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Question:
I would like to know how you define horsemanship?
Answer -
Part I: For me, horsemanship is being knowledgeable of and
responsible for every aspect of the horse. There are many areas we
need to understand and one of the most important is hoof care. Next
time I’ll discuss some other important areas.
There is a good
deal of discussion now whether horses should be shod or go
barefoot. I’m sticking my neck out here but here goes; this is an
area where we should use common sense, taking into consideration the
health of the feet and the amount and type of activity of the
horse. We also need to consider the type of feed and the
supplements the horse is getting. When a barefoot horse comes in
for training and the feet are healthy with good conformation, I
don’t recommend having the horse shod. Some horses have very hard
feet with good conformation and will never need to be shod. If a
horse with iron feet is working a lot on terrain that is rocky or
abrasive, shoes may or may not be needed. We usually ride over many
types of terrain and not just rocks. So, here again, we use common
sense. The decision is always based on the health of the foot.
Some people say
shoeing is not natural. Putting a rider on a horse’s back is not
natural either. Plus, a rider adds more weight and that changes the
dynamic of hoof care. Some people are adamant that all horses can
go barefoot but that is just not true. Most horses can go barefoot
under the right conditions, such as not being worked and being a
pasture pet. Proponents - some not all - of going barefoot have the
philosophy that all horses can go barefoot if given time to adjust.
When a horse is going to go barefoot, time does need to be allowed
for the feet to harden and adjust. If it takes a year to get a
horse sound when barefoot, then I don’t think it is fair to the
horse to leave it barefoot. There are special boots that can be
placed on the feet to get them used to being unshod. These are
similar to the Easy Boot that can be used out on the trail when a
shoe is lost. These may help but the horse is still walking on a
hard surface inside the boot. The more a horse is ridden by a rider
who is paying attention, the more the rider is going to know if
shoes are needed. The reality is that not every horse can always go
barefoot.
You also hear
that it is good to pull the shoes in winter and there is some merit
to this. Mud often sucks the shoes off anyway and we usually ride
less in the winter. It is fine to pull the shoes if the horse has
healthy feet and can handle it.
For a horse
with a narrow heel, going barefoot gives the foot a chance to spread
and the heel to open up. Also, going barefoot increases the flow of
blood and supports a healthy foot. The feet are stimulated because
there is more contact with the frog and the bottom of the sole.
I like big
shoes on a horse because a large shoe allows the hooves to expand.
If a horse is shod with a shoe that is too small the hoof cannot
expand and will be constricted. The bottom of the hoof wall will
contract; it can’t expand because there is no place for it to go.
As it contracts, the farrier puts on another smaller shoe and this
can cause a horse to go lame. The bottom of the shoe should not be
smaller than the coronary band. Farriers often keep the shoes as
small as possible so that the horse does not lose a shoe. It is
true that a horse can over reach with the back foot and pull the
front shoe off. I still want the biggest shoe that fits the horse
to have plenty of room in the hoof wall for the nail. From my
perspective, it is a good tradeoff.
A lot of the
bad rap about shoeing is caused by improper shoeing. Much lameness
is caused by poor trimming and shoeing. A two-day class is not
sufficient to gain the knowledge required to shoe properly. I have
a lot of different horses come in for training. About 90 percent of
the time the horses are not shod properly because they are not
balanced (the horse’s feet are not hitting the ground evenly) or the
shoes are too small. I can understand why there is so much
discussion about going barefoot, but a horse’s natural conformation
needs to be able to handle it.
I don’t believe
that all horses should be shod. I do believe that all horses should
be shod if they don’t have healthy feet. If they can’t stand up to
a training program or go on a long trail ride without getting sore
feet, they need shoes.
Horsemanship is
a complete package. It is doing what works for the horse. It is
not saying that barefoot is the only way or that shoeing is the only
way. It is being flexible and reasonable to meet the individual
needs of the horse. It is paying attention and recognizing your
horse’s needs, protecting your horse with good stalls and fences,
knowing about nutrition and health care — a complete package of
knowledge and action.
Charles Wilhelm
It’s Never Ever the Horse’s Fault
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