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Post by megzmc on Dec 23, 2005 18:33:59 GMT 2
if my horses are comfortable barefoot, then they will be barefoot, but if they need shoes, then they will get them. would prefer to have them barefoot though, its more natural, which i think is always better for them!
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princieboy
Weanling
I love my princieboy, don't know if the feeling is mutual!
Posts: 82
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Post by princieboy on Feb 21, 2006 21:25:23 GMT 2
I'd also prefer the natural route, but princie has shoes on his front hooves because their quite weak and chip easily - and i mean CHIP. Sometimes these huge chunks of hoofwall break off - even with shoes. He's on HT20 now, which helps. Our farrier used to joke that i must go and buy him a new pair of hooves at checkers (well, he also used to call my boy a circus pony - LOL).
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LUVLaratreun
Yearling
Fly like an eagle, my boy...
Posts: 107
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Post by LUVLaratreun on Feb 22, 2006 20:56:19 GMT 2
Let me explain the 80% circulation thing... The hooves are like mini-hearts on the horse's legs. As all of you know (hopefully  ) the underside of the hoof is concave (disc shaped inwards). When the horse puts his weight on the hoof, this disc gives way slightly. This in turn causes the hoof wall to expand, increasing the volume inside the hoof. Blood can now flow more freely into the hoof. Similarily when the horse lifts his hoof, the disc "pops" back, and the hoof wall contracts, decreasing the volume and pushing the blood out of the hoof. Can you see it? As your horse walks, his feet are going bum-bum, bum-bum like a heart ;D But when a horse has shoes on, his hooves cannot extend to their full capacity. Think about it. What was once slightly elastic material is now suddenly hindered by an unyielding metal object. The hoof will only be able to expand as far as the shoes allows it to. I'm not sure by how much circulation is impaired but it is most certainly affected. This little "disc system" also helps with shock absorption. BUT!!!! I am not saying rip the shoes off any horse you see. If the horse needs shoes, give it shoes. If it doesn't, take them off!!! Charlie had to wear shoes for a while as his hooves also chipped very badly. He had to have them filled a few times. Dreadful, he had to be sedated otherwise he would go mad because the stuff that filled his hooves had to be hot and it would have been heat on bare nerves  But he just recently had his shoes taken off and he loves it without them on! He is so much easier to ride, more comfortable and can place his legs easier. ;D It definitely depends on the horse. |
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Post by Dusty Game on Jul 10, 2006 13:21:24 GMT 2
My horse does better with no shoes, he has better grip with none. Even with jumping. Also if he spooks while walking home i dont have the risk of slipping on the road as he tends to spook now and then on the roads. |
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) the underside of the hoof is concave (disc shaped inwards). When the horse puts his weight on the hoof, this disc gives way slightly. This in turn causes the hoof wall to expand, increasing the volume inside the hoof. Blood can now flow more freely into the hoof. Similarily when the horse lifts his hoof, the disc "pops" back, and the hoof wall contracts, decreasing the volume and pushing the blood out of the hoof. Can you see it? As your horse walks, his feet are going bum-bum, bum-bum like a heart ;D
But he just recently had his shoes taken off and he loves it without them on! He is so much easier to ride, more comfortable and can place his legs easier. ;D It definitely depends on the horse.