This is Dylan - a Dales pony/Clydesdale cross - at The National Drive in October at the Kentucky Horse Park. Over 400 pleasure drivers from around the country and Canada come for a week of visiting and driving at leisure to enjoy a most wonderful setting with old and new friends. Dylan was such an interest to so many people - he is only 15.1 hands, but looks just like the Budweiser Clydesdales - that he was dubbed "Bud Light". His beautiful bare feet prompted lots of wonderful comments as well. I love how this picture shows them off. Of course, they wanted to know if we slipped on the roads or if he shied away from gravel, etc. And the answer was always "NO". He is extremely surefooted and always sound!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Barefoot Spotlight: Dylan
This is the first in a continuing series. Often times the response to barefoot is, "well, I ride my horses so they need to be shod." We'd like to put a spotlight on horses who are being worked soundly and barefoot on roads, gravel and trails. If these horses can do it, then surely folks who ride and compete mainly in arenas with easy footing, such as dressage or hunter/jumpers, can do it! The truth is these people are out there 'doing it', too. And discovering their horses move better and are more confident. If you would like your barefoot performance horse spotlighted here, please send me photos and a brief bio.
This is Dylan - a Dales pony/Clydesdale cross - at The National Drive in October at the Kentucky Horse Park. Over 400 pleasure drivers from around the country and Canada come for a week of visiting and driving at leisure to enjoy a most wonderful setting with old and new friends. Dylan was such an interest to so many people - he is only 15.1 hands, but looks just like the Budweiser Clydesdales - that he was dubbed "Bud Light". His beautiful bare feet prompted lots of wonderful comments as well. I love how this picture shows them off. Of course, they wanted to know if we slipped on the roads or if he shied away from gravel, etc. And the answer was always "NO". He is extremely surefooted and always sound!
This is Dylan - a Dales pony/Clydesdale cross - at The National Drive in October at the Kentucky Horse Park. Over 400 pleasure drivers from around the country and Canada come for a week of visiting and driving at leisure to enjoy a most wonderful setting with old and new friends. Dylan was such an interest to so many people - he is only 15.1 hands, but looks just like the Budweiser Clydesdales - that he was dubbed "Bud Light". His beautiful bare feet prompted lots of wonderful comments as well. I love how this picture shows them off. Of course, they wanted to know if we slipped on the roads or if he shied away from gravel, etc. And the answer was always "NO". He is extremely surefooted and always sound!
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3 comments:
Hi Sharon,
what a great story. Dylan is a very handsome boy. (and it looks like he has great feet, too!)
Do you think every horse has the potential to be sound on gravel? I got into a discussion about this with friends the other day, and we never reached a conclusion that I was satisfied with.
But how much do you think this is due to the horse's history (diet, environment, past trimmings/shoeing. etc.) as opposed to genetics/predisposition?
With proper diet, exercise, footing, environment and trimming, shouldn't a horse be able to be sound on gravel? Or are there horses who have had so much damage done to their feet (through bad shoeing, bad nutrition, environment or other factors) that they lose the potential to ever be 100% sound? One of my friend was arguing for genetics => weak feet, but I'm not sure I buy that argument.
I'd be interested in your opinion.
thanks,
Mary
In our experience, the most influencing factor leading to soundness on any terrain is hoof health--not genetics. So we're with you on this one. :-)
Certainly with the extent of the damage done after years of poor trimming, shoeing, improper nutrition, improper movement it becomes progressively harder for a horse to regain 100% hoof health in his remaining lifetime. But we still wouldn't say that that horse 'needs' shoes given what we know about the damage that long term shoeing can have on the feet. Instead we would use boots for those occasions when the horse may need to be on footing that is too rugged for the current state of soundness and continue to keep eyes on the prize of full health and soundness.
An example of that is our 31 year old school master, Fogel, who went barefoot at age 22 after a lifetime of shoes and years of chronic lameness. Today Fogel is sound, even on gravel. And still giving riding lessons at the Nexus Center. So, there is always hope that every horse can enjoy health and soundness!
Thanks Sharon!
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