barefoot horses: wearing faster than they grow?

Hi all. I wrote to Yvonne of "The Horse's Hoof" and asked if a lot of
work in a sand ring like a dressage horse would do would cause the
foot to wear faster than it can grow. I asked for info I could pass
on. Here's what she said:

Hi Cindi,

Sure, here ya go:

Actually, the idea that healthy hooves could possibly wear down by
doing a one hour ride in sand per day is really funny!

In 10 years of barefooting horses, we have yet to see a horse actually
wear enough hoof off to not need trimming every 4 weeks! We wish they
could actually maintain their trims better than that!

I ride my own dressage horse every day in a sand arena, as well as on
hard and sometimes slightly rocky surfaces only occasionally. She
needs trimming every 3 weeks, minimum. You can see her hooves here:
http://thehorseshoof.com/gallery_Belle.html Her hooves probably look
unusual to someone accustomed to seeing shod horses. These are what
healthy hooves actually look like, ones that can travel on rocks or
any terrain without any soreness at all, tough, strong, shock-
absorbing and problem-free. They are usual in the equine world, a
genuine rarity (except for the other horses in our care), but we've
learned how to actually create them. For hooves this good, you really
have to start with a weanling or yearling, but all hooves can be
improved.

The hoof problem is solved with the trimming and the lifestyle. A
healthy horse with a healthy hoof will grow enough hoof material to
withstand about 15 miles exercise per day, as this is what their
bodies expect - they
are the same creature that evolved a million years ago to move 24
hours per day. What they don't receive in exercise must be trimmed
off, and in the majority of horses, this means monthly trimming. I
know of a few endurance horses who compete in 50 and 100 mile rides
totally barefoot (Darolyn Butler's) and still need frequent trimming,
sometimes even after the ride, because the exercise stimulates more
hoof to grow. The Houston Police Dept (THH issue 29) has 29 barefoot
horses that work all day long on cement, blacktop and various hard
surfaces, and that's a lot more wear on the hoof than a dressage horse
in a ring for 45 minutes. These horses still have to be
trimmed frequently!

Don't expect typical farrier trimming to do the job, however - the
hoof must be trimmed in a physiologically-correct way to stimulate the
structures to do their job. This is commonly referred to as a mustang
style trim, or natural trimming. Also, if the hooves are unhealthy,
which most horse's hooves are, they need to be rehabilitated back to
health, which means the damage must be repaired by the body and new
hooves need to grown in - this can take time. During that period hoof
boots may be needed, as the weak hooves may be sore, even in sand. But
the alternative - just leave the hooves in their damaged state - how
can anyone consider that to be kind? The
most difficult thing is for folks to admit that their horses' hooves
are in a very unhealthy state, and that is the only reason why their
horses cannot comfortably go barefoot just by removing the shoes.

You can read lots more on my articles pages:
http://thehorseshoof.com/articles.html

Thanks,
Yvonne

.

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