Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:50 pm Post subject: Slipping!
Went BF end of Feb and back then we couldn't do much obviously and then the dry weather came (summer).
8 mths on and this is our first taste of wet terrain! We are up to speed so to speak and although the shod horses are slipping abit, my BF mare is I think slipping alot more!
I read loads on how well BF's have so much grip, and they do, on the roads (amazing grip), but not finding much on how well or not, they cope on wet slippery off road conditions
I have been lucky in competing hunter trials for 3 wks in a row but all on nice dry ground. (will show pics when I get last one)
The hacking alone is like an ice rink for a trot or canter. The thought of competing, even hunting is a real turn off.
Does it get better?
I've honestly never had a horse slip more unshod than that horse did shod. I evented affiliated and now I hunt. Did your fellow slip before in those conditions?
I think my horse is a lot more footsure now and very careful where he is putting his paws. The cob is like a mountain goat now, and he always stumbled in shoes.
Does the tarmac vary depending on where you are? I found that we needed the road nails and tried the gold crunchy stuff on the toes of the shoes, but he doesn't slip barefoot on the road at all - BUT a drawback of the boots I found - he does slide on the road in them. _________________ http://www.4hooves.co.uk http://4hoovesblog.spaces.live.com/default.aspx
We don't event but I find my girl slips a lot more now she is barefoot, not a big problem for me as we don't jump.
On roads she has much better grip barefoot or in her old mac boots. Off road in wet muddy conditions she wears old mac on the front and bare behind usually and does not really slip much in front. I would not like to ride in wet muddy conditions on hills totally barefoot at any speed as I feel she would slip. I would say she slips more than the shod horses I am riding with in the same conditions. She is however quite close behind so I suspect this contributes to some backend slipping.
Rose your experience is just what I am experiencing so I am not alone, thanks intresting.
Maybe the shape of feet make a difference? Jay has draft dinner plate type feet, maybe they have less purchase than small TB and possibly more concave feet?
Brucea, we have no probs on the roads at all, best grip ever, it's the off road riding we're struggling with now it's wet
Hi BabyJay,
Some horses slip and some don't although in reality most of them do. It is not whether they slip but how they cope with the slipping and how they learn to deal with it. (this applies to both barefooted and booted) My haflinger (with more draft feet) slipped badly and it took him a long time to learn to deal with it. He suceeeded with practice and learning as with all things. It was a case of taking it slowly and letting him practice. Letting him walk in hand down steep slippery grass and then letting him trot in hand on the same surface until he worked it out. Once he did he was fine but for him it took a long time. My arab was completely different, he went on a skiiing holiday over his first downhill slope but took it all on board and never had a problem again. OH says he never slips but, from riding behind him, this is untrue as he slips a lot but is so adept at dealing with it the rider never notices.
I live on Dartmoor and often ride behind feral ponies when they stray onto the roads. I was behind a group who went aroung a corner on a muddy grass verge. They slid everywhere but had no problems. It was just their normal way of going on mud. I was scared they would go over. For them it was just another bit of mud.
Your horse has just met his first mud. This is a new experience. Give him the chance to learn. It may take a while. Perhaps leave the hunting for a while. An ice rink describes how some horses find it to start with but once they learn then they are away and they don't forget.
We have lots of mud and wet grass to contend with once the weather breaks, and my horses definitely have better traction on poor going with shoes on as opposed to off. It's simple mechanics, there's half an inch of extra depth round the hoof wall to bite into the ground. My cob is one of the most footsure horses you'll find, shod or unshod, always has been, but it makes quite a difference to her.
They do seem to learn to rein themselves in after a while being barefoot though, not sure how much of that is extra 'feel' and how much simply adjustment and adapting to the new situation.
Give me an unshod foot or a boot on the road any day though
I wonder how much of this is the difference between "slipping" and "give"? Surely one of the drawbacks of shoes is that the foot can't function fully by flex and give, which helps reduce concussion further up the leg. Perhaps once you get to this level of performance the foot's function is different barefoot v. shod, and also the horse's and your own balance become more important.
As someone who has never done more than happy hacking, and managed to get a "navicular" neddy after two years of being unshod I quite accept I may be talking rubbish
Went BF end of Feb and back then we couldn't do much obviously
Don't quite follow this - what was happening in February?
Quote:
there's half an inch of extra depth round the hoof wall to bite into the ground.
Thats not necessarily true - yes there is a difference in height if hooves are clean when you set off, but halfway across a muddy field, shod hooves are filled and packed in with mud - have a look at the shod horse in front of you next time you canter through some mud - and by that stage the extra traction has gone
I've ridden lots of different barefoot horses over some pretty wet terrain and most deal with it exceptionally well, and slip no more (and no less, except on tarmac) than shod horses, so I don't believe bare hooves have inherently less traction. With the change in yours, there could be several factors.
The increase in proprioception now compared to when shod could mean your horse is receiving more neural feedback about the ground underfoot, and is not able to compensate for this properly. If so, it should improve with time and mileage, and Pat's suggestions for getting him accustomed to the ground should help.
If your horse is working harder or jumping higher now than previously, there may also be a fitness element - tired horses slip more, as do horses who aren't concentrating (youngsters goggling at everything can be a nightmare!).
Flat feet can be more problematic, but even draft cross feet should have some concavity. What does your trimmer say about the feet? Is there an improved new angle of growth? If so the hooves should improve over the next few months.
Finally, some horses learn to rely on studs/shoes for grip to compensate for a weakness elsewhere - I knew one horse with a stifle injury who slipped a lot when barefoot because of this. If so, you need advice from a bodyworker about strengthening the weak area or may need to go back to shoes.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Join! (free) 
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
