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Lori,

I submit it was *not the shoeing*.  It was the way the horse was 
trimmed.  With improper trimming a lot of things are blamed on shoes 
that shouldn't be.

It was when I had my horses trimmed correctly that their LTLH was 
corrected.  Shoes at first for the gelding as we were still competing.  
I was looking at the before (at time of trim) and after (with new 
farrier) shots yesterday, the old farrier did a cosmetically beautiful 
job, for 13+ years on my horses.  But incorrect.

In my post the other day about how great my horses' feet are now, I 
left out a couple of factors, neglected to say that they are a lot more 
active on their own and out on the acreage--and that's got a lot to do 
with their hoof health now.  The angle of the growth down from the 
coronet band has changed on the adults, it was traceable to last March 
when we moved here, but the old growth is probably all trimmed off now. 
 They always had good hoof wall.  But I DO NOT blame having worn shoes 
in any way, other than the way they weren't extended enough to cover 
the area under the heel bulbs once the feet were past the 3 week level. 
<sigh>  They never had contracted heels, which many barefoot-only types 
like to blame on the wearing of shoes at all.  Ember was a size 1 
before and is a 1 now.   Q the same.  They're not perfectly 
conformed--both are long-backed, base narrow behind, for instance, but 
have very nice legs/bone and daisy-cutter action.

Improper trimming is most likely why Ember got a sacral injury in her 
last season, from traveling improperly.  I never saw it, but others 
did, it showed up during competition/hocks out behind her--and I didn't 
believe their reports.  Fortunately with a looooong time off (2 years), 
she healed and travels correctly.

Agreed that we should all get educated about what constitutes good 
hoofcare, barefoot or shod.  Maybe I'll put up a web page on the boy's 
before and after.

Lynne

On Dec 18, 2004, at 5:46 PM, LTYearwood@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Hello,
> ?
> I don't want to start a huge barefoot argument here. But.
> But I want to respond to something Michell said: "If there's 
> pathology, she may not be able to stay sound w/o shoes."
> I?just want to say that in my experience, it was when I took the shoes 
> off my horse that his pathology was able to reverse itself. That's 
> because it was the shoeing that had caused the pathology in the first 
> place.
> ?
> For example, my horse was flat footed and had underslung heels when he 
> was shod (the?shoes had pulled his feet out like pancakes.)?Yes, he 
> was ouchy on the rocks for a long time. So I had to condition him 
> for?nearly a year and?I am adament about keeping his heels trimmed 
> down (I trim them?2-3 times a week if necessary).?Eventually the 
> concavity built up and now he can ride over all kinds of rocks -- like 
> he did today for three hours.?
> ?

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