Re: NATRC shoeing rules

[Ruth Bourgeois <ruthb@tdsi.net>]

Joe Long wrote:
> 
> On Sun, 31 Jan 1999 19:52:09 -0800, Nancy DuPont
> <htrails@earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
> > but remember the original founders of NATRC designated that horses in
> >competition should compete as naturally as possible.
> 
> >The purpose was to develop a better breed of horse and condition that
> >animal to the optimum fitness level. The participation in these events
> >would a partnership between you and the horse that would win for both horse
> >and horsemanship.
> 
> >Once you pad a horses foot you have a different goal- because you are
> >acknowledging something is wrong with the foot.
> 
> This is false logic.  By that same reasoning you would not allow any
> shoe at all, but require the horses to be barefoot.  Bars and pads are
> nothing more than devices with the same purpose as any shoe ... to
> give support and protection to the hoof not because of any defect in
> the hoof, but because of the unnatural demands being made on it by the
> riders (unnatural in terms of distance and terrain).  Horses running
> free in nature are not carrying weight, going as far in a day, or
> travelling over rocky and artificial surfaces.

I think that both Nancy and Joe are right in what they say regarding
shoeing/NATRC. However, I think you're also missing the point just a
little bit here - yes, NATRC has always promoted natural - no artificial
- methods/devices while competing, and being able to go the distance
with a naturally sound, healthy horse. But again, we need to realize
that NATRC competition is different from other distance riding
competitions in that the rides are designed to be timed so that riders
can ride the entire distance, but slow down their pace sufficiently to
allow the horse to pick through rocky areas without hurting themselves,
and then go faster on good footing. Generally these rides are not held
in areas that are nothing but rocks. Generally there are areas to go
slow/careful and areas to make time. That's where the pacing and taking
care of the horse comes in. The rides were originally meant to be tests
of a horse going a distance with the rider on his back the entire time,
which is a different concept that an endurance ride where horse and
rider are going from point A to point B as quickly as possible, using
whatever combination of mounted/unmounted, hoof protection, etc. to get
the horse/rider through safely and sound. 

As for changing the concept of the NATRC philosophies, with the lifting
of the shoeing restrictions, I feel that is the question here. No one is
doubting whether or not this may be beneficial for the horses or whether
or not more hoof protection is necessary in certain types of terrain.
For a ride such as the Sand Ridge Ride in Illinois, I'd take my horse
barefoot. You have to look pretty hard to find a rock on that trail! But
then I couldn't take the same barefoot horse and compete the next week
on a rocky mountainous trail. But I could put easyboots on him (now) and
compete. The reasons behind the lifting of the shoeing rule were not to
change NATRC standards or philosophies, but to address some other
issues.

Ruth