>>>> OK, so can we assume that it is the shoe that is causing a problem to the >>>> horse's feet? ...Not that the horse is sore because he's not wearing >>>> shoes, but sore because the shoes have caused a problem which shows up >>>> when the shoes are removed? ... Does that sound plausible / possible?
I'm sure that's plausible in a lot of cases, especially in horses that have really strong feet...and as a rule, I certainly think Icelandic's do. I'd clarify though, that there are other causes for pain, that shoes can help - some horses get pain relief from shoes when they have navicular, and my horses certainly were made more comfortable with shoes as treatment for their laminitis attacks. And, both of my horses who had laminitis, were barefoot before the attacks and returned to barefoot about three months after. (Sundance has one attack here, likely at least one case before we got him. Holly had two attacks here, about six months apart.) But, that gets us back to the category of "shoeing for therapy", not shoeing for gait. The most important thing I see in my own horses' cases was that, be they barefoot, shod for therapy, whatever, they had a good balanced trim in place at all times before, during and after the laminitis. The only one of my horses who was ever trimmed/shod for gait, was Mac, and he had a long transition to more reasonable, normal hoof angles. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED] No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.9/1158 - Release Date: 11/28/2007 9:11 PM
