Re: Sore Foot Dilemma

[Leigh331@aol.com]

This whole easy boot discussion has been interesting, but something has been
left unsaid. It has been proven that human shoes with rubber/soft supporting
soles are better for people that have to walk on hard surfaces, I feel the
easy boot is comparable to horsey tennis shoes. For the thin/sore soled horse,
my opinion is: this horse should be left barefoot for several months at least.
My farrior and vet both agree that almost all horses benefit from being
barefoot for a period of at least a few months. During this time, if you ride,
use easy boots. I have done this with my horses for my whole life and I've
never had foot problems. I've never had but a few stone bruises over the past
25 yrs!  Most of my horses (12 of 14) can go barefoot year round and can ride
normally without soreness. I feel that this is because they have toughened up
being barefoot for so long. These are not endurance horses, only once/week
trail horses. I shoe my endurance horse but leave her barefoot all winter thus
avoiding the snowball problems and toughening her feet at the same time.
Just my opinion
Leigh Preddy SE