Naked Man and Horsneakers

["Jutta" <leosch@minot.com>]

I knew there HAD to be an advantage of living in North Dakota! We never run into these "fruit loops" here! In the winter it would be just suicide to take a bath naked in the woods. You would turn into an icicle. And in the summer you'd be eaten alive by blood sucking insects!

I have been reading the "barefoot horses" posts with great interest. There are too many variables for a "one answer fits all". I looked at some of the web sites that Darolyn recommended and I am intrigued with the horsneakers.

Anybody tried them? Anybody willing to share their experience?

My horse was barefoot most of last summer and even did a couple of LD's barefoot. Even though he has very hard and healthy hoofs, I am just not sure how the accumulation of many training miles and several 50's would wear his hoofs. I think it all depends on the footing, terrain and the horse. I tried  the EZ boots, but I just have a hard time keeping them on a barefoot horse. And it is a pain in the neck when they fall off.

The horsneakers look like they would stay on much better, because they come up higher, the coronet band and bulb are lined with neoprene. Each sneaker is custom made from a cast of the horses hoof. They are quite spendy, but if they work, would be worth the investment. It would be a nice option for gravel and rocky terrain instead of shoes and pads.

 

Jutta Schmidt