Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Just wanted to give the fuss over the WEC a chance to wear itself out....so for a change of topic....

 

I?m sure all of you who desire to barefoot your horse have met with bias. It?s the prevailing attitude, but it was just recently flaunted in my face.

My horse has been barefoot since Fall of 2001.  Since that time, we have competed in, and completed, 16 of 17 Endurance rides in the Southeastern

United States.  The one ride we didn?t complete, I pulled my horse because of a sore back, a result of a stupid decision on my part to try a different saddle.  We have had several Top 10?s, and at Leatherwood last Spring, finished 4^th with a 2^nd place in Best Condition.  And before you guys look up our record, I basically ride LD?s & 50?s.  A broken back years ago discourages me from the longer distances ? I am happy to be able to compete at all.  But we have competed at the Biltmore & Leatherwood many times barefoot, completing 38 miles at the Biltmore last May before I pulled my horse for that sore back (his ONLY pull in his career).  Last year we finished 4^th at Leatherwood, with a second in B.C., so I am more than satisfied with my horse?s barefoot accomplishments.

 

After successfully completing the 30 mile ride at the Biltmore in Asheville, NC (mountain trails that are rocky, and some gravel roads) last November,

I sent a picture of my friend and I taken 18 miles into the ride, and said that we had completed the ride (13^th for myself, 16^th for my friend) on two barefoot horses, and were the only totally barefoot horses competing.  The person receiving the emails (who turns out to be ?not a horse person?) invited me to write an article about competing barefoot, to be printed in the March Members? Issue of Endurance News.  She did mention that the article had to be ?reviewed? by a committee, but assured me there would be no problem.   Not being a horse person, she had no idea the hornet?s nest she was disturbing. 

 

I submitted the article, she says, ?Oh, this is great, I?ll send it for review.?  The next thing I heard is, it been dissed by the Vet Committee!  Their opinion was, they could not appear to ?endorse? something they did not feel was ?suitable for the majority of their members.?  What a crock!  So now it?s THEIR decision what is best for YOUR horse.   I was furious at the censorship since the article was not written to persuade anyone to do anything, but only to share my success story.  If it encouraged someone who had been considering it, what?s the harm?  I emphasized that you cannot just pull the shoes and carry on as before, that you had to be patient, give your horse a break, and use hoof boots for certain occasions.  My horse stopped forging, is more sure-footed on the trail, is less stressed (pulses down in less than two minutes), has never been pulled by the vets for any reason, and has dynamite hard-as-steel hooves. You would think the vets associated with the AERC ? or ANY vet for that matter, would be supportive of horses that can accomplish this, but they are more interested in stifling the barefoot movement due to their narrow-minded, old school philosophy.  Check out this website by what is probably the only forward-thinking veterinarian in the country: http://www.equinextion.com/id34.html

 

I?ve found sympathetic ears as far away as the UK, and there is a website across the Pond that plans to publish it:  http://www.barefoothorses.co.uk/

Not sure when it will appear there, I just sent it a couple of days ago, but if you want to read it, check out her website now and then.  Also, if you are as disgusted as I am about the shameless bias against barefoot horses, please send your opinion to endurancenews@xxxxxxxxxxxx   Let me repeat that I am NOT trying to brainwash anyone into this, I agree it?s not right for everyone or every horse, but there?s no denying that the idea is gathering momentum, and there are many who ride, compete, and enjoy their horse - naturally.  I take my horse anywhere I want to go, and If the footing was 

REALLY bad, and I thought he needed them, I would use my Boas.  I completed the OD once, with shoes and pads, before I saw the light.  Next

time, we will do it barefoot. 

 

The owner of the UK website said she thought maybe we in the US were more ?enlightened?, but obviously that is not the case.  In fact, I think a lot of folks overseas are ahead of us!  BTW, I am hosting a Pete Ramey clinic in July, here in NC.  If anyone?s interested, check his website for date and contact info.