Re: Maggie's survey

["Maggie Mieske" <mmieske@netonecom.net>]

To clarify for Bob and anyone who might have thought along his lines, at
this point, I am just curious what people are doing with their horses while
competing or conditioning for competition.  I don't care if it's 25, 50 or
100s.  I am curious about the angles and toe lengths, because although I
know every horse is an individual, I am sure there is probably some kind of
average (for example, the horses Nelson shoes for distance riding and he
does several, average front angles anywhere from 53-55 degrees and hind
angles 54-56 or 57 sometimes...not to say we don't have to tinker and
experiment with those numbers to help the horse achieve his potential and
move his best).  I guess those ride photos just made me terribly curious to
know about them all... and ridecamp is my best resource at this point for
any question like this.  I happen to be fascinated with the aspects of fine
tuning a horse through his feet... it amazes me the positive (or negative)
impact a farrier can have on a horse with a simple trim.  Eventually, I
would like to learn how the different disciplines "fine tune" their equines
to perform.  Right now, endurance is what intrigues me.  Thanks for making
me clarify myself a little better, Bob....this is not a formal
survey...it's a "I'm dying to know what everybody else is doing and how it
works compared to how we are doing it and how it works."   BTW, Bob is the
only one so far who has actually been able to tell me the angles and length
of toe on his horses.  I guess in a way, this might be a "How many people
know what they are doing with their horse's feet?" survey, too!   :)
Maggie   

----------
> From: Bob Morris <bobmorris@rmci.net>
> To: Maggie Mieske <mmieske@netonecom.net>; ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: RE: Maggie's survey
> Date: Thursday, October 14, 1999 11:47 AM
> 
> Maggie:
> 
> This could make for a very interesting survey.
> 
> Take my own instance; IT ALL DEPENDS on the horse, the time of the year,
> what the horse is being used for, the age of the horse and sometimes the
> breed. Now how do you correlate all that?
> 
> Now I will generalize and say that for the winter season we usually leave
> the feet bare so the snow build up does not become such a serious
problem.
> In the spring we ride barefooted until the wear exceeds the growth and
shoes
> are necessary.  We have feet that when shod run between three inches to
> three and three quarters of an inch in length with angles in the 53/54
> degree range. Front shoes are squared off approximating the principles of
> Ovnichec's (sp) aluminum shoes. Rears are often squared but not as
> radically.
> 
> That is it generally, each horse varies from that for specifics to
optimize
> the performance of that individual. Then one more thing, we do not shoe
the
> you ones until wear exceeds growth. We do keep them balanced and remove
all
> flares as the foot grows out. It is amazing the stages the young feet go
> through with uneven growth, rapid flaring and then as the animal matures,
> the foot shape and growth stabilizes.
> 
> Bob Morris
> Morris Endurance Enterprises
> Boise, ID
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Maggie Mieske [mailto:mmieske@netonecom.net]
> Sent:	Thursday, October 14, 1999 7:32 AM
> To:	ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject:	RC:   Maggie's survey
> 
> 
>  Hi Ridecampers,
>  If you will reply privately to avoid cluttering up ridecamp, I promise
to
>  make the results of this little survey public.  This is what I am
curious
>  about... I find myself looking at any and all ride photos trying to get
a
>  peek at the FEET and see what they look like, angles, length of foot,
type
>  of shoe, etc.  Not a very easy "feat" (hahaha).  I am dying to know what
>  you guys DO with your horses' feet.  So, I thought I would just ASK!! 
For
>  those who know, what angle, length of toe, etc. do you use?  How many go
>  barefoot?  How many just have shoes in the front?  All the way around?
>  What kind of shoe do you use?  Do you prefer shoes with or without clips
>  (and why)?  I really am interested the most in the angle and length of
toe
>  that you are going with.  Everyone has their own opinion on that but boy
> we
>  see a lot of horses with little or NO heel...did you know the 4-H horse
>  book still says that 45 degrees is the ideal angle?  They also teach
this
>  in FFA (at least 45 degrees is the correct answer on the written test in
>  the Horse Judging Competition!).  Please make whatever comments you
like,
>  keeping in mind I may use some of them in my "report".  I may even put
> this
>  together and put it in my newsletter.  Hey, Trish Mare...do you think
> Equus
>  would PAY me to publish an article about this???  :)  Thanks in advance
>  guys!!
>  Maggie
> Michigan
>  P.S.  Have finally heard from the owner of those horses with swollen
> feet...she
>  opted to go back to her old farrier (who, she complained about
vigorously
>  when she begged Nelson to take her on).  Waiting to hear from the vet
yet!
> 
>  Thanks for all of your support and encouragement!!
> 
> 
> 
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> 
> 


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=