Susan: For what it’s worth, I’m
sure I speak for many on ridecamp and we truly appreciate your thoughtful, informed
postings. Clearly you know what you are talking about. Thanks to you, my
horses get a daily feeding of beet pulp. They look wonderful and are in great
health. And I guess I’m fortunate in that my farrier limits his advise to
my horses’ feet. --Dave
From:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Susan E. Garlinghouse, DVM Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007
10:33 AM To: bvsrider@xxxxxxxxxxxxx;
ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: RE: [RC] Beet Pulp
Chronicles
Am I the only one
that’s baffled as to why a farrier would be considered a reliable source
of information on anything having to do with horses other than foot-related
issues? Unless and until they’ve demonstrated some actual
quantifiable training or knowledge in the area?
I have very little
training in shoeing (I can remove a shoe without tearing up the hoof wall, or
pare out an abscess, and that’s about the extent of my comfort zone) and
so(logically enough), you won’t catch me pretending that I’m a
shoer. What a concept. It always amazes me that farriers (and
granted, not all, maybe not even the majority) will put forth on not just
shoeing and hoof care, but then happily keep going into parasitology,
pharmacology, nutrition, dentistry, training, saddle fitting…I once had
one shoer come up to my vet truck to ‘consult’ regarding my
antibiotic choice for a client’s mare with an upper respiratory
infection. The owner hadn’t asked him to, nor were there any issues
remotely affecting the feet…he just wanted to check on what I was doing
before he ‘okayed’ it. I almost bit him.
I guess it’s
human nature to try to be helpful even when the help isn’t very helpful,
but I can’t help placing this sort of unqualified advice in the same
category as me advising Karen Chaton how to put on an easyboot in under ten
seconds, or Truman how to ride in Florida sugar sand, or John Parke how to ride
an Icelandic. I don’t know a damn thing about any of those things,
so I’m going to sit down and shut up. Go figure.
Susan Garlinghouse,
DVM (not a shoer, nor do I play one on TV)
From:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Peggy B-Smith Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007
7:25 PM To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] Beet Pulp Chronicles
What is it about beet
pulp that inspires stories like these?
My farrier, who is a wonderful farrier, actually gave a talk to our horseman's
group and part of her talk was how bad beet pulp is for your horse - It's full
of sugar, it's the worst thing you can feed, blah, blah, etc.
When she's at my place doing my horses and sees my beet pulp, it's always a
comment how I shouldn't be feeding it, bad for my horses.
The fact that my mare is a fantastic multi-day horse and has a muscled rear-end
that is the envy of my quarter horse owning friends, doesn't change her
opinion!
