Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Title: Message

Regarding the idea that any changes made to tweak the hoof are moot if you're going to ride in boots, look at it this way. The boots may only be on for 10 hours a week but the horse gets to move around using his tweaked hooves 24/7. I don't agree with that as a reason not to use boots (not saying there may not be other reason not to use them) and hopefully the owner will do a little rasping 'til the trimmer gets there to keep them as close to the trim as possible.  When the hoof is trimmed and shod, that set up only lasts for about a week or two, then growth begins to change everything, not only for a few hours of ride time, but 24/7 until the next shoeing, right? I'll give an example of my neighbor who had a barefoot horse with one turned in front hoof. He decided that shoeing could fix the problem. Boy, you should have seen how much more that turned in hoof was at the end of a 6 week cycle, compared to what it had been barefoot. The reason was that when the horse barefoot she kept the hoof worn down herself, even if her owner did ride in boots a couple times a week. I dealt with the same thing on my long toed/underslung heeled horse. It'd look pretty normal once the new shoes were on, but boy by the end of the 6 weeks, that toe was looong (:>)  Now, I just rasp it off again after 2 weeks, but sometimes he can go 4 weeks if the ground is hard and he can do some natural wearing.  Putting on a pair of boots for a rocky ride doesn't change how much better his hoof can be kept when I have daily access to that toe.

 

Still, it is all just a matter of preference. I have more time than money and I like learning, so barefoot works for me. 90% of the people I ride with have their horses shod, it's no big deal to me. None of us criticize each other's choices. I do see some pathetic cases of horses shod to "cure"  whatever is wrong with them. One case in particular has looong toes, long underslung heels, always padded, and the hooves always look like they're 12 weeks into a cycle, and he is a youngish QH and pasture lame.  I suspect he shouldn't have any pasture grass at all.  It makes me sad. IMHO, This is a case of shoes aren't helping, why not pull them and try something different.  He's been this way since he was about a 3 or 4 yr old, he's maybe 10-12 now. Very sad.

 

Kathy