Re: Re: Barefoot Stats

["Heidi Smith" <heidi@sagehillcmk.com>]

> I think you missed my point Tammy. If we are going to not allow Robyn's
> completion to be figured into the overall stats comparing percentages of
> horses that finish and horses that *don't* within the two groups.... Then
> over the year all horses that are shod who receive a completion but are
sore
> later should be removed from the statistics also.

Cheryl, this is a valid point.  But I know that at least in my case, I've
had the opportunity to hear what several of the ride vets have had to say
about their clinical impressions of the barefoot horses (both completing and
non-completing) vs the shod horses (both completing and non-completing)--not
just Barney's reply to Robyn.  In many cases, the barefoot horses are not
only coming up just sore, but are demonstrating an alarmingly high rate of
suspensory injury as well.  And the general concensus among those whose
impressions I've heard has been that not only have the barefoot horses had
to be pulled for lameness at a higher rate (the stats shown here would bear
that out) BUT those that complete are also more apt to be marginal.  It is
hard to quantify such impressions with statistics, but I do think the
observations of multiple ride vets are a valid source of information.

Heidi