To shoe or not to shoe..

Boulty said:
5 is still fairly young and he'll still be changing shape and developing his balance. If you're happy it's not because he's sore then I'd be tempted to see how he adapts as he gets fitter and stronger and gains experience on slightly deeper ground. Is he the same about mud in his field?

Tbh he could also just be one of "those" horses who is determined they are actually a Princess in equine form that cant possibly get wet or muddy.

My ridiculous Welsh D HATES wet, slippy deep ground. He is barefoot as most of you know but he was equally pathetic when shod and if anything has better grip on wet / deep ground without his shoes if I'm honest. When he is concentrating on having a little race with one of his friends or (even better) out hunting he conveniently forgets that bogs are horrid and likes to march along quite happily overtaking everyone *facepalm*. He has gotten a little better as years have gone by but he still tries to spin in the gateway and run out of the field when the gateway is wet and muddy (he basically has a little panic about getting stuck I think).

That said a friend of mine has a barefoot eventer who never quite got over having her studs taken away (but she'd been shod for years and was used to having them if that makes sense?)
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DabDab said:
Yeah that makes sense. Basically you have managed to buy a connemara who is a bit of a pansy - novel if nothing else :D

I would be surprised if shoes make any difference to his dislike of mud. The grip thing depends a lot on his resilience to be able to deal emotionally with a bit of slipping, his sure footedness and how much you want to risk changing stuff without really being able to try it before going to an event
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Yes think you are both right. He is a bit of a diva. I don’t *think* it’s anything physical as like you say boulty, some times he conveniently forgets, he’s also very good at telling me when he has any sort of issue (usually fairly hysterically).

I guess diva pony may be a summer eventing pony, I would take him hunting next season but he’s so damn explosive and he’s doing so well these days keeping a lid on it- I can’t see him every being a decent hunter!
 
You could get him shod and then hack him somewhere muddy, to see if his attitude changes. I'd say when he's going xc the adrenaline will cause him to get over his dislike of mud anyway.
If he was going to slip surely it would be on slick grass rather than deeper mud?
 
HashRouge said:
I have a friend who went round Badminton Grassroots with a BF horse, and regularly events BE100, so I wouldn't be hugely concerned about eventing without shoes. I'd second what someone else has said - it will be his first time out, so why not just take it steady and see how he goes?
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I certainly wouldn't be worried about eventing an established horse bare :).
 
I have a 4 year old Westside Mirah connie who also has a huge dislike of mud. He minces through/over it exactly as you have described. He is also barefoot and very surefooted, but detests walking through mud. He's had this winter off to mature and grow, but I've also been debating whether he may need shoes if I want to ride him next winter, his mud phobia is so bad. So I'm very interested to see what you decide to do! My old arab x connie, also barefoot, just strides through and over mud without a second thought.
 
That’s hilarious as mine is also a Westside Mirah! Is yours an itchy boy too? Have you got any pics? Mine is such a dude but very hot headed and emotional!!

Mrs Bear said:
I have a 4 year old Westside Mirah connie who also has a huge dislike of mud. He minces through/over it exactly as you have described. He is also barefoot and very surefooted, but detests walking through mud. He's had this winter off to mature and grow, but I've also been debating whether he may need shoes if I want to ride him next winter, his mud phobia is so bad. So I'm very interested to see what you decide to do! My old arab x connie, also barefoot, just strides through and over mud without a second thought.
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Yep. itchy and lightly scurfy in both his summer and winter coat. Mahogany bay, looks a lot like Boggle. Everything you've said about Boggle in previous posts (I'm a long time lurker!) could also be describing The Bear. The similarities are uncanny.
 
Ah that is amazing! Have heard lots of the Westside Mirahs have mild sweet itch type symptoms.

How funny that they have similar traits on mud. I suppose they want to stick to their breeding and stay on artificial surfaces to showjump ;)

Not sure if you’ve come across him but there’s a Westside Mirah 2 on Facebook and he’s beautiful; worth following.

Where did you get your boy?

Mrs Bear said:
Yep. itchy and lightly scurfy in both his summer and winter coat. Mahogany bay, looks a lot like Boggle. Everything you've said about Boggle in previous posts (I'm a long time lurker!) could also be describing The Bear. The similarities are uncanny.
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ElleSkywalker said:
*Completely misses point of thread*

Squee firstly how beautiful is Boggle secondly what a lovely lorry I see in background of that pic ;)
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Hehe, Sybil very happy these days especially now Boggle doesn’t feel the need to destroy her insides. She’s currently being loaned to a friend and off on a rescue mission!
 
ester said:
Did a good job as lorry finder me ;). haha

I love that there are now two of the Irish pansies :D
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I’m still not entirely sure you get credit for that one I’m SURE I saw the post first.... ��
 
He was bred by a friend, locally. He's out of a Westside Mirah mare who showjumped and by a General Humbert stallion, but to look at he's pure Westside Mirah. They seem to be a definite type! And yes, by crikey they can jump (not always a good thing when things like electric fence are there for a reason). I'm not on facebook but I'll keep an eye out for Westside Mirah 2.
 
Michen said:
I’m still not entirely sure you get credit for that one I’m SURE I saw the post first.... ��
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I'm pretty sure I was attacked via pm very quickly by the pair of you so we can call it a draw :D Glad shes gone to such a good home, she is such a good old girl who am sure is conducting her rescue mission admiribly :D xx Glad the Boggle has stopped assulting her too. Shows how tough the Racemasters are :D
 
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