Barefoot for Winter
Safe hoofkeeping in the ice and snow
by R. Matthews
Winter can be a pitfall of peril for our equine friends. Between the icy pastures and snow-trampled, muck-filled pens, it seems the elements are just waiting to mess with our horses’ feet. Adding shoes to those feet can increase the danger to hooves and legs during the winter months.
In this day and age of barefoot horses and natural trimming, it stands to reason that during the winter months, many of our horses should go ironless.
According to Shane Blakely of Blakely Shoeing in Kimberly, Idaho, “The three main reasons for shoeing a horse are: protection for the hoof, therapeutic, and traction. If none of these are needed, then most horses are fine without shoes. Smooth shoes are very slick on ice and can cause a horse to slip and pull muscles and ligaments, or go down to the ground and harm horse and rider.”
by R. Matthews
Winter can be a pitfall of peril for our equine friends. Between the icy pastures and snow-trampled, muck-filled pens, it seems the elements are just waiting to mess with our horses’ feet. Adding shoes to those feet can increase the danger to hooves and legs during the winter months.
In this day and age of barefoot horses and natural trimming, it stands to reason that during the winter months, many of our horses should go ironless.According to Shane Blakely of Blakely Shoeing in Kimberly, Idaho, “The three main reasons for shoeing a horse are: protection for the hoof, therapeutic, and traction. If none of these are needed, then most horses are fine without shoes. Smooth shoes are very slick on ice and can cause a horse to slip and pull muscles and ligaments, or go down to the ground and harm horse and rider.”
Labels: barefoot, Feature Stories, hoof care, October 2009, r matthews
posted by NWHS at
6:30 AM
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