I recently read a post by Jack Evers where he was riding one of his horses on the mountain and she didn't seem to have any energy or forwardness. He threw a pair of shoes on her so a friend could ride her and she was that energetic forward horse that she was known to be. Can a farrier watch a horse gait/trot and see that the horse may need shoes based on how she moves? I'm wondering because my horse is normally very forward, but yesterday, she was not, very noticeable to me without knowing why. She was trimmed last week (nice job). This is not the first time, but I really didn't give it much thought other than an "off" day.
It depends on the farrier. Some can and some can't. If they can't, you probably don't want them working on your horse anyway.
sometimes, after shoeing the barefoot, non foward horse, it will have the tendency to then run/ buck the owner off. Having sore feet is a poor substitution for proper training but it can keep the dinks a little more quiet and easy to live with.
I think it's easier for the experienced owner to feel it than for the farrier to see it - especially if the farrier doesn't know the horse all that well. When owners ask me if their horse needs shoes I ask 'is it reluctant to go forward on hard ground, does it naturally veer toward grass verges, does it have a short stride, does it 'drop a leg' frequently on stony ground'? A lot of this is hard to see just walking a horse up and down the yard. Some farriers just say 'yes'.
Might have something to do with wanting horses on the books that actually win events that involve significant athleticism stop watches and cameras . . . - Tom Stovall paraphrased.
I just love it when I am right. LOL! These are the exact reasons my guy has shoes. He is so much more comfortable and "sure of his feet." Not that Karen is one of the people I am about to speak of - but it always made me cringe when a barefooter I knew would sing the praises of how "surefooted" the unshod horse was. The example was how carefully they walked over rocky paths. Yes, pain makes you careful. FOr example, I was/am more keenly aware of my surroundings when riding my shod horse! DA PAIN!! DA PAIN!
Okay Karens horse is an interesting case. I do feel and Im sure she wont mind me saying when she trimmed it herself she scalloped the quaters. Along comes farrier and has to drop the toe a bit to rescue it a touch. Posible conclussion it may need shoes to get the foot off the ground for a bit. Then there is the barefoot people who would suggest the diet needs to be addressed if the horse is footy. Lights blue touch paper and stands clear.
David, that's hysterical! And I don't mind you telling it like it is. I'm happy that I have a farrier that leaves a foot well balanced. He acknowledged it was short. That's fine. My concern is whether this has been going on for a while whether trimmed short or not. I'll try the shoes and see what happens.
I think that those symptoms that Gary pointed out have been getting more and more noticeable. Even with 8 week old feet. And I even thought she loved going on that big grass trail to nowhere, she would just rack up a storm, speeding along with her ears pointed up. The truth may be that her feet loved the thick grass. Shoes. Or, David, do you think she needs more protein in her diet???
Join me and together we will rule the horse world. No wait that's not quite right. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
LOL! I've had shoes on previous horses. I did even have a warmblood tank who the farrier had suggested trying barefoot, and there was a definite change in how forward he was, so the shoes went back on. Aside from the horse's well being, my main concern is how hard I have to work to keep a horse going. If I have to make more than a kissing noise to make a horse go, it's too much work.
Update: Rode her yesterday in the ring (clay/sand). She had a real good gas pedal like she used to. Her feet are still ungodly flat (after 2 weeks) and still have that pink/real pink line from pillar to pillar, one is longer. It was too hot to ride any longer, I would have liked to take her on the road for a few minutes. I'll try her a few more times and maybe MA can come watch and see. And I can see as it gets closer to the end of the cycle whether she gets better strided .
Actually, no. She seems to be real fine and spiffy. They look good right now, she's got hoof wall all around that is a bit longer than the sole. So, I will just keep on doing, but asking the farrier not to trim short. Thanks
