Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Hello Sabrina,
My arab has been barefoot for 4+ years and I have been learning to 
trim him myself that whole time. We have done 6-25's and 22-50's 
during that time using Old Macs. After 3 years his rears were finally 
excellent and now could probably do a 50 barefoot in the rear but I 
always race with boots. The fronts are not so good, when I ride him 
barefoot on 6-10 mile hacks he still flinches on rocky stuff and 
tries to get off hard packed areas at the trot but will fly full bore 
on grass or regular dirt. I would suggest that your friend start the 
days ride with boots and ride fairly hard the first half then pull 
the boots and ride barefoot gently on the hard stuff maybe get off 
and lead thru rocks but trot any good footing. Movement is what the 
hooves need to heal so "keep those doggies movin" ;-). They will get 
better for sure if you do it in horse-time.
IMHO genetics would make a difference between barefoot champions but 
not at this level of just everyday barefoot riding. Horseshoes are 
not an option for me either.
Don Huston

At 12:52 PM 6/11/2006 Sunday, you wrote:
> Ridecampers,
> I need input. My friend has a dam and filly, purebred, but she can't 
> get their feet right. She has done everything, under the tutelage of 
> her professional barefoot trimmer... diet, trims, movement, 
> x-rays... you name it, she has done it.  These mares' feet are 
> beautiful, textbook looking, as well as their coats, mane and tail, 
> eyes etc. (Although, I know that pretty is as pretty does.) Other 
> professionals are stymied. They live in her back yard, so they are 
> tended to often.
> She must boot the front feet to ride them as they act tenderfooted 
> and lame without them.  She just lightly trail rides and walks 99.9% 
> of the time so she isn't asking for much. They seem fine in boots, 
> but pull those boots off, and they act like they are dying. She has 
> been at this for four years. She now has them on Grand Hoof 
> supplements, but wants them to remain as natural as possible. She 
> has another horse that is on the same footing, diet, everything, but 
> she is a rockcruncher!!! At this point my girlfriend is pulling out 
> her hair, she just wants to hop on and go down the road. We have 
> discussed this topic until the barefoot cows come home, and my only 
> suggestion for her is genetics. She cant get the concavity, or 
> growth like other horses get. I know I trim my barefoot horses every 
> 8 weeks or so, they grow their feet, but her horses don't. I truly 
> am starting to believe that the only thing left, is genes. This is 
> very possible... I mean people get "things" from genes.... diabetes, 
> high blood pressure, birth defects.... right?
> Please let me know of your experiences or thoughts so I can go down 
> the road with my friend!! I know you all are very knowledgeable, I 
> have read many posts from you! And shoes are not an option for her!!!
>
> Thanks so much!
> Sabrina



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