Re: RC: hoof growth

[Lynne Glazer <lynne@glazer.org>]

At 4:34 PM -0400 9/28/01, Maggie Mieske wrote:
>Laura,
>If your area is pretty constant weather wise, perhaps hoof growth 
>may not vary.  We noticed this year that (as usual) hoof growth sped 
>up early in the spring especially for those on fresh pasture but 
>then we had quite a drought for a spell (from June to mid August) 
>and a lot of horses slowed down their growth and chipped a lot more 
>than normal between trims.  Not all, but a good percentage (probably 
>70% of all the horses we trim).  In August, we started getting rain 
>and the grass started growing like crazy again.  Suddenly, this past 
>month, horses are growing much more than they did earlier in the 
>year.  Soon, most everyone will be pulling shoes for the winter and 
>we start scheduling people farther apart because during the winter, 
>horses put more energy into keeping warm, growing fuzzy coats, etc. 
>than into hoof growth.  Most but not all.  Supplements or not.  Just 
>an observation I thought I'd share with you...of course, I have to 
>keep in mind that what is happening here in Michigan is not always 
>what is going on around the country where the climates differ.
>Maggie

I've noticed a big change in my mare's usual pattern--normally in the 
summer, she grows tons of forefoot particularly and is trimmed every 
5 weeks nearly down to the nail holes from the previous shoeing.

The last two have been done at barely over 4 weeks!  Was wondering if 
others in SoCal have noticed a lot more growth over the last two 
months.  And she's really not doing more miles than before.

It's been nearly 100 degrees (or over 100 the last couple of days), 
winter coats not in.

Lynne
and Rem-member Me, Celesteele (who has to go on Ember's schedule, ready or not)