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I thought babies weighted more than that?  but could be wrong....my youngster this year was huge...

 

One other factor to throw out....we yet don't know the limits of how much a hoof can adapt to endurance competion, since only a few folks are really trying to do this....certainly, there are herds in the wild living in volcanic rock and just awful terrain that seem to have developed extremely hard feet and close to 1" thick soles....how much can nature callus and protect a hoof may still be an unknown....

 

I would not argue that it is probably extremely difficult to run a horse competitively over 100 miles barefoot, although some folks have done 100;s barefoot....may be exceptional horses, and I do believe that it can take several if not more years to really condition the hoof....but at least there are more options now than nailing on shoes, which I do firmly believe will inhibit proper hoof function.  Hoof boots, glue on shoes, applied sole toughners will continue to improve over time...and the main benefit to these is that when you are not competing, at least the horse can be barefoot, with the correct shape to the hoof.

 

You guys can take everything i say with a huge can of salt, since I am not currently riding endurance at all.....but AM riding barefoot horses over rough, rocky terrain on a regular basis.....

Karen

 

On 8/12/08, Bruce Weary DC <bweary@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

 Karen said:  "
however.....lets not forget mares in the wild....who are bred and carrying the extra weight of a foal every year...what is the weight of a foal?  Those mares are keeping up with the herd while pregnant....."
   Good point, and I guess I would respond that a newborn foal probably weighs about 60-100 lbs, not the weight of most riders with tack. And those mares aren't going 50 to 100 miles a day at speed. I know a guy from National Geographic who used to track wild mustangs, and with a remote microphone, could pick up the conversation of the pregnant mares as they chatted amongst themselves. They said things like, "I'm tired of being fat," "My last foal took 42 hours of labor," "I'd kill for some Rocky Road right about now," and, "If Studmuffin over there gives me that "come hither" look one more time, I'm gonna kick his a**."
 Apparently, we are all part of the same animal kingdom. :>   Bruce Weary

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