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[RC] Barefoot and horse at Silver State - kstandefer

I own the horse that Teresa mentions below (Adelante).  He is completely sound. 
He encountered metabollic issues at the SilverState ride (however he did 
complete successfully).  I had intended to do endurance with him.  He vetted 
out perfectly.  After I started conditioning him and travelling with him it 
became apparent that the horse is not endurance horse material.  He moves well, 
is sound, but is an emotional basket case.  He doesn't eat or drink away from 
home.  His performance had nothing to do with his bare hooves.

I am a proponent of barefoot, but I also shoe my horses when needed.   Shoes do 
not cut off circulation to the hoof. The hoof has WAY more blood supply than is 
needed for nourishment.  Most of the blood is used for cushioning the boney 
column from concussion.  A poorly shod hoof will contract.  A well shod hoof 
will not.   There are way more poorly shod hooves in this world than well shod 
ones.  But, it is not the fault of the shoes, it is the farrier.  

In my opinion, most of us endurance riders (and horse owners in general) would 
do well to educate ourselves (properly, not ala Strasser) on how the hoof truly 
works.  I think our hoof maintenance programs would change if we did.  Possibly 
it would also clean up the farrier business if we demanded better work and more 
knowledgeable farriers as well.  

Steel shoes affect the flight pattern of the hoof (Clayton).  They change the 
natural breakover (Clayton).  They also don't allow the heel bulbs to move 
individually which puts more torque and stress on the boney column, ligaments 
and tendons (Bowker).  But, they don't affect the blood supply to the hoof 
(Bowker, Hood).  They don't impair the body from flushing toxins.  They don't 
cause overload to the kidneys.  All of that stuff which is taught by barefoot 
gurus is bunk and is based on junk science and speculation and not based on 
research, but purely in opinion.

There is much hoof research going on that is well worth following (Bowker is 
doing some really interesting and indepth research and has made HUGE headways 
into learning how the hoof works).  I think in the near future we will have a 
much better understanding of how the hoof works.

Karen

Referenced Post:
Jonni,

PLEASE dont dare someone to ride a really rocky ride barefoot again. If you 
want to know how that really works, go back to the 2001 nov/dec archives. Then 
look up the rider and horse. You will find the horse never did another AERC 
ride again --may mean nothing, but 'I' suspect the horse was never sound enough 
to do another AERC ride.


                       
                       
                       
                       
               

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