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<Since I have begun riding my horses barefoot I have never had a horse
stock up after a race, and I don't use poultice or wrap thier legs (heaven
forbid! wrapping legs only restricts the circulation which the leg desperately
needs after such heavy exertion). >
I have the same success with my horses shod in steel, aluminum or
Ground Control shoes. They don't stock up. I don't wrap their legs.
<I recently sold a horse that competed in 50's barefoot over various
terrain--from paved roads, to gravel roads, to dirt, rock or sand trails.
He had a 100% top ten completion rate, winning one race in under 4
hours>
Congrats. My horse is capable of the same thing and
recently won Best Condition on the same kind of trail with Ground Control shoes
in the front and aluminum shoes on the hind. He maintained As
throughout the ride, pulsed down within 1-2 minutes at every check and had a
helluva vet score carrying a heavyweight rider.
<I have him shod
the week before with nylon shoes (Equiflex), >
That's still shoeing. Can't have it both
ways.
<if I'm not mistaken, in farrier school, they teach the students how to
prepare a hoof for a shoe, not to prepare a hoof to bear the horse's
weight. So they learn this one method of trimming, and practice it on
hundreds of horses. >
100s of horses is a good point. Have you trimmed or
shod 100 horses EVER? SOME farrier schools may only train farriers to
prepare a hoof for a shoe but not ALL of them. My husband studied out of
vet books and learned the horse's entire anatomy. And speaking of those
100 horses, they could ALL require something different in order to perform their
best...it might be barefoot or it might be aluminum shoes or Ground Control
shoes or EquiFlex or a rolled toe or failing all that, barefoot
again. Shoes are sometimes a necessary evil. And then again,
sometimes they are not the cure all people would like them to be either.
One has to be flexible and do what works best for their horse.
<What did your horse ever
do to you that he
deserves to have his feet bound in
iron?>
This is sort of melodramatic, don't you think? Let's
get real. If your horse is capable of doing 50 miles barefoot, then your
horse is exceptional. As in the exception, not the rule. But by your
own admission he was footsore after one particularly difficult ride. Just
because he trotted out sound doesn't mean he wasn't in pain. What did your
horse ever do to YOU that you would deny him the comfort of shoes if he needs
them?
Maggie
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