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Re: [RC] Size of horse at AERC nat'l champ - csimmons88

Years ago someone did a study of horses competing for the year in NATRC 
rides 25/30 & 50 miles; highth * weight * vet scores were used.General 
consensus was 15 hands or less & 1000#s or less had less lameness & 
metabolic problems.  Horses over 15 hands & 1000#s generally didn't score 
as high on their vet scores.  (Obviously there are exceptions to this).


In response to Lucy Trumbull's Post:
One thing that struck me about Mommesin and Monsieur
Joseph was that they both had lil' feet. After becoming
paranoid about the "endurance horses must have big feet"
concept, ......  AERC NC
                       Mommesin 1st FW Division
                       Monsieur Joseph 1st MW Division

Re: Feet ..... this is what's important to "me". .... from
observation/experience gleaned from my years at the track.


The size of the feet are not as important as  "how thick are the walls 

of

the hooves". I've had several horses including the *FA  Staccato "Get" 

who

can train without shoes. Their hooves hard / walls thick they don't wear
down their toes.

Another horse comes to mind that I trained who had large dark hooves who
needed shoes within two weeks after he started training. He was in 

danger of

wearing his toes "off" behind the white line because the walls of his 

hooves

were too thin.

Thick walls "hold nails firmly" without creating sensitivity/pain to the
horse.   Nails clinched onto thin walls can create sensitivity/pain and 

are

less apt to stay on.

I don't want to leave the impression that I condone racing horses without
shoes. I put shoes on the horses as needed or when they begin to "breeze"
using an outer rim shoe so that the horses don't slip in the turns which
could pull/tear the stifle and tendons.

I would take into consideration the size of the feet as it relates to the
overall size of the horse i.e. ; Would not want to purchase a 1300 pound
horse who wears a 00 shoe. .....

As for the rest of the horse ..... this is what's important ...  to "me".
(Some of this I posted earlier.)


The size/height of a horse is not as important as is;  the angle of the

shoulder, length of the humerus, long forearm/short cannon, strong well
muscled back (should be particularly important in Endurance horses), well
defined gaskins and long hip (I'll give on the length of the hip if the
shoulder is well laid back).

Ability to oxygenate their system;   large nostrils, good width between 

the

jaws, good depth of girth.

The neck should be long enough to act as a pendulum and not so 

heavy/thick

that it adds too much weight onto the front legs.

Size/ height becomes a factor when a rider is very tall (don't want the
riders feet to drag on the ground)    :)  :)

Bev Scott   Ocala, FL







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