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Re: [RC] barefoot and circulation - heidiSo what happens when a shoe is nailed onto this foot? Once a shoe is nailed to the hoof, the hoof mechanism is largely disabled. Normal expansion is no longer possible as the shoe has been put on when the hoof is non-weightbearing and in its narrowest state. This is where the understanding parts company. No, the shoe does NOT disable the expansion. If it is put on improperly, it may limit it somewhat, but shoeing is not the equivalent of banding the foot in non-expandable steel! Most of the expansion occurs behind the quarters. A properly shod foot has no nails behind the quarters, and has an "overhang" on the bars of the shoe from the quarters back that allows the shoe to be the most supportive when the foot is in maximal expansion. One can readily see the wear marks on the bars of the shoe where the bars of the hoof have worked out and back in. An improperly shod foot may have nails behind the quarters--but unless it has clips at the heels preventing expansion (something I've never seen, except in extreme situations of injury where special shoes are made with the intent of literally holding a damaged foot together while it heals--NOT something one does to horses out doing athletic work certainly), there is still SOME expansion there. (If there WERE none, one would not see the heels overgrowing such shoeing jobs when the shoes are left on too long...) Additionally, the nails have SOME give to them--which is why shoes sometimes become loose over time, even when the clinches are still intact. To shoe many Arabs properly, often the heel nail must be left out on "standard" shoes. I've never had a problem with shoe stability with only three nails per side, given a decent farrier and a horse with even averagely (is that a word?) decent feet. Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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 Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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