This message is from: Mary Thurman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Patryjak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This message is from: "Patryjak" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> .We keep > our horses barefoot from > now til spring...has anyone tried this (as described > in articles) long term? Betsy, Don't know how it's described in 'articles', but I can tell you that we have had our mare, Line, since 1986 and she has NEVER had a shoe on. We have used her for everything from riding to skidding logs in the time we've had her. She has what our farrier calls 'the perfect foot' - heavy sole, thick walls, big enough foot for the size horse. He has always used the 'square toed' trim - what some call a 'wildhorse trim' on her. He says that putting shoes on her would only be necessary if we planned to use her in 'special' conditions - such as borium shoes for ice or thick rubber shoes for long-term use on pavement. All except one of our other Fjords have worn shoes at some time in their lives here - but all have been barefoot in the winter(read MUD) months. The mud gets pretty deep here in the winter, and it's easy for a shoe to come loose through the 'suction effect' of deep mud - also, deep mud tends to make it easier for a horse to step on a front shoe with a rear toe and pull the shoe off, or give himself a nasty gash on the back of his front leg. Fjords are less prone to the gashes than other breeds, simply because they have more 'feathers' in the winter, but it can still happen to them. And the one horse that also never needed shoes - you guessed it, Line's daughter. Same large, round, heavy soled, thick walled feet. Mary ===== Mary Thurman Raintree Farms [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Get organized for the holidays! http://calendar.yahoo.com/
