http://hoofcare.blogspot.com/2008/07/barefoot-racing-in-california-state.html

Seems like there may be some truth to this entire barefoot thing after all?

I am happy to see these changes, if for nothing more than to allow choice in hoof care in the horse industry.

Rightstep wrote:Cant wait for Mr Stovall to see this one

This latest folly from the land of fruits and nuts will be short lived when they see the competitive disadvantage in this.

By the way, I'm not sure if this is really very political but since you've chosen the political thread I'll remind you that your status as a shoer as well as your real name must be used here.
George

I worked with a elder gentleman some years back at a harness track(I wish the guy did not retire)I guess you can say that the bafefoot approach was not as popular a few years back.He mentioned to me that sometimes a Farrier goes a bit overboard on trying to make a horses Gait improve.The horse is the horse and his or her confirmation is what it is.He then took me out on the sulky showing me how the horse was moving with the shoes from a different farrier.He then took the horse in the shop took the shoes off and we went back out on the training track.Even my unskilled eye seen a major difference. He told the trainer about leaving the horse barefoot for the next race a week or so later.The horse ran great won it's next 3 races with improved time each time.I asked the gentleman was it the shoe?Was it the Farrier?He said the horse just needed to be a horse.

^

Which horse was this and what races did it win?

Rightstep wrote:I don't know what "truth" you are referring to but you need to know that in the UK and Europe where we have some of the best t/b's in the world that race horses are able to compete barefoot and truth is they don't and those that win are shod.

Why do you think that is?

Yeah Bear,
That's often done with Standardbreds for various reasons. Oftentimes they'll pull them before a race then tack them back on soon as their done. Is usually a weight issue. For obvious reasons one must be extremely careful on that stone dust or they soon won't have feet left.

As far as horse being a horse what he meant by that was he wanted to see the wear patterns to better learn to trim him by the way he comfortably wore.

Horses will often show us how to shoe them if we'd only pay attention and let them.
George

George Geist in gray, stuff deleted

Cant wait for Mr Stovall to see this one

No big deal. As you know, it's legal to run barefooted in many (most?) parimutuel jurisdictions as long as stewards' permission is obtained beforehand and the fact published in the official program as with any other equipment change.

This latest folly from the land of fruits and nuts will be short lived when they see the competitive disadvantage in this.

If, by "competitive disadvantage," you mean that barefooted horses are going to get hot and dirty every time they hook shod horses of similar class, you're absolutely right.

For verification, anyone with an interest has only to check UK trainer Simon Earle's racing record - and his stable is running on grass, the most forgiving surface in existence. Last time I checked, the darling of the BUA had started 88 times this year and won a four cheap races.

You hit the nail right on the head george.:)That explanation was just about exactly what he said to me .As for the other post I am sorry I do not remember the horses name it was years ago.I am lucky I can remember what today is LOL.
Mark Carlone

Thomas_Ride&Drive wrote:
very true, Thomas. The trainer Simon Earle has made a big noise about running his horses barefoot and here is his statistics for the last 5 years:

http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/trainer_form.sd?trainer_id=9623

Speaks for itself really.

Any serious competitive horse will never cope barefoot.

Marc Jerram Dip.WCF wrote:Marc,
That's for lack of a better word, unimpressive to say the least.

It's pretty unbelievable that a guy like that can still manage to find owners:confused:
George

OR TS Pre
RPR RPR I am a bit lost on this can someone please explain what these meen.I understand American racing forms but I think TS =Total starts the rest I am lost on
Mark Carlone

Rightstep,

This is the Political Forum, and you must sign your posts wiith your full name in this forum or the posts will be deleted. Please go back and edit your first post to include your name, or the whole thread will be removed.

Baron

hoofcare.blogspot.com/2008/07/barefoot-r...alifornia-state.html[/url]

Seems like there may be some truth to this entire barefoot thing after all?

I am happy to see these changes, if for nothing more than to allow choice in hoof care in the horse industry.

Jen States

First I have to say that Dr Isbell is an EXCELLENT lameness vet, who not only has worked at the tracks out there for years doing the pre race state inspections, but also runs a lameness specialty practice outside the track , and is one of my biggest mentors. She taught me more in a couple years working with her than than I had learned in of shoeing school and 14 years of shoeing . Nice to see her quoted.
OK...back the article.
I got from it that the biggest thing that is allowing more horses to train barefoot is the new artifical track surfaces.
Even the old surfaces on the bigger tracks inCalifornia were fairly forgiving and very well groomed. If your going to train a horse barefoot on a good safe surface, those tracks are it.
It sounds like now they are even better.
I have been saying for YEARS, even in the 80's when I was at the track that most of those horses would probably be better off training barefoot then if the needed more traction out of the gate getting a light inner rim plate for just for the race, set to accomodate the bare foot breakover point, then back to barefoot after the race.
I saw too many really good 2 year old feet come from the farms go to heck in a handbasket quickly once the got plated. The go back to really good again once they went back to the fsrm for R and R . But of course no one was willing to do it. You couldn't have gotten any rider to breeze one or do gate work without shoes.
So, IF the new track surfaces are allowing enough grip and cushion, (and it sounds like they are) then I say try it on as many horses as you can .
Of course Every horse has a different running style and some horses may need more traction that they can get barefoot but I sure as heck would at least try it if I were still there.
Or train barefoot as much as possible and shoe just for the races. .

Rightstep wrote:
Always has been a choice. "The horse industry" is a broad statement. One of the biggest problems I see in this industry is not if horses are shod or not, but over all care, scheduled hoof care on regular basis, not trimmiing to conformation, poor training and conditioning, going too fast, starting too young, poor nutrition, breeding, horses doing a job they are not built to do on and on.