Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I have to echo what a lot of people are saying that there is a balance to everything including this conversation. The longer you can leave a horse barefoot, especially when they are young the better off you will be. Too many shoes too young can weaken the hoof wall and make it difficult for them to be barefoot in the future. But, there are often times when shoes can make the difference between a horse with a minor problem and corrected to a horse going lame from lack of care. We all want the best for our friends and so we scour the internet, books, magazines, etc... for all of the information that we can. The problem is that there are as many opinions as horses and the only thing that I know to do is to take all of it with a grain of salt, use trial and error, a little common sense and most importantly be open to new ideas.

 

On 7/9/07, Judy Houle <judyshatir@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Metal horseshoes do provide protection from excess
wear, but at the cost of increased concussion to the
hoof and bony column.  They inhibit the natural shock
absorbing quality of the hoof by restricting movement
of the hoof when weight loading and unloading.  I do
not believe they increase traction, more often they
decrease it.  How often have you slipped and slid over
grass, mud, sheets of rock, asphalt or gravel?  A
horse with thin soles could be properly trimmed and
conditioned to build up calloused soles by going
barefoot instead of shod.

Judy


     ____________________________________________________________________________________
Shape Yahoo! in your own image.  Join our Network Research Panel today!   http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=