History May Be Written By the Winners...
It's a fact that there are more farriers shoeing horses than there are barefoot trimmers. And it's a fact that a shod horse can be ridden over rough terrain without flinching (until they loose that shoe ;-) But the whole idea of a hoof that has a purpose of pumping blood, shock absorption, and growing to both excrete protein and keep a foot under the horse, is severely limited when the hoof is shod.
Another thing is a healthy barefoot horse that is well adapted to it's environment requries very little expense if the owner is capable of maintaining the trim. Maybe the cost of some boots for that tough ride. But the main reason farriers are at odds with barefoot trimmers has to do with money. And there's a lot more money in shoeing than trimming.
Another thing is a healthy barefoot horse that is well adapted to it's environment requries very little expense if the owner is capable of maintaining the trim. Maybe the cost of some boots for that tough ride. But the main reason farriers are at odds with barefoot trimmers has to do with money. And there's a lot more money in shoeing than trimming.
Fran Jurga
Fran Jurga started publishing horse health and lameness problems focused on
the equine foot. She is founder, editor and publisher ofHoofcare & Lameness: The Journal of
Equine Foot Science and manages its many print, media, and
continuing education projects related to the study of the horse's foot and
equine lameness. Two of Fran's specialty projects are The
Jurga Report, an award-winning blog on horse health hosted by The Equine
Network's Equisearch.com for EQUUS Magazine, (http://www.thejurgareport.com) and her own Fran
Jurga's Hoof Blog, at http://www.hoofblog.com.
Fran is the author of the award-winning reference book Understanding the Equine Foot.
She wrote this article The Natural Hoof; a Sign of the Times. in 2001. I highly recommend reading it for a view on how the barefoot movement started and why it has had problems taking off.
Her web site for hoofcare is Hoofcare and Lameness
the equine foot. She is founder, editor and publisher ofHoofcare & Lameness: The Journal of
Equine Foot Science and manages its many print, media, and
continuing education projects related to the study of the horse's foot and
equine lameness. Two of Fran's specialty projects are The
Jurga Report, an award-winning blog on horse health hosted by The Equine
Network's Equisearch.com for EQUUS Magazine, (http://www.thejurgareport.com) and her own Fran
Jurga's Hoof Blog, at http://www.hoofblog.com.
Fran is the author of the award-winning reference book Understanding the Equine Foot.
She wrote this article The Natural Hoof; a Sign of the Times. in 2001. I highly recommend reading it for a view on how the barefoot movement started and why it has had problems taking off.
Her web site for hoofcare is Hoofcare and Lameness
The Relationship between Vet and Farrier
Most farriers shoe horses for a living. There are very few that accept that a barefoot horse is a healthy alternative to shoeing because it seriously affects their income. But just like cigarette manufacturers are not happy about the detrimental effects of tobacco, the overwhelming evidence that smoking is unhealthy is undisputed.
For a very long time, anything from the coronet down has been the jurisdiction of the farrier, not the vet. And since the owner sees the farrier every 6 to 8 weeks and only sees the veterinarian infrequently, the farrier has far more to say about the horse's foot health than the medically trained vet. And the vet knows that if he says anything bad about the farrier, he may lose business. So in comes the "hoof care specialist" who says they are both wrong! Vets who actually learn about what basic requirements are necessary for healthy tissues seem to forget it when it comes to the hoof. Horse shoeing has been around for so long and it's long-term effects on the horse's health are a constant source of income for vets. If you find a vet that understands the hoof's health, hang on to them!
For a very long time, anything from the coronet down has been the jurisdiction of the farrier, not the vet. And since the owner sees the farrier every 6 to 8 weeks and only sees the veterinarian infrequently, the farrier has far more to say about the horse's foot health than the medically trained vet. And the vet knows that if he says anything bad about the farrier, he may lose business. So in comes the "hoof care specialist" who says they are both wrong! Vets who actually learn about what basic requirements are necessary for healthy tissues seem to forget it when it comes to the hoof. Horse shoeing has been around for so long and it's long-term effects on the horse's health are a constant source of income for vets. If you find a vet that understands the hoof's health, hang on to them!
