thought on the whole shoes/barefoot thing

Yes ok yorksg, I apologised for it and actually I can see that I havent been nice either. But I am trying to be whilst also having a discussion. I actually want to try and have a decent discussion with horse rider and everyone else but all that seems to happen is I get patronised.

Well never mind. Maybe not this time.

Well I certainly prefer to debate with people who are not rude, who read what is written and not assume that all posts are directed at them.
 
I wasn't trying to be rude :) and actually horseriders posts are usually directed at me :)

Actually not so, I can never remember which side of the debate you're on, should probably pay more attention to posters names.
I do know Pale Rider's viewpoint though, he posts some classics !

I probably quote you, TH, when you say something that prompts response.
 
Fair enough, I have posted some clangers in my time :D

I am on the side of fair debate... I sit further on the dark side (experience driven mainly) but feel shoes are useful things in the right hands. Though I usually get carried away sadly. I am really trying not to though so sorry if I was rude to you, or anyone else for that matter. I genuinely mean that :)
 
I'm hoping we are just about to stop arguing and make friends actually Fii :D good isnt it? :)
 
My god is this still going on, havent you all run out of things to argue about yet! :rolleyes:

Nah, there's plenty to talk about, although the olympics are a bit more of a draw at the moment.

Tallyho, you haven't offended me, you're fine. I like people who aren't afraid to say what they think.
Its the people who don't think anything that make life boring.:D
 
Glad I haven't and thanks for understanding.

Right, well I am off to bed now feeling a lot happier :)

G'night:):):)
 
I am unashamedly resurrecting this thread, to highlight a point I made earlier. I said a lot of top level competitors cared little for the welfare of their horses.
Obviously, I was told how wrong I was.

Unfortunately, a few days later and we are in another rollkur controversy.

Enough said.
 
I thought I would add to this thread as I had a right laugh yesterday... as some of you will know, ben my 3 yr old has just been backed, he has only been ridden for less than 2 weeks. 2 days ago, we moved to our lovely new yard. I went out for a 15 min hack yesterday and when I had got back there was a chap (the father of one of the fellow liveries) he was stood there, looking at bens feet, head cocked, grimace/confusion/disgust on his face:rolleyes::o:eek::D. He then said, 'oh I know what it is, that makes his feet look wrong... he's got no shoes on:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:, how does that work then?' I said, that yes, he had no shoes on, that my mare who was a very dainty lass didn't wear shoes and competed, hacked out for hrs, and hunted barefoot and that since ben was only just backed and doing no more than 15 mins a day and his feet were solid and balanced, I saw absolutely no point in paying good money for bits of metal that he didn't need. Oh but the absolute disgust on his face was priceless:D:D
 
I am unashamedly resurrecting this thread, to highlight a point I made earlier. I said a lot of top level competitors cared little for the welfare of their horses.
Obviously, I was told how wrong I was.

Unfortunately, a few days later and we are in another rollkur controversy.

Enough said.


Fingers in ears...............La la la la no one's listening :D
 
How many times has it been posted all over the internet, that tarmac roads are excellent for barefoot horses. Yet people here continue to put, 'because I do a lot of road work I shoe my horse, I am also an idiot'.

I made the last bit up, lol.
I hacked my girl out tonight, took boots with me, and put them on on stony ground, took them off for road work. It is smooth, even and exercises the foot. She was booted to go up a long straight hill and she needed a good trot and so did I, but it was an active decision to boot for a specific reason. If folks do a lot of trotting on the roads they need more than shoes. We walk but walk actively.
PS Breast plate straps make good boot holders.
 
My horse is barefoot and does get biotin supplement. Nothing more.

But she has been barefoot for years - in fact, she has been barefoot for the majority of her life. There's a crack in one of her back hooves at the moment, but she's not worried about it, and neither am I...
 
Perhaps some of you barefoot guru's would like to offer your services to the Olympic equestrians. They've obviously crippled their horses by making them wear shoes. Some of the horses are now veterans, so they must need your expertise after a life time in shoes.
Do them a favour and pop over with your hoof boots and DIY hay analysis testing kits.

Some of the 'facts' and assertions on this thread are so funny, its in the realms of the absurd now.
Who says shod horses slip on roads ? My experience is that a fit horse carrying itself correctly manages similarly shod or unshod.
Couldn't agree more! My shod pony sometimes slips on the roads, sometimes doesn't. There are two or three people who sit in his saddle and I can to a greater or lesser extent predict which will say he has slipped and who won't
 
I have two horses a cob and exrace horse both have just had their shoes removed a few days ago. My cob will hopefully have no problems going barefoot only had front ones on anyway, and the race horse has foot problems caused by his shoes that we are hoping to improve. I am prepared to face the problems associated with going barefoot but never at the expense of my horses welfare. My friends horse had to be sedated and the stress involved in the process lead her down the barefoot path. Her cobs feet are now the cleanest healthiest looking hooves I have ever seen and the lady that does them is skilled not only in all aspects of hoof care her knowledge of horse behaviour is amazing. So I am going to give it a go I have been warned against peer pressure but at the end of the day a bit of perseverance and expense is a small price to pay for happy feet!
 
Well I have just had my oldies shoes taken off because he's coming back off loan and I don't need shoes on him simples.

He was bare on his hinds for years and we covered all terrains with no problems took his fronts off last nov and her was fine up until he went on loan in feb I was riding him without them no bother :)

He was shod as loaner preferred it but will be unshod as for what I will be doing with him he doesn't need shoes and he has good feet :)
 
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