Grass is growing like mad here in wiltshire, but so far so good (touchwood).
Horses still out 24/7 and Boy proved his rock crunchingness out on a fun ride this morning. Unfortunately the little s*** also proved its possible to rear vertical then pivot 180 degrees while still in the rear. Sigh. Luckillt the floor wasn't TOO hard as I tumbled off the side.
Tyler is hacking a few days a week now and also rock crunching.
I think soon they will be stabled in the and out at night, as soon as I see any signs of unhappiness from either of them. Until that time though tgey will remain abandoned out in the field!
X
Just had to share this, not funny really a friend of mine who I regularly partner whilst competing at 80km plus came to ride this weekend, she has always ridden along side me on Abu so today she had a ride on him and we took Saqr and Medraar out as well. You don't realise just how fit your horses are when you are in a programme with them, my friend is used to speeds and varying terrain but the sheer look of horror on her face when we hit tracks and rocky drops and Abu just mountain goated down them.
She said an experience she wasn't keen to repeat but just couldn't believe she was riding a barefoot horse, no slipping, loads of traction and incredible grip down hill, he would make a good demo model for barefoot!!
With the antipathy towards boots from some quarters, I hardly dare post this BUT Rooster was a star yesterday at the Croal Irwell Valley EGB ride in Greater Manchester, no mountains, but through suburban country parks, multi user paths, busyish roads, residential areas, industrial estates, over, under and alongside motorways, by rivers and canals, over a variety of different types of bridges including a very noisy metal one twice, past childrens' playgrounds, we even used a 'Pegasus' crossing. My 'country' horse was almost defeated by a small drop down into a stream, not helped by 5 other horses refusing to cross it also Many of the tracks were hard and stony so very glad I chose to boot him. We kept up a good steady pace and were rewarded with a grade one at the end of the 32kms. The Renegades he wore on his fronts look hardly worn, but the toes are gone on the Gloves he wore on his hinds, but I think they will be good for another 20 mile ride
At £44 a boot it is dissapointing that the gloves are so short lived. We've done hundreds of miles in our Bares with the driving pony so I guess the gloves must be thinner, or made of softer material.
I am using the Gloves on all 4 on one of my horses so promise you no antipathy here about booting.... at ALL.
I think that the consensus would be that if you can produce a perfectly performing feet on our horses then we wouldn't need boots... but the most important thing is to keep riding, keep exercising them and keep them comfortable with boots if needed.
I'm a CP with the UKNHCP and so have a wealth of information, help and experience at my fingertips but despite all this... Pie still defy's my ability to "make" him produce a perfectly performing set of feet... norty boy!!!! I de-shod him just over 2 years ago and his feet are not that materially different from the day I first de-shod.... My mare who's hidous feet when she was in shoes got me started on the barefoot path.... are now perfect... go figure!! I have spent a fortune on analysiing blood, hair samples (over a 7 month period every 5 weeks!!!)... he is fed a great diet... I kept him off grass for long periods of time and nothing particularly has improved his feet for him to cope on long stoney rides without boots... I'm still hoping and trying and learning and listening to others and to other horses so our journey is still on-going... but until he is "perfect" on his feet I too will be riding in boots. But it is definitely not out of an easier life or lack of effort on my part that he needs boots still.
BTW... I did about 80 miles over 5 rides last week and my gloves are still great, it may be the trotting on tarmac which is particularly bad for the toe of the gloves?, although I do think the breakover is better than on the others, do you?
Hi Jo
Nice to hear from another boot user I chose the Gloves for Rooster's hinds because they are less bulky than any of the other boots and yes because of the lack of bulk the breakover is better. Of course the pay off for this is that they wear through quicker on Rooster because of his action. Without boots on a long ride with lots of roadwork Rooster will square off his toes, obviously with boots he will wear out the toes of the boots. When I bought him (nearly 4 years ago) he was shod, his hinds were bull nosed and the hoof convex where the farrier must have tried to address this problem. The hoof is a much better shape nowadays but he still wears his hinds down much quicker than his fronts. I put it down to his conformation and way of going and is why we need hind boots. Any way, because of his tendancy to drag his toes the Gloves stay put better than the Renegades. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Terry, does Medraar still square off his hinds?
Still amazingly sound on all surfaces - feet growing like crazy. Having to re-roll weekly at the moment. Doing more work now.
On track with hay soaked.
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a friend of mine who I regularly partner whilst competing at 80km plus came to ride this weekend, she has always ridden along side me on Abu so today she had a ride on him and we took Saqr and Medraar out as well. You don't realise just how fit your horses are when you are in a programme with them, my friend is used to speeds and varying terrain but the sheer look of horror on her face when we hit tracks and rocky drops and Abu just mountain goated down them.
BUT Rooster was a star yesterday at the Croal Irwell Valley EGB ride in Greater Manchester, no mountains, but through suburban country parks, multi user paths, busyish roads, residential areas, industrial estates, over, under and alongside motorways, by rivers and canals, over a variety of different types of bridges including a very noisy metal one twice, past childrens' playgrounds, we even used a 'Pegasus' crossing. My 'country' horse was almost defeated by a small drop down into a stream, not helped by 5 other horses refusing to cross it also 
The Renegades he wore on his fronts look hardly worn, but the toes are gone on the Gloves he wore on his hinds, but I think they will be good for another 20 mile ride