Re: Re: Re: Re: hoof soreness

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

> Do you know the difference between a horse and a motorcycle? Just curious
> because if you did you would (possibly) understand that any biological
> living organism (as opposed to being a machine, although even a machine
> generates wear and tear through the course of normal operation, which you
> can excellerate by pushing the machine to higher performance) creates wear
> and tear (can we call this damage) on some level to it's cells when
> generating movement, even merely by the act being alive and maintaining
body
> functions.

Well, if you can grasp the difference between a sensate being and a
nonsensate mechanism, why is it so difficult for you to grasp the
significance of the fact that what MAKES a being sensate is its ability to
perceive, as pain, when damage occurs, and to react by showing evidence of
that pain?  And why, then, when there is no pain, that is an indication that
there is no damage of any significance?  And why we can TELL there is no
pain, because of the sensate being's behavior?  Just as there is a
difference between a sensate being and a nonsensate mechanism, there is a
HUGE difference between protecting that sensate being from damage (and thus
from pain) with something that PREVENTS damage and pain (such as shoes)
versus MASKING damage and pain (such as with drugs or by surgically cutting
nerves).

According to you, I suppose we shouldn't endurance ride at all?  After all,
it is "unnatural" for horses to be ridden, and exercise promotes fatigue.
But then damage also occurs to biological organisms from being unfit and
living sedentary lifestyles.  As a clinician, I can sure tell you which
group, on the average, is healthier....

Sorry, but as an argument against shoeing horses, as some folks would say,
"this dog don't hunt."  Shoeing actually prevents damage, so that the horse
CAN finish a lengthy ride (such as an endurance ride) without damage, and
hence without pain.  Certainly, one can still cause pain to a shod horse.
But shoeing greatly minimizes the damage which could be done to the barefoot
horse in the same circumstances.

Heidi