Not knocking your experience, but is your snow maybe different than mine
out in South Dakota? My horses are barefoot and they can acquire 3" ice balls
overnight that a hammer may or may not completely remove - "popping" them out is
out of the question. I'm happy if I can break them off level.
Lani
From: Claire Nystrom <claire.nystrom@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re:
[RC] Frozen Hooves & Riding in the
Snow
I know a few people responded to the
question on frozen hooves, but I'll add my 2 cents. I live
in NY and just rode in the 6 inches of snow we got yesterday. I keep my
horses barefoot year round. I ride on gravelly carriage trails in a state
park, so use boots when their isn't snow. The horses at work all have
"snowshoes" on, i.e. rim pads to prevent ice from balling up; however, I don't
find them nearly as surefooted as my barefoot horses. I can go in any type
of snow, no problem, as the natural expansion and contraction of their hoof
prevents snow from packing up inside. There also isn't any metal for the
snow to freeze to. The snow balls that form in their feet when they
have shoes on also puts undue strain on their joints, tendons, etc. because
they are forced to move with their legs at an unnatural angle. Even if
you don't want to go barefoot year round, if you live in an area that gets
lots of snow, you might want to consider pulling your horses' shoes for
winter so you can enjoy riding more. And the best part of riding in the
snow, is that if you fall off, you're less likely to get busted up! I
fell off my horse earlier today, but the snow cushioned me, and I am
completely unbruised and uninjured.
