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RE: [RC] [RC] Bare, Boots & shoes.. - Sue WalzHeidi,I respect your opinion as a vet. I have not booted Raven once this season. I only will shoe for Tevis. You can't argue with success. Raven is a totally non typical endurance horse that is succeeding against the odds. Gene Nance is one of our geatest supporters this season. He says "This is Raven's year!" at every ride I go to! He's vetted Raven since 2000 & has never seen him look better than this season. I have to agree as his rider. This is Raven's season! The fact that he's bare & bitless is totally contributing to this successful season. Raven has succeeded on terrain that I would have thought I would need to boot him on. If he can do it... others can..... with the same conditioning. Granted, not everyone will have the persistance to get there. I'm glad I did!!! So is Raven! ~Sue Walz & Raven ----Original Message Follows---- From: heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To: Sue Walz <suesblues@xxxxxxxxxxx> CC: PNER@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: RE: [RC] Bare, Boots & shoes.. Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2006 21:38:05 -0700 Sue, I do have the utmost respect for what you've done. But let's face it--you DO boot or shoe (as you freely state below) when the conditions require it. Furthermore, the barefoot boy in summer analogy can only go so far. Certainly horses' feet (and little boys' feet) can toughen up to a certain amount of wear simply by conditioning to it. But there ARE still situations where there had better be protection or there will be damage. ALL of our horses grow up and live barefoot in the sort of terrain that toughens feet. My broodmares rarely need trimmed, simply because living where they do, their wear equals their growth. They are active, but our ground is so abrasive that there isn't much left for riding. Their feet are indeed healthy. You are fortunate if you live somewhere that your horse's daily living conditions provide insufficient wear to interfere with your riding barefoot as well. Unlike what some posters have said, not all horses grow up with their feet in manure and urine. The bottom line still is that you cannot ride barefoot beyond the point that the horse will continue to grow foot. If you want to go further than that, you protect the feet in some manner. Heidi Hi All, Hard to find the time to write these days... Tevis approaches FAST!!! But, of course, I had to chime in on this PNER thread! I pulled my horses shoes about 4 years ago. I began the long patience testing process of growing out new hooves & conditioning them for all terrains. The best analogy I've heard of the conditioning process is that it's like a kid going barefoot in the summer. At first he's ouchy, ouchy over the gravel driveway. By the end of the summer he's running all over anything and not hurting at all! Raven's at that point this year! Four completely barefoot 50's! Prineville, Klickatat(top 10ed!), Pacific Crest(he won!) & Bandit Springs! I believe he might be ready to do a well terrained 100. Sunriver would've been it. I have not picked my 50's this year for soft terrain. I did make a promise to him & to myself that I would not take him to a NW ride that would not let us start bare. I always am ready to boot if I feel he needs it. I've been amazed at what he's done this year without getting sore! My perserverance has paid off. He's got hoofs of iron! His hoofs barely show any wear after a tough 50. I hardly have to trim him. The growth equals the wear. All I do is balance the hoof. He will have plastic shoes for Tevis... although I'd feel better bare to Robinson! Slippery rock! That's another point for bare.... Raven doesn't slow down for rock or pavement. He grips like a cat over the slickest surface! Bogs & mud, too... nothing to pull off! And those that knew Raven in his early years know how easily he'd lost shoes & boots! Often getting pulled for lameness because of it. He has gotten so competitive in the last couple years, he's a kick to ride! He's a happy barefoot boy!!! ~Sue Walz & Raven.... Tevis Bound!!! ________________________________________________________________________ 1a. Bare, Boots & shoes... Posted by: "kathy smith" tg10id@xxxxxxxxx tg10id Date: Fri Jul 21, 2006 6:07 pm (PDT) Hi everyone, I have to speak up here on this question.... I don't have any stats for you, just personal experience. And that is some what limited. But here I ago with a brief...statement. We live in N.Idaho and have a small Appaloosa breeding operation, specializing in end.and pleasure trail horses, all of which are barefoot. NO..shoes...yes, we do have boots, although we have not used them on a ride so far. My daughter & I are riding young mares that have never been on the end trail before. We have completed 150 miles so far this year. Yes, they were three 50 mile end. rides our mares were completely barefoot NO...boots!!! They did great..no..we didn't place, we did not try to place, we were conditioning it was LSD..!! As for choosing your rides...so you can barefoot...That is being a wise horse owner IMO, We do not have to support the rides that will not allow us to barefoot or if we feel that it would be to hard on us or our horses. This is our option just like barefoot'in or boot'in it is your option!! It is what we feel is best for us & our trusty steeds... IMO, a good barefoot endurance horse is a true endurance horse...!! Have a h'Appy day, Kathy Smith www.tgash.com/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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