My 2 galoots both have pretty nice feet thank the lucky stars, and every year I wonder if they can make it barefoot. Everybody knows the great conflict: barefoot versus shod, and all the emotion that goes into both sides of this controversy. I wish I could have someone with Godlike powers tell me: Lo, thine horses may go barefoot without damage! OR: Listeneth up thou fool,and putteth shoes upon their Fronts unto Eternity!
For myself, I just dither and look and invariably, decide to put shoes on fronts eventually when summer comes. All winter they go barefoot & natural.
Today they got their little feetsies trimmed and the front shoes applied:
I wonder if this was necessary? I asked our farrier and he said "It depends". I am convinced that blood circulation through the foot and hoof quality are enhanced by being barefoot. And I want them to have good healthy feet! It's a tough decision.
I would like to be like some horse folks such as BrownEyed Cowgirls who trims her own horses! This would take a lot more knowledge, a hardware investment:
and some physical strength/endurance which I'm not sure I have at this point. But I like the feeling of my horses being freshly trimmed and if necessary shod, and ready for what may come.
Here are some freshly shod thoroughbred feets:
Nice nice very nice.
Finally I think everyone needs to see a photo of our crabby barncat, who is a volunteer to this calling and rather a fat & lazy volunteer to boot:
4 comments:
Those feets do look fine. I don't have the strength in either my back or hands to trim hooves, but I keep all the hardware on hand because my gelding is always chipping his hooves, and I can cut off the chips before they crack any higher.
I wish my gelding could go barefoot!! He is SO tender though, and doesn't toughen up. One of my sister's mares can go barefoot. She does get brittle hooves in the summer, though. Barefoot is also less costly and time consuming.
Nice looking feet and a cute cat too.
Thanks! Barefoot is my dream - maybe some day. I have looked at hoofs on some barefoot web sites and they can sure be beautiful.
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