Re: To shoe or not to shoe-question!
This message is from: Jean Ernest [EMAIL PROTECTED] When my Farrier trims a hoof to stay barefoot he only uses the hoof knife to remove shedding sole and to find where to start his cut with the nippers. He doesn't pare any sole out that is not shedding but leaves as much as possible, and does not try to dome the sole at all. He will not trim short in the fall, when the ground freezes, or when the weather is going to get very cold. He says that farriers in the lower 48, especially the warmer state like California, etc. have no idea how to care for hooves in this climate. The hooves grow very little if at all between October and February, with a growth spurt in the spring. He has been doing my Fjords for 17 years and I have never had a lame horse due to feet since he started with them. Jean in Failrabanks, Alaska, breezy and coudy. Hee hee. Hoof knife, on barefoot Fjords? Their feet are like bricks and nearly break the knives. You can't go wrong removing shedding sole - Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: To shoe or not to shoe-question!
This message is from: Skeels, Mark A (MED) [EMAIL PROTECTED] I agree with you Brigid. I got a new, fancy hoof knife this year as for some reason I couldn't get mine sharp enough, thought it was my sharpening techniques. When my knife was new attending the college course on hoof trimming, it cut a lot easier, on those quarter horses and arabians. The professional farrier said he sharpens his knife about every 8 horses. He said my new knife should be good and sharp, spent about 25 bucks for this one, real nice curved polished blade. My other one is a cheapy 12 dollar model. The new one doesn't seem any sharper than my old one. Like cutting iron wood, these Fjords are. I guess I never have experienced peeling off the shedding sole with the hoof pick, is this a condition the hoofs get in after those extended trims ;-O Mine should have by now, if I wait too long a couple horses start to crack. My mare Elli has real nice feet though. She paws quite a bit and seems I never have to really trim her much. Just a little rasp now and then. A couple other horses will grow out real long if I don't keep up on it. Mark In a message dated 6/8/2004 10:57:28 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: So...are you using a rasp and a grinderand no hoof knife? The thing that keeps me from doing feet (aside from sloth) is fear of the hoof knife. Hee hee. Hoof knife, on barefoot Fjords? Their feet are like bricks and nearly break the knives. You can't go wrong removing shedding sole -- I just lift it up with the hoof pick and peel it off, or use the nippers to grab and peel it off. The only time the hoof knife works is if it's been raining and the horses have been standing in mud for 24-48 hours. Brigid
Re: To shoe or not to shoe-question!
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 6/8/2004 10:57:28 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: So...are you using a rasp and a grinderand no hoof knife? The thing that keeps me from doing feet (aside from sloth) is fear of the hoof knife. Hee hee. Hoof knife, on barefoot Fjords? Their feet are like bricks and nearly break the knives. You can't go wrong removing shedding sole -- I just lift it up with the hoof pick and peel it off, or use the nippers to grab and peel it off. The only time the hoof knife works is if it's been raining and the horses have been standing in mud for 24-48 hours. Brigid
RE: To shoe or not to shoe-question!
This message is from: Gail Russell [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Brigid, So...are you using a rasp and a grinderand no hoof knife? The thing that keeps me from doing feet (aside from sloth) is fear of the hoof knife. This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] He is more comfortable with hooves a little longer, especially in the heel -- if I rasp as far as I would with Rafael, I will see pink On the other hand, when I trim Shannon the Thoroughbred (belongs to Dagrun, in clicker training boot camp with me :-) I have to grind her feet down to nubs or she develops cracks
Re: To shoe or not to shoe-question!
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 6/7/2004 9:43:50 PM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: But in this case it seems like we have to have shoes on him. Any suggestions otherwise? ** Hi Rondi- As Karen and others mentioned, your horses might need some kind of protection for riding in your area. However, many horses are sore because of improper trimming. Improper means something different to each horse. Some need more sole, less sole, more heel, less heel, you get the picture. After bad experiences with farriers either not showing up, showing up late and/or drunk, putting the moves on me, and doing a rotten job on the hooves, I started studying trimming and doing it myself. I now trim for about a dozen other people. The great thing about doing your own horses is you can work gradually and experiment, taking off a little here and there and waiting a day to observe soundness. Hooves that can walk (or trot!) with confidence over rocks are not easy to achieve. I need to trim Rafael's feet frequently and gradually, as any sudden change will make him quite sensitive. His most sensitive time is in the Spring, where a combination of seasonal changes and rain allow the entire dead sole to peel off like a scab, leaving a nice healthy live sole which takes up to a week to toughen up. That's when I use the boots. Knute, on the other hand, is very insensitive and has never taken a bad step. He is more comfortable with hooves a little longer, especially in the heel -- if I rasp as far as I would with Rafael, I will see pink. Nora, Dagrun's Thoroughbred, needs hooves longer than I would prefer to leave. If I trim to where I think I should, she is very sore. She also has deformities from years of moving crooked, and I have to respect these -- if I try to correct the angles she becomes quite lame. On the other hand, when I trim Shannon the Thoroughbred (belongs to Dagrun, in clic ker training boot camp with me :-) I have to grind her feet down to nubs or she develops cracks. With very short, rock hard feet, she moves well over most types of ground. / )_~ /L/L Brigid Wasson SF Bay Area, CA www.Brigid.Clickryder.com
Re: To shoe or not to shoe-question!
This message is from: Jean Ernest [EMAIL PROTECTED] OK, I think it is great if you can go shoeless! BUT it is NOT a sin to put shoes on your horse if needed! Let's be practical , not fanatical. I keep winter shoes on my 29 year old gelding so that he has traction to get up and down and does not get snow balls in his feet as rolling around on ice balls is very hard on his joints and balance. I put very light titanium shoes on my big gelding in the summer because he has flat feet and gets ouchy. My two mares go barefoot..I am hopeful that my young mare will never need shoes..but If I ride her in the winter I will probably want winter shoes and pads. Boots don't work here in the winter. Too cold. Different horses, different situations. Jean in warm and muggy Fairbanks, Alaska, 80's again today I don't know what to think, as there are so many rocks where we live. I have never seen so many rocks and the dirt roads we live on has tons of rocks on them. Hard on our cars too. But in this case it seems like we have to have shoes on him. Any suggestions otherwise? Rondi. Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: To shoe or not to shoe-question!
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] OK, my 12 year old gelding had shoes on all four feet when we bought him. We tried him without shoes when we lived further south in California, and he got real sore. We then put shoes on the front only. We then moved further north of L.A.up in the mountains, but there are tons of rocks here. We tried barefoot again, - for a long time - again, he was limping and hurting. Back to front shoes, and when we rode him in the mountains he did not do good, so the farrier suggested we do all four feet. And that is where we are at. I don't know what to think, as there are so many rocks where we live. I have never seen so many rocks and the dirt roads we live on has tons of rocks on them. Hard on our cars too. But in this case it seems like we have to have shoes on him. Any suggestions otherwise? Rondi.
