Re: Winter Management

[flemmerl@rcbhsc.wvu.edu (Flemmer, Linda)]

Lori Bertolucci-Woodard wrote:

> Cookie, what do you do about your horses hooves filling with snow when you
> ride? I have a mare that cannot go without shoes. I would like to ride her
> some this winter,

We tried Pam, Crisco, etc to keep the snow balls out of the hooves, but found
that it was minimally effective and wore out too quickly.  I dislike full pads
since I can't see and care for the hoof.  (It gets moist, etc. under the pad.)

I went to a rim snow pad.  Looks like a regular rim pad with a hollow tube that
runs along the inside of the shoe next to the sole.  As the tube is compressed
by snow balls, it springs back and pops the snow out.  It works better at a
hard walk or a trot than at an ambling walk.  (We don't canter much in the
winter since we can't see the rocks and boulders under the snow banks.)  My
farrier orders these pads through his usual supply catalog - not too expensive
and we were able to reset them at least once.

Have fun riding this winter!

Linda Flemmer