I was at a gathering Sunday eve. and was approached by a woman and asked, how many of the horses that are shod really need shoes? i realized quickly that "need" is an operative word that can be convaluted in a number of ways. ray
According to this website horses do not need shoes! http://successwithhorses.com/ Check it out especially the link where they take horses to the mountains barefoot. I have pulled Toed & Heeled shoes that where so worn down they were split in the toe. One outfitter I shoed for said he clocked 500 miles of riding, let alone the free time the horse's where in the mountains, I know some that have done more. I have guided and outfitted for years and been in many places if the horse was not shod I would have been carrying it out instead of the other way . I have got away with fronts only but it depends on the terrain, the horse and the amount of time they are used. People like these upset me to know end. Rob Johnson
PS: For anyone not familiar with mountain riding you can go from rock to muskeg where I have seen a new shoe sucked off. The heels have to be turned in and all nail holes are used. Try beating a shoe out over a rock or a piece of wood for an anvil and your forge is a campfire, you will do lots of cussing and have fun at the same time. Outfitters have shoes at all camps and when you go down the trail and see a shoe laying there you pick it up as it will fit some horse at some time and save a lot of work. The other PS I was going to mention is it has been -30 Celsius or 22 below Fahrenheit and a foot of fresh snow on top of the previous two feet so all I am doing is plowing snow and feeding horses. Rob Johnson Dawson Creek BC
Ray, I don't know what your reply was though I can assume it was appropriate. Mine would have been "No, not all the horses shod need shoes. In fact none of the shod horses out there "need" them. So long as the ones that are sore/lame are put down and the rest aren't asked to do more than mosey around the pasture."
If they are wearing shoes then they have a "need" for being shod. Some have a more definite need, and others are just on there for piece of mind. But there is always a need.
