RE: [BarefootEnduranceHorses] New Mexico and barefooted

["Bob Morris" <bobmorris@rmci.net>]

Anna:

To answer your question << Why is it that a barefooted horse
only has to "prove" itself in a ride?>>>  All horses have to
prove themselves at a  ride. That is what endurance is all
about. Now, why the requirement for hoof protection at some
rides? Well, Endurance started out with a big cloud over
it's head in the old days. The Animal protection groups came
down hard and heavy at times. They were not as strong then
but very persistent and hit us several times. So, in order
to protect the sport certain non-rule (AERC type) rules were
generated. Among these were the ones you now hit up against.

Realize, it is not always the endurance people that make
these rules and it is not always the endurance people that
enforce them. Look at your Animal Rights Groups.

So for our own protection and for the protection of the
sport we sometimes hit on something we do not like. You then
take your choice, conform, or do not participate.

I would advise you to expend you efforts on education the
opposition which is not the Endurance Competitor but is the
general observing public.

Bob Morris

-----Original Message-----
From: Anna Larson [mailto:hobo14@earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2001 7:28 PM
To: Ridecamp@Endurance. Net
Subject: [BarefootEnduranceHorses] New Mexico and barefooted


I have only ridden a couple of rides so far. Two (2 day)
novice CRT''s on a
mare to young to "go the distance". She completed both rides
40 miles in the
two days with absolutely no problems and still needed a trim
after the ride.
She just turned 6 but was laid off a year due to an odd and
unusual seizure
and then a change in jobs for me that left less time off to
go to rides. I
live along the Continental Divide in Northern New Mexico
about halfway
between Grants and Gallup.  My riding areas include quite a
bit of
sandstone, limestone, sandy areas and even lava rock.  This
mare has been
barefooted all her life in this same country and have had
barefooted horses
for the past 25 years or so here in NM, and even in Southern
AZ.  So far
the past 25 years I have not had a single problem with the
horses as you
describe below.  All  my horses feet  grow faster then they
wear.  My friend
who lives down the road also has had no problems with
chipping etc.
As far as edurance riders competing completely barefooted
here in NM,  it is
extremely difficult because of the fact that nearly all ride
managers
require the hoof protection.  Based on that alone you will
not get
barefooted stats for New Mexico.  I Intend to ride here in
NM, but will be
forced to use some type of hoof protection based on ride
rules.
Now before any one starts harassing me here are the "ideals"
I follow:

1.  Dr. Strasser is not "God" at my house. The trim my
horses receive is not
100% one type of trim. It is modified to fit the horse.
2.  I am NOT about putting on hoof boots or  alternative
hoof protection of
some type "if needed" but so far have not needed them.
3.  I DO absolutely REFUSE to have nailed on shoes put on
any horse of mine.
4.  I believe my horse CAN complete a 50 miler here in NM
totally barefooted
(When she is properly conditioned and ready for it).
5.  I do not mind if other people shoe their horses, but it
is just not for
me.  I do however HATE when people blame me for abusing a
perfectly healthy
barefooted horse JUST because the horse is not shod.

Now I have a question for every one.

1.  Why is it that a barefooted horse only has to "prove"
itself in a ride?
If you have the situation like I have here, ride managers
require hoof
protection for the rides, but the horse is trained totally
barefooted before
the ride.  The horse will have been ridden a whole lot more
miles barefooted
in training and conditioning then in the actual ride.
Basically the idea
makes it look like all that time spent conditioning and
training barefooted
is not at all taken into condiseration by those who want to
"prove" that
barefooted horses cannot compete.

2. Why is it that the instant an alternative form of hoof
protection is used
then everything suddenly becomes alright with having an
otherwise barefooted
horse?  A horse could be conditioned all this time
barefooted and for a ride
have a set of hoof boots on and suddenly " all is right in
the world".



Anna
Mules and Other Critters
http://pages.ivillage.com/annalar16/index.html
About Barefooted Horses
http://annalar16.tripod.com/aboutbarefootedhorses/


    This is very basic knowledge in NM and I don't think you
will find any
endurance riders with competing horses that are barefoot in
NM..although I
have seen some endurance horses that are barefoot on the
rear feet, but they
are riding our desert rides and not the mountain and/or
rocky rides that
make up most of our competitions.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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