uknhcp.myfastforum.org

lazeearabians · Joined: 21 Sep 2009 Posts: 29

Nope, purebred arab - from the yearly Sheikh Mohammed dispersal Very Happy

On one hand you could say he's come down in the world from being owned by one of the richest men on the planet but equally he's now barefoot so it's worth the drop in income bracket owner!

gossip28 · Joined: 13 Feb 2009 Posts: 40

This is my first entry too! Thought it would be an interesting thing to do to keep an eye on progress. My 15 yr old WB mare was rock crunching 18months ago, then has been off all this time due to having a foal, ringworm, moving to a derelict house on a mountainside in the Forest of Dean & other circumstances..!

We have finally started work again! We have no arena, no flat area of field & massive steep hills in all directions, so are only riding out every other day as its so much to ask a very unfit horse. We are sticking to roadwork, but do have a very long & stony drive to get in & out of which she really isn’t keen on at the moment so she minces down the narrow strip of grass – who am I kidding – weeds! to the side of the stones (Am thinking of having pea grit put down the weedy side of it.) We are building up very slowly, but so far so good on the roadwork. Her hinds are quite flat now, one more so than the other, but the fronts are looking good & nice heel first landings on all. Her lateral cartilages, digital cushions & heel bulbs were amazing before all the time off, so will be keeping an eye on them over the coming weeks for signs of positive changes…I really need to buy a camera would love before & after photos.

Roobarbs Mum · Joined: 03 Sep 2009 Posts: 34 Location: Nottinghamshire

Took Angel's shoes off mid-October and I've been walking her out in-hand for 20-30mins every other day to get her feet transitioning. She's now got a lovely collection of frilly edges where all the flare has broken off up to the nail holes and her proud frog is not starting to shed.

I measured her feet for some hoof boots when I first took the shoes off and her feet were wider than they were long (not anymore Smile

) and the right feet were bigger than her left.

On Friday my son (11yrs old) suddenly announced that he wanted to start riding again (3yrs ago he started having lessons and I got him a pony but after 6 months he sold the pony to a classmate for a £1 Shocked

, and she started riding BB until she got too big for her).

Apparently, according to him, Angel likes him and had asked him to ride her Rolling Eyes

so I tacked Angel up and he rode her for an hour on leadrein and she was really good, walked out on tarmac and some quite stony paths and seemed to be okay and coping with the surfaces.

Rode her myself on Saturday and did 1 hour in the woods and she was reluctant to trot on some of the sandy paths but enjoyed walking and was really striding out so I just let her pick her paths and I was quite surprised that, given the choice, she preferred to stay on the hard tracks which had some quite sharp small stones on them. She didn't try and go on the grass at the side but was happy just picking her way along.

Alex rode her again on Sunday for 1/2hr and managed to do a bit of trotting off-leadrein on the way home.

I'll re-measure Angel for some boots when she's had the frilly bits trimmed off but at the moment, apart from some lady-in-labour breathing when we first set out accompanied with some major eye-rolling, she seems to be coping with the going.

The stones etc don't seem to bother her when she's coming home and she's got a real march on, just when we first set out so I think most of the breathing etc is just theatrical as when I thought she WAS finding it difficult when I first started leading her out I turned for home after a few minutes and she started jogging and cantering sideways on the same going she couldn't even shuffle over Rolling Eyes

Roobarb is going great, still crunching over everything. I've been told several times by some very well-meaning people that "it's ok to just play about without shoes on but I'll have to have shoes put on if I want to do any serious work with him" and that "it will be such a shame if I don't shoe him as he won't ever reach his full potential and I'd be denying him his chance to shine" Laughing

It's good job I was riding out in front and they couldn't see me smirk as they then asked if we could walk as their shod horses couldn't cope with the stones and Roo was striding out in a lovely floaty trot Laughing

Lucy

QAR · Joined: 19 Feb 2007 Posts: 97 Location: Cheshire

Ps feet are fab at the mo. He'd been feeling the bigger stones a bit in the summer but he stomped over the stony car park when he went for his lesson on Saturday and wasn't at all bothered. Andy was having a chat with another lady there who tried BF but went back to shoes cos her horse was footy on stony tracks. She's decided it really can't be done if you want your horse to work and was asking if we were still barefoot or had shoes 'yet', like going back to shoes is inevitable Rolling Eyes

Terry · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:53 pm Post subject:

Sounds like yesterday was fun Ang, shame I missed it but had to do a family favour instead.

Winter has certainly come upon us, lovely wind and horizontal rain!! Boys all doing extremley well and only ridden 2/3 times a week now. Concentrating upon a young warmblood ready for some 4 year old dressage classes, he loves striding out up the mountains over the rocks, then Amanda has to focus on circles Laughing

Terry
_________________
Terry

Chris Thompson · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 3:43 pm Post subject:

Roobarbs Mum · Joined: 03 Sep 2009 Posts: 34 Location: Nottinghamshire

I know - totally shocking or what Laughing

Mind you, in the horses defence, they are shod appallingly. The farrier is nicknamed P...ing Longtoe by other farriers Shocked

Since deciding to try and keep Roo barefoot I've become obsessed by feet and trimming and shoes (can't always retain the info or say WHY the feet look wrong but at least I recognise it). I'm amazed by the attitude of some horses who just carry on regardless of their feet and the balance and do a really good job of performing what they are asked, it makes you wonder just how fantastic they could be given half a chance.

Lucy

Chris Thompson · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 4:58 pm Post subject:

Lucy:

You will know you are a true barefooter when you go somewhere like the New Forest and instead of taking photos of the ponies you take photos of their feet

See what I mean Laughing

You get some funny looks from everybody else

Chris

hobnob · Joined: 17 Feb 2008 Posts: 736 Location: uk

Thanks Bruce - wont be doing taht again in a hurry !!

Last time i went to New Forest I couldnt help but look at wild feet too !! It was all OH could do to stop me getting out to scrape bot eggs off legs though !!
_________________
www.petportraitsbybonnie.blogspot.com

Roobarbs Mum · Joined: 03 Sep 2009 Posts: 34 Location: Nottinghamshire

Chris - Looks like I'm just a trainee barefooter Wink

I'v been reading how well everyone else is doing with their horses and it's a really good to know it can be achieved if you are committed enough.

Lucy