RE: [RC] how many endurance riders shoe and trim their own horses? - Tracey Lomax
Jody
wrote:
>>That is always the
drawback with farriers....they DON'T want to listen.
Interesting discussion for me because
Roderick’s just finishing up his apprenticeship and is slowly
establishing his own practice.He shoes our horses and does a fine
job.We were talking recently about
clients’ input and it very much depends on the clients.I know some friends of mine who can’t
even tell you what their farrier’s name is, let
alone know how their horse is shod, or why he’s shod that way!!Then there are others, who read
everything is sight and get all ‘fad-conscious” and want the farrier to do whatever they recently read on the internet.
Generally, endurance riders actually KNOW something about
shoeing (why do you think a non-endurance rider like me stays on this list : it’s cos you guys are
so bright).Showjumpers
and dressage riders only care that the shoe doesn’t come off before a
show and that stud holes are in place if the going’s wet!So when your farrier
comes across as if he’s not listening, it might be because he’s
been spending his days with the local Barbie Goes Riding brigade.
As for the whole barefoot debate : I’ve
always been pro shoeing.My horses
are OTT TBs and as a rule they have crappy feet and
need shoes.Roderick has now
developed this fascination with barefoot and has put his own (big) horse into a
half set and now wants to remove his front shoes.Diceman, who
has the worst feet I’ve ever seen, is barefoot and I’ve gotta concede that his feet look better than before. Now Roderick wants to take the High Lord’s
shoes off, which I’ll try as he’s in semi-retirement anyway, but I’m
ware of taking Barney’s off as we don’t have a ride season and I
don’t want him to be out for too long.I think that my earlier views on
barefoot were anti because of the bad Strasser press,
I’m starting to see the merit in it but I’m still not an ardent
barefoot fan.And mine don’t
travel the distances that yours do : all they have to
do is take me between fences J
