Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Thats sounds like another regional thing to me.  Fronts are the norm here. 
Terrian is black dirt and/or sand, but its low swampy land and gets so muddy 
with little rain, so gravel must be put down here and there.  Barefoot 
horses tend to gimp on the rocks (hooves don't get hard/tough standing in 
the mud all day), but rarely do I have a client that rides enough to put 
excessive wear on the hooves and really "need" shoes.  Fronts is the answer, 
it releaves the gimping on the occasional gravel road, and a full set isn't 
necessary.  Lesson barns often use this option to help protect the jumpers 
fronts on landings, but hinds are unneccesary.

Mechanically, why it works, the average horse carries more of his own weight 
on the front, then a large percentage of the rider's.  (I know some of you 
guys have done your dressage and changed this, and there's horses with 
"different" conformations, but just speaking of the *average* horse.)  And 
on the *average* horse, the front hoof and the hind are very different, 
fronts are flatter soled and lower angled, hinds tend to have a better cup 
and steeper angle.  You must also figure in the mechanics of knee action 
(extension) versus hock action (balance).

Financially, yep it saves a few bucks.  So if it works for the horse and 
you, why not?

Jen
Farrier in Tidewater, VA


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "CK" <kingmonk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:01 PM
Subject: [RC] Re:1/2 shod horses?


> Yes, I have had horses only shod in the front for financial reasons, esp. 
> if they weren't being ridden that much. Also, could you start out being 
> bare in back as
> as a start to GOING BAREFOOT?Ii do know one thing, people are very wary 
> about 1/2 shod horses. They think you are hiding a mean kicker or some 
> other hard to shoe issue.
> Cindy K
>
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