Barefoot behind

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

K S SWIGART   katswig@earthlink.net


Just as a matter of note when it comes to taking off a horse's
shoes.

While it may seem to make sense to put shoes on the front and
not on the back feet because "a horse carries more weight on 
its front feet," I consider this to be a REALLLLY BAAAAAD idea.

We have over the years had an assortment of posts asking and
answering the question of "how do I get my horse to use its
back end?"

The answer to that would NOT be to protect the front feet and
not the back feet.  

In fact, for some people who have horses that just won't seem to
learn to travel using their hindquarters I will sometimes (a bit
jokingly) recommend that they pull the front shoes and not the
back ones, so the horse gets sore in the front and becomes
desperate to alleviate this discomfort by voluntarily
transferring its weight and driving power, especially while
under saddle, the hind end. :)

All jokes aside.  If your horse has been trained to use itself
correctly by engaging its hindquarters; then it is the back feet
not the front feet that need protecting.  If you protect the front
feet and not the back feet, the horse will, with good reason, 
WANT to lean on its forehand and carry its weight/effort where
there is most protection.

I feel exactly the same way about padding the front feet 
and not the back feet or putting EasyBoots on the front feet
and not the back feet....to do so is just ASKING the horse to 
transfer its weight to the front end.

kat
Orange County, Calif.

p.s.  I have, in the Southern California desert/rock rides, 
competed in 50 mile endurance events on barefoot horses.  However,
when I started doing 100s and multi-day rides, I found that even
the best feet wear off.  They don't chip, bruise, etc.  They
just get REALLLLLY short.  I have yet to find a horse that can
do 100 miles (either in one day or two) barefoot, without being
"short in the foot" to the point of soreness....especially in the back feet (which are the feet that MY horses use most while
going down the trail) :).