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Hi Debbie,
I am a believer in keeping my horses barefoot as
much as possible but let's not get fanatical about all the supposed benefits
and/or risks of barefooting or shoes. If you really want to check into
varying viewpoints on this subject, the ridecamp archives are a rich source of
information. I found this statement you made interesting though. As
a risk of shoing you state: "It contributes heavily to laminitis and seems
to be the sole cause of navicular disease." Check out this article from
science news: http://www.sciencenews.org/20011215/bob9.asp
Scroll down to the "Stress Response" section of the article and it shows photos
of fossilized navicular bones from horses who lived millions of years ago which
show changes typical of navicular syndrome. If shoing were in fact "the
sole cause of navicular disease", who was the farrier who shod these
horses? Always be careful if all of your facts come from a single source
or set of related sources. An essence of scientific procedure is results
which can be confirmed independently by others. You may rightfully
conclude that barefoot is right for you and your horse but try not to claim that
it cures every ill to which a horse might be subject to. That would be
like me saying that wearing a helmet protects me from every possible injury in a
fall!
Donna Dochterman
(Sorry folks but I couldn't resist. What fun
are the barefoot wars without the helmet wars to keep them company!
;-D)
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