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Re: [RC] [RC] shoes impeding circulation-not! - Howard Bramhall

Since I've become a hoof nut over the last couple of years, I would like to comment on this and just say what I've seen, down here in Florida, working on my 6 horses for over two years now. I've been doing my own shoe'n for over a year and, have been doing the trimming for over two. I'm an advocate of barefoot but, I do believe shoes are necessary sometimes, and when they are, I put them on. After pulling shoes though, I really try to go at least 2 months barefoot after that whenever possible. Plus, in the summer down here, I'm not really crazy about putting shoes on a horse in this God awful heat (actually, it's the humidity that kills me). Three or four T-shirts worth of sweat when I do that. One for each shoe.

What I see, with my guys feet, is weather dictates everything, and, this August, with over 15 inches of rain, I've been dealing with a lot of wet.
From dry to wet seems to be the worst transition and when you go back to
dry, parts of the hoof wall can disentegrate and turn to dust.

The biggest thing I am noticing, with regards to blood flow, is the frog. I seem to have a much better frog on a horse that has been barefoot, with no shoes, for awhile. Sometimes, with a horse that is shod, a large part of the frog kind of dissolves away, and doesn't look nearly as healthy as on a barefoot horse.

I do believe that observation says something about hoof blood flow. Don't get me wrong, I love putting on shoes (sometimes I do it just for fun, except in the summer) but this is a for real observation on my part and I just thought I'd throw that into the mix. I know there are some "do it your-selfers" out there, besides me, whom I'd love to hear from on this topic.

You too, Maggie, what does the pro say on this one?

cya,
Howard

----Original Message Follows----
From: Vallonelee@xxxxxxx
To: anyone@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [RC]   shoes impeding circulation-not!
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 09:10:24 EDT

In a message dated 8/29/04 9:31:56 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
anyone@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
When
the hoof is expanded it will contain more volume rather than less, and
would be sucking rather than pushing out. You can safely put steel
shoes on your horse without any worry that it will impede circulation.
DISCLAIMER: First, all my horses that are used regularly wear shoes, so I am
not a total barefoot advocate, etc., etc., yadda, yadda, yadda.

But given the above, if the expanded hoof contains more volume would that
same volume decrease when the load was removed (i.e. the hoof in flight) and
therefore cause a pumping of the blood ? Just interested in knowing more.

Lee
".......and God sought to bestow upon man a supreme mark of his blessing. God
created the horse. The horse could run faster than the deer, jump higher than
the goat, and endure longer than the wolf. Man, being encompassed by elements
that sought to destroy him, would have been a slave, had the horse not made
him king."

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