Re: Hoof color

["Cheryl" <mskit@utec.net>]

Hi All -

 My Bobby (almost 10 yr. old Arab) has four white feet and they are the best
quality of any horse I've seen or worked with. They wear evenly and his
farrier loves working on them. He has been barefoot now for going on four
years. Both his parents have nice quality hoofs also, although I think his
are even better (both parents have all-black hoofs, incidentally).

 My nineteen year old Appy mare Kit has three white and one dark, and she
has been barefoot going on five years now. Lots of even growth, good quality
although I do see a slight difference between the white ones and the dark
one, it being harder, but more brittle.

 My eleven year old Quarter mare, Dani has the least desireable feet,
although her trainer didn't seem to think so (used to seeing that, maybe?).
They are all dark, with a flatter sole, thin walls, steeper front walls. She
is shod in front with pads. I wish they were a little larger also. I would
like to get her to where she can go barefoot, also, and tried for about the
first year and a half, but it didn't work out.

 To me, hoof color doesn't make a difference, I've actually had better luck
with the lighter colored hooves, although I do think it is a matter of
genetics, nutrition and environment more than anything else. I ride a lot on
varied surfaces, so they get lots of exercise. I don't feed any hoof
supplements, although with Dani, I'm thinking about it.

Cheryl in WNY
Horse kids Kit, Bobby & Dani


-----Original Message-----
From: guest@endurance.net <guest@endurance.net>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 3:08 PM
Subject: RC: Hoof color


>Ray O. rno2m@virginia.edu
>  I'm still a newcomer to the horse world,but I now think the old saw re
white hoofs is exactly wrong.I think black hoofs ARE harder-and much more
brittle.I think white hoofs ARE softer,and more resilient/less prone to
chipping and cracking.I may be wrong.The best hoofs among our Field Trial
horses in Va. are found on a little horse who has run barefoot for years.All
white.
>
>
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