Re: going bare foot
This message is from: Marsha Jo Hannah [EMAIL PROTECTED] John D. Herr [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I would only add a question for people to ponder. What do the wild horses around the world do to protect there feet from wearing out? 1. Wild horses can (for the most part) choose the footing they walk on and the speed at which they move. 2. Wild horses tend to avoid letting anyone increase their hoof loading by putting 200--300 extra pounds on their backs. 3. Wild horses also avoid letting anyone hitch them to vehicles that (with driver and cargo) weigh 500--2000 lb. 4. Wild horses undergo natural selection---the ones with crummy feet become someone's lunch. Man has interfered significantly with domesticated horses. He breeds them for color, or speed, or pulling power, often to the detriment of the soundness of their legs and hooves. He saddles or harnesses them, and mandates that they work at gaits of his choosing, on surfaces of his choosing---including stuff like concrete or asphalt. He dictates their diet, and how much (or little) exercise they get when not at work. There is darned little that's natural about modern domesticated horses. Marsha Jo HannahMurphy must have been a horseman-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] anything that can go wrong, will! 15 mi SW of Roseburg, Oregon
Re: going bare foot
This message is from: Marsha Jo Hannah [EMAIL PROTECTED] DeeAnna [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote Am I the only one besides Brigid who has found that barefoot Fjords usually do their own hoof trimming? [...] My horses run on rocky pasture that has a large, steep hillside and several steep terrace banks to play on. My experience is that it all depends on the footing. In California, my Fjords were on gravelled corrals. When I tried to leave them barefoot, their hooves wore down faster than they grew (especially the old mare), until they were walking on eggshells. It was marginally OK in the winter, when the ground was soft; come summer, they were really ouching around, even in the corrals, asking to have their shoes back. Once the ground hardened up, my somewhat flat-footed gelding needed pads under his shoes to keep him from rock-bruising on our trail rides. Something about the mineral content of the soil/gravel and/or the seasonal wet/dry cycle there caused their hooves to become very dry and chippy. Here in Oregon, my Fjords are on nice sandy-loam soil in their corrals (dry lots---they only get 2 hours per day of pasture time, which they spend eating as fast as they can). I'm able to leave them barefoot; they have grown out nice, moist, chip-free hooves. However, they DO need to be trimmed. The farrier stretched his appointment out to 9 weeks last time, and cut over 1/2 of hoof off of one gelding, 3/8 off the other. These guys spend much of their day with one gelding round penning the other (at the walk), but that's not enough to wear their hooves down. Marsha Jo HannahMurphy must have been a horseman-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] anything that can go wrong, will! 15 mi SW of Roseburg, Oregon
RE: going bare foot
This message is from: John D. Herr [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Brigid, I agree. I would only add a question for people to ponder. What do the wild horses around the world do to protect there feet from wearing out? I would suspect that since they are barefoot all the time and usually live on rocky barren ground that there feet naturally trim and wear at the proper rate to keep everything in balance. The pictures and studies I have seen all indicate healthy feet. I also believe that use of the horse will stimulate growth (and healing). John D. Herr -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2003 1:11 AM To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Subject: Re: going bare foot This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 9/13/2003 9:56:22 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Barefooted is fine. HOWEVER, if you are doing your homework and putting in the miles required to do a good job, the wear will exceed the growth. I [ponies] wear steel shoes out in about 6 , or 7 weeks when in moderate training. There is no way that I could get by going barefooted. Sure wish I could, much better for the horse. *** This is a commonly stated logic with just one flaw: steel shoes don't grow -- hooves do. Not only do they grow, they grow as needed. Barefoot endurance riders report fantastic growth after long treks. Not trying to make any converts here -- you'll do what you think is best -- just pointing out that barefoot is possible for any work load. I once joked to the owner of a trail riding string that she'd put me out of business hoof trimming if she went barefoot with her herd. The long daily walks would self-trim and maintain themselves. She smiled and said no, her horses need shoes [and she needs to pay $150 x 20 every 6 weeks]. / )_~ /L/L Brigid Wasson SF Bay Area, CA www.Brigid.Clickryder.com
Re: going bare foot
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 9/13/2003 9:56:22 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Barefooted is fine. HOWEVER, if you are doing your homework and putting in the miles required to do a good job, the wear will exceed the growth. I [ponies] wear steel shoes out in about 6 , or 7 weeks when in moderate training. There is no way that I could get by going barefooted.Sure wish I could, much better for the horse. *** This is a commonly stated logic with just one flaw: steel shoes don't grow -- hooves do. Not only do they grow, they grow as needed. Barefoot endurance riders report fantastic growth after long treks. Not trying to make any converts here -- you'll do what you think is best -- just pointing out that barefoot is possible for any work load. I once joked to the owner of a trail riding string that she'd put me out of business hoof trimming if she went barefoot with her herd. The long daily walks would self-trim and maintain themselves. She smiled and said no, her horses need shoes [and she needs to pay $150 x 20 every 6 weeks]. / )_~ /L/L Brigid Wasson SF Bay Area, CA www.Brigid.Clickryder.com
