all 4 feet the entire time. I would definitely recommend getting your horse used to easyboots ahead of time. If everything works out and I get to go next year I will plan on bringing 2 horses and foaming their easyboots on exactly the same way as last time. I put it all down in an article for EN, and copied it to a website too: http://www.redwrench.com/ezboot/easyboot101part2.html I went thru a set of boots on each horse every two weeks, and did not necessarily replace them because they were worn out but because I did not want to take a chance that at some point during the next two week stretch one of the boots would wear out and I'd have to be out there on top of everything else fiddling around with foaming on another boot. One other really good benefit to having four boots glued on your horses at all times is that you don't have to worry about getting thrush. It is a lot of work keeping 4, 8, or more feet cleaned out on a twice daily basis (on top of everything else, remember you are riding 50 miles every day, packing up camp, fixing and eating meals and managing your horses too). So I rather enjoyed the fact that everytime I changed my horses easyboots their feet were clean and sanitary underneath. When they finished the ride their feet were in the most awesome shape they have ever been in. Nice, supple, elastic, no bruising, no dings, scratches, cracks. Just beautiful. Wish they looked that nice all the time!

I don't know that anybody had any real problem getting a farrier. There were some along on the ride who were kept busy and farriers could be found along the route. I was lucky, my husband does my horses. He would usually do one a day, it was so hot and we had so much to get done on a day off that was about all he felt up to along with everything else. Many times each horse would be shod and then be ridden the next day. I did a lot of things on that ride that I wouldn't normally do. Now, I don't worry about things so much anymore. :+)

Happy Trails,

Karen
in NV



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