Discussion of the feral horse hoof model -flaws in theory

Yea, and they get dirty and their tails get all tangled up, and some like mine, lose a halter every 7-10 days. Which means I have to borrow a halter to retrieve her from a field, and do alot of grooming before I ride. Yea, no good comes of it!

Christos, 24 hr turnout allows these feeble minded equine specimens more opportunities to fulfil their suicidal tendencies and/or the sociopathic aggressors to victimize the others.

I'm a big fan of turnout. Around me in the summer flies get excessive. I'm also in an area that it's either flooding or like a desert.

So I feel the added hours of stomping tires out their legs. I'm talking about eventers also. I haven't noticed any more lameness of pleasure horses that get 24 turnout. Hunter/Jumper/Dressage has move to it around me.

I'll add, the pleasure horses which get excessive turnout, when it goes from a swamp to a desert in a matter of days plus the stomping, the shoes get very loose quickly. Mostly from the nails heads getting worn out. Loose shoes will eventually lead to lameness.

I agree with the stomping. I don't think it's very good on their shoes, feet, or legs. I buy fly spray by the gallon. I only use it on the legs. A horse can take care of the rest himself.

Thanks for the replies and I agree, I wouldn't turn them out either with bad company or with too many flies. Also I do not turn them out in too much heat as I do not see the benefit in them frying half asleep in the sun.

I have no experience with a horse stomping badly enough to loosen its shoes or harm its legs, but I understand the point.

Mine are on 24/7 turnout all year. However I use fly spray often in the summer.

I don't leave halters on mine for fear they may hang it on something in the 39 acres they roam. So far no luck on them maintaining their trims.

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I use a bottle of fly spray to get some horses shod in the summer.

I've always had a bottle of fly spray with me when the farrier comes

I rarely see an owner so I have my own.

Eric, I had a few clients who didn't use fly spray. I started charging them 5.00 for spraying their horses, figuring they would dump me. Now, all my clients supply their own spray.

Also, I read somewhere about farriers being liable for reactions to spray, if they, not the client sprayed the horse and the horse had a reaction to the spray. Not sure if it's true, but food for thought.

Regards

Rick, June 1998, I paid the Vet bill for an allergic reaction by an arab gelding that I sprayed with watered down farnam repel x; I had sprayed 3-4 horses previously with the same bottle. If the Vet had not been working right there, down the aisle from me; I think that sucker would have died. It took 2 10ml doses of epi and 1/2 bottle of Dex to keep him breathing. Everywhere the spray hit him, he welted up immediately. I spent the next hour cold hosing him. I have never seen a horse go down like that. A couple of yrs later I heard that horse was in an experimental drug trial for melanoma. Not sure if that had anything to do with it or not, but to this day I don't spray any horses except mine.

This was published in "The Farrier's Journal" over here. I have to agree with the findings as the environment has a great impact. They studied horses in many different environments and found different effects. Like Rick I also find the final sentence a good summary.

Geez . . . something smells rotten in denmark . . . . sprayed hundreds of Arabs over the years. i have to say it was the drug trial myself . . . .

Dana, that was an arab training farm/race track where it occurred. I don't think allergies are breed specific. I was in no position to claim "it's not my fault; I do this all the time!" When the horse was "out of the woods" as they say; I called the owner to tell them what had happened.
I never apologized nor claimed responsibility but after a short phone consult with my attorney, I promptly paid the Vet. It's funny how that when you to pay the Vet immediately upon completion of services, with cash, the fee seems amazingly cheaper....