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[RC] another issue, bone maturity and shoeing... - Karen SullivanAnother issue that has been really bugging me is the practice of shoeing horses before they are finished growing or coffin bone's mature.
I was pretty horrified to see, down at Cal Poly several weeks ago, a 2 year old going into the production sale, with shoes on, and a bad shoe job to boot....this is standard practice for their
Quarter Horses
Like the spine, the coffin bone is not finished growing until age 4-5....
The weekend I had an equine dentist up to my place, who travels with a retired vet. I asked him (the vet) what happens if you slap shoes on a young horse that is not finished growing....he looked me in the eye and said, it constricts the growth of the coffin bone.
Just at Dr. Deb Bennet has a growth chart that states horses do not finish maturing until age 5 or older...and the damage that can be done to their backs....one should also be aware of the damage done to feet at a young age when shod before the coffin bone if the foot has reached it's maximum size. This can become an issue with endurance horses, if someone is riding an LD at age 4....when was the horse broke to ride and when did shoes first go on it.
Something else to think about
Karen
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