Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I recently met someone with a QH that has the same issue.  I think the problem is two-fold.   They probably have the genetics to have contracted heels and/or they were shod before their hooves had a chance to mature.  Unfortunately the owner felt that the only way she could keep her horse comfortable is to keep her shod, and I haven't really seen the horse move, but according to her owner the horse is a physical mess.

 

Check out the Pete Ramey material.

 

K.

On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 7:16 PM, k s swigart <katswig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

sbolinge said:

> I recently got a quarter horse eight year old who has
> been shod all his life...literally, even all through the winter.
> I pulled his shoes about 3 months ago and even with
> boots on he was sore to ride and definitely sore walking
> around in the pasture.
> ...I expect it to take about two years before he will be
> absolutely comfortable in the pasture and for short rides,
> without boots or anything else.

I am having a real hard time understanding this statement.  Can somebody
tell me what justification there is for subjecting a horse to
months/years of pasture unsoundness (that's what "sore walking around in
the pasture" means to me)?