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They will change the gait. You are adding a lot of weight on a long 
lever, you are changing the breakover point of the hoof - you bet they 
will change the gait. However, the impact on this depends a lot on the 
horse. When I went to the ROC in '96 we were coming from FL to Utah. The 
mares feet were soft (all horses feet in FL are soft) and the rocks were 
sharp. Padding would have only protected the bottom of the feet. What 
became clear is the rocks were digging into the outside of the hoof and 
that needed protection because it was not toughened up. Sure they would 
have become tough and they did before we came back home but they would 
still be soft by the time the ROC ran.

So weighing the opions I started riding her in easyboots. While I would 
have perfered not to do 100 miles in easyboots I knew she was a big 
storng mare that tended to accominate to just about anything I did. I 
learned endurance on her and she seems to take all my screw-ups in 
stride never missing a sride. I don't think I could hurt her if I tried, 
and she wouldn't let me either (got to love mares). This was not a 
sensitive horse to what she had on her feet and she was strong enough to 
carry the extra pound (hell she was probably strong enough to carry and 
extra 10 pounds) on the end of her leg 100 miles and she did.

So like anything it comes down to knowing your horse and making the best 
decision based on that knowledge, the conditions and the feeling deep 
down in your gut.

If I had gotten out to Utah a week earlier I would probably gone with 
pads, but we finished and she was sound, happy and hungry afterwards so 
that is the only thing that counts in the long run.

Truman

Ridecamp Guest wrote:

> Please Reply to: Karen Standefer kstandefer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx or 
> ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> ==========================================
>
> Anything you put on the hoof changes the horse's way of going.  The difference between shoes and boots is that shoes they wear 24x7 so they adapt to always having the weight and the change to the breakover.  With a boot, the change is abrupt and short lived and if it is a huge difference to the breakover or the weight then it could add to stress and fatigue (my opinion and limited experience).  
>
>
>  



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