Post by laura on Dec 30, 2008 20:37:15 GMT 1
...disagreeing with a vet 
well he did say summat I felt was rather wrong
he said that
"if you hack out on the roads three times a week......"
wait for it......
wait more......
"shoes are essential"
Ok
once I had spluttered my drink all over the place ........ and tried desperately to think how on earth I had damaged my darling horse without noticing this last 9 years
I decided a letter in response was in order.
Whilst I am of the devout opinion that anyone is entitled to their opinion I believe that a profession must give sound advice based on research and evidence ..........
I feel there is an abundance of evidence to support that fact that horses CAN survive without shoes without being restricted , as he indicated, to soft surfaces like "rubber or these modern mixes" .
To say that a horse will be injured and suffer bruised soles etc if hacked out on roads more than three times a week is rather simplistic and should not be "made fact" by stating this in a magazine.
This is my letter
"It is rare indeed for me to feel the need to contradict a member of the veterinary profession never mind one so esteemed as Huw Griffiths from the Liphook Equine Hospital who regularly graces the Off the Record page of this magazine. However in the January 2008 issue when he declared “if you hack on the roads three times a week, shoes are essential” I felt compelled to reply. I think my horse would disagree with him most emphatically, as indeed do I, that metal shoes are a necessity to avoid injury or excess wear when riding on surfaces other than “rubber or one of the modern mixes” .
In the 9 years my welsh cob mare has not had metal shoes on her feet we have done many, many miles on varied terrain including stony ground and the road. We have no access to any of these softer surfaces even if we desired to ride round and round an arena. Even “at rest” we hack out on average three times a week and can do 10 miles or more on the roads when the bridleways are like a bog. She is a ride and drive and when we drive we do not have the option of bridleways so do even more roadwork …. and we even include trotting. (being barefoot assists in minimising concussion here !)
If her feet do start to wear a bit or we are doing a lot of roadwork then she does have “trainers” she can wear (aka hoof boots) but these are rarely necessary. The benefits of these, apart from the shock absorption and protection, are that they are only in place when needed and not stuck to her feet 24/7 like metal shoes. My own farrier saw the benefits of them and has indeed recommended them for some other equines.
I agree that horses who do lose a shoe out hacking do often present with a bruised sole …..and that is perfectly understandable. Like us, equines do need to need time for the structures of the hoof to acclimatise …. few of us in UK could walk outside with bare feet but in may cultures shoes are a rarity so the feet harden. I do not see his portrayal as evidence that horses cannot do these activities without metal shoes. Even with a shoe soles can bruise and stones can more easily get stuck in and do damage …. when they would fall out of a bare hoof. Hoof boots are really the best hoof wear to keep out stones and prevent sole bruises ( unless pads are on under the shoes and that presents its own problems).
There are many websites that are easily accessible that perhaps Huw could visit ….. and I do not mean any impertinence in my suggestion that he may find some good evidence ( I could point the way because as always there is some poor stuff out there as well ) to perhaps let him reconsider his advice with regard to metal shoes being such a necessity. There are many horses out there doing serious work on less than “soft” surfaces and over many, many miles ……. endurance distances in some cases.
From a very happy hacker / driver .
"
anyone want to discuss ?
well he did say summat I felt was rather wrong
he said that
"if you hack out on the roads three times a week......"
wait for it......
wait more......
"shoes are essential"
Ok
once I had spluttered my drink all over the place ........ and tried desperately to think how on earth I had damaged my darling horse without noticing this last 9 years
I decided a letter in response was in order.
Whilst I am of the devout opinion that anyone is entitled to their opinion I believe that a profession must give sound advice based on research and evidence ..........
I feel there is an abundance of evidence to support that fact that horses CAN survive without shoes without being restricted , as he indicated, to soft surfaces like "rubber or these modern mixes" .
To say that a horse will be injured and suffer bruised soles etc if hacked out on roads more than three times a week is rather simplistic and should not be "made fact" by stating this in a magazine.
This is my letter
"It is rare indeed for me to feel the need to contradict a member of the veterinary profession never mind one so esteemed as Huw Griffiths from the Liphook Equine Hospital who regularly graces the Off the Record page of this magazine. However in the January 2008 issue when he declared “if you hack on the roads three times a week, shoes are essential” I felt compelled to reply. I think my horse would disagree with him most emphatically, as indeed do I, that metal shoes are a necessity to avoid injury or excess wear when riding on surfaces other than “rubber or one of the modern mixes” .
In the 9 years my welsh cob mare has not had metal shoes on her feet we have done many, many miles on varied terrain including stony ground and the road. We have no access to any of these softer surfaces even if we desired to ride round and round an arena. Even “at rest” we hack out on average three times a week and can do 10 miles or more on the roads when the bridleways are like a bog. She is a ride and drive and when we drive we do not have the option of bridleways so do even more roadwork …. and we even include trotting. (being barefoot assists in minimising concussion here !)
If her feet do start to wear a bit or we are doing a lot of roadwork then she does have “trainers” she can wear (aka hoof boots) but these are rarely necessary. The benefits of these, apart from the shock absorption and protection, are that they are only in place when needed and not stuck to her feet 24/7 like metal shoes. My own farrier saw the benefits of them and has indeed recommended them for some other equines.
I agree that horses who do lose a shoe out hacking do often present with a bruised sole …..and that is perfectly understandable. Like us, equines do need to need time for the structures of the hoof to acclimatise …. few of us in UK could walk outside with bare feet but in may cultures shoes are a rarity so the feet harden. I do not see his portrayal as evidence that horses cannot do these activities without metal shoes. Even with a shoe soles can bruise and stones can more easily get stuck in and do damage …. when they would fall out of a bare hoof. Hoof boots are really the best hoof wear to keep out stones and prevent sole bruises ( unless pads are on under the shoes and that presents its own problems).
There are many websites that are easily accessible that perhaps Huw could visit ….. and I do not mean any impertinence in my suggestion that he may find some good evidence ( I could point the way because as always there is some poor stuff out there as well ) to perhaps let him reconsider his advice with regard to metal shoes being such a necessity. There are many horses out there doing serious work on less than “soft” surfaces and over many, many miles ……. endurance distances in some cases.
From a very happy hacker / driver .
"
anyone want to discuss ?
BIG pat on the back. 
