Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I will second this.  Jody and Dawn gave some very good advice.  One  
observation I will add:

My horse is shod on all 4 feet, because I do the majority of my  
training up in the local mountains where there is a lot of decomposed  
granite and rocks.  When he is in full training, he will wear out a  
set of shoes in 8 weeks, due to the abrasive nature of the ground he  
is training on -- and I usually only ride up there 2 times a week.  He  
would have to grow a tremendous amount of hoof (which he doesn't) to  
not wear his feet down to the quick if he was barefoot.

So - if your surface is mostly gravel and rocks, it is very possible  
that the ouchiness is simply because your horse is wearing off her  
feet faster than she can grow them.  Putting on shoes or boots (your  
choice) is no reflection on the quality of the hoof - just that she  
needs extra protection due to the additional work she is getting.


On Apr 2, 2009, at 9:45 AM, Carla Richardson wrote:

> Listen to Jody, and Dawn, too.  They know what they're talking about.
>
> I'll just add one thing.  It's possible she could have a slight case  
> of thrush, which some horses react to by being slightly off.  You  
> can usually see it or smell it (it smells really bad).  If you've  
> had a wet winter, and you did mention that, it's definitely a  
> possibility.  It's easy to treat and the lameness should go away  
> fast, if that's it.
>
> Good luck.  And don't be afraid to post to this list.  Yes, it can  
> get cantankerous at times, but who cares, it's worth it to get the  
> gems you will always get from various people.  I think Ridecamp is a  
> wonderful list.  Lots of different ideas!  And a lot of fun.
>
> Carla Richardson
> Colorado


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