Re: RC: Re: Re: Barefoot

[Lynn Kinsky <lkinsky@silcom.com>]

>on 11/28/01 11:54 AM, Tracey Ritter at tracey_ritter@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>> If she indeed finish the Sunland 50 barefoot
>> and without any problems, let's at least recognize that (I haven't
>> heard anything to contrary on that one).  After all, that was a
>> toughie by seemingly everyone's input who was there.
>
>One thing-I have had both a shod and barefoot horse in Sunland (I boarded
>there and rode extensively for over a year) and here in my current location
>which is Alta Loma about 50 miles east of Sunland. Sunland trail conditions
>were loads better than what I have here. The rocks are not nearly as bad.
>There are lots of nice soft trails there-could it be that the Silver States
>ride conditions were worse and not appropriate for a barefoot horse, hence
>the condition of the horse later? I mean, there are rocky trails, and there
>are ROCKY trails. The horse I have shod now was bare in Sunland with not a
>lot of problems. She would never be able to cut it here in these conditions.
>Most of us who had bare horses have now shod them. It is just plain cruel
>not too. And until you come ride these trails, I can't imagine how anyone
>could say they could go bare and still put serious miles on...and have a
>pain free horse.
>Tiffany

I have ridden on the Sunland trails,  and even did the two day Gilroy (Coe
Park) NATRC ride with a barefoot horse when my farrier couldn't get out to
reset shoes (Novice division, at a walk) -- no problem besides wear.  But
if you look at Karen's pictures at
http://www.endurohorse.com/event_pics.asp?1897p1-karen2   30 photos
http://www.endurohorse.com/event_pics.asp?1897p1-k           23 photos

(eg., http://www.endurohorse.com/EHRide1897/5433.jpg  or
http://www.endurohorse.com/EHRide1897/5448.jpg) you'll see that the eastern
Mohave volcanic rocks are a very different matter than the rounded stones
found in our coastal hills and washes.


Lynn Kinsky (Santa Ynez, CA)
http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky