Wife and I stopped by the "Power of the Past" festival for a bit last night. Lots of old engines, tractors and neat stuff like that but I go mostly for the food. LOL

I picked up the brochure of a local natural "trimmer" off the bulletin board and read it.

I don't care what kind of business a person starts or what kind of advertising they want to do but the blatant lies are what caught my eye.

Some of the lies told in her brochure...
1, Steel shoes increase concussion.
2, Steel shoes prevent the hoof from expanding and contracting.
3, Any horse can go barefoot and barefoot horses are outperforming competition (I take that to mean shod competition?)
4, Shoes reduce blood flow and it's comparable to your leg falling asleep.

There are numerous other misleading statements that I wouldn't necessarily refer to as lies. She says that the sole is thinned to put shoes on. Wouldn't that depend on who is doing the shoeing? She illudes to treating founder and navicular...well ok, I have barefoot foundered and "navicular" horses on my book too. And of course, my favorite, she says she doesn't cut into live sole. LOL well I don't either because I hate having to clean all that blood off my tools.

Well I thought it made interesting reading so I thought I'd share.

Do you have anything the equivalent of our Advertising Standards Authority? Or Trade Descriptions Regulations?

If so you could report the perpitrator

Really amazing what people will say to get some business. I doubt if there was any creditable references included on the flyer of where she obtained her information? Would be interesting to make an appointment with her and run her through the mill to see what she really knows.

beslagsmed wrote:
She lists a bunch of URLs for barefoot web sites. Those are, no doubt, where she learned that nonsensical BS. I guess, technically, she isn't lying because she probably believes what she is saying.

We know what she knows...she knows what is on those web sites. I don't think I would let her touch my horse just to prove the point.

Thomas_Ride&Drive wrote:
I don't know. I know there are some legal restrictions on advertising but I don't know who enforces them. It might be worth looking into.

1- Steel shoes in comparison to other types of shoes on the market are more concussive.
2- Steel shoes and other shoe types can prevent expansion and cause contraction if applied improperly
3- Any horse can go barefoot- for how long is a different matter
4-Shoes can reduce blood flow if applied improperly- the leg asleep analogy is the first real "fib"

kinda like buying a used car- buyer beware:D

Would your Professional Farriers Association help to persue this?

I don't know if you saw Rick B's posting re Stoneleigh Shoeing Competion or clicked round that web site? But here the Farriers' Associations are most helpful and active when it comes to providing professional support and witness statements etc to ensure such folks are prosecuted.

Look down the left side news articles here:

http://www.nafbae.org/default.asp

I have a brochure that a barn owner gave me that was tacked up to the bullitin board in her barn. I shoe a lot of the horses at this barn and this trimmer has been trimming a couple of horses at this barn before I started working there. A lot of things said in the brochure make sense, but she is one of those trimmers who believe shoes are evil.

Natural Hoof Care Guide

Titled "Heavenly Hooves"

Natural bare hoof trimming is not your basic pasture trim.

Reading the sole of the hoof and respecting correct balance and natural function fo the hoof capsule with proper trimming will help your horse develop a healthy functioning hoof that will profoundly effect his/her entire body and capabilities. A horse that can feel it's feet and the terrain is safer, has better circulation, and fewer injuries. The hooves are the foundation for their entire body.

Educate yourself about proper hoof function (yes..the whole hoof is supposed to flex!) and you will be well on your way to giveing him the hooves he was meant to have.

Ever wonder why your horse's hoof cracks?

He's not lame, but just not right?

Are you always dealing with lost shoes and poor hoof quality?

Do you have difficulty picking one hoof and not the other? Your horse is trying to tell you something. LISTEN!

Give back to your horse healthy functioning hooves as they were meant to be.

No more lost shoes and high hoof care expenses. Increase the performance, comfort, and health of your horse and pony.

Specializeing in work and rehab with on and off the track thoroughbreds/Standardbreds.
Over 25 years involvement with the horse industry, as an owner, trainer, barn manager and competitor in english, western, trail, dressage and eventing.

100% horse lover, non-invasive, quite handleing procedures based on respect and trust.

Have you ever seen a horse born with shoes on? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...............

---

I have never seen a person born with shoes on either.

Yes we know horses were born with no shoes, they were also born with no riders, saddles on, no wagon or carts to pull, no paved roads to travel on while pulling or bearing weight, they were not told where to go, when to go or how to go until man stepped in.

Show me a horse who can pull a cart all day in town with no shoes (their barefoot boots don't count).

When we as man stepped into the picture the rules changed. Why does she think shoes were first invented - just for fun? No it was because horses were expected to do a job and couldn't because its feet were sore.

I'm a firm believer if a horse can go with out shoes - great, but if not we got to help them out or else just stop using horses.

Jaye Perry wrote:
That's not what she said. She said that steel shoes increase concussion. NO material placed between the hoof and ground can increase concussion. Steel may filter less shock/vibration than other materials but it doesn't increase it. It acts as a filter to vibration and, as such, there are losses through that filter. It's all physics 101, conservation of energy and all that stuff.
That much is clear.

beslagsmed wrote:
Oh, I forgot the boots! She offers to sell them and custome fit and pad them with the offer to buy them back when you no longer need them at used prices.

Maybe this is something that we should offer. We sell keg shoes for the $4 or per pair that they cost us with a reasonable markup. We still charge $150+ for custom fitting and padding and offer to buy them back at used value (something below what they're worth as s****) when the horse no longer needs them. LOL and we could market shoes as a way for owners to rid themselves of those ****** boots!

Guess weight plays no factor in concussive force- dissapation of concussive force is a little different- just playin'

If you guys want to fight ignorance, arrogance and plain ******ity on both horse owners and trimmers who try to make an easy buck, you'll have a hell of a job...........


Ronald Aalders

You can lead a horse owner to logic, but you can't make them think.

"You can lead a horse owner to logic, but you can't make them think."

Man is that ever spot on! I get tired of silly old gals coming up with artsy far tsy farrier theories that don't hold water and are meant to give them an intellectual status beyond that of a nat. :cool:
The other day a half drunked up sis started with "I don't want you to take offense, but...", and went on about the change in weather from dry to wet, causing the extra soul to fall out after she ran him up and down a gravel lane way several times. Duh, your point is that the toe callous which let go under changing conditions should have been removed in the first place seeing as how it fell out anyways? She then went on to suggest that leaving the toe callous in was causing the horn capsule to flare in the first place. No mention of P3 support, having a history of tenderness necessitating shoeing, as well as a laminitic condition that flares up off and on.
This person then states that she doesn't know enough to use farrier tools without cutting her wrists with the knife, or taking too much off with the nippers, says she is keeping the hooves in balance and shape by rasping a little every week. Oh and she almost had a kniption when the frog layered off.
Yes Ron we do have quite a job ahead of us if we let ourselves be baited by the inane. Thank God for normal clients!
John