My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Winter arrived in the Northeast this week — just in time to ensnare drivers heading off for Thanksgiving. We only got a couple of inches, but I’m just not ready. I’m not ready for the snow causing the electric tape to sag. I’m not ready for the horses to have wet blankets. I’m not ready […]
Read MoreIf you have ever tried to wrestle a bent or twisted shoe off your horse, you will share my amazement at how easily they can come off when your horse over steps and catches a front shoe with a hind hoof. It’s nearly impossible to dislodge a shoe when you want to; when you don’t? […]
Read MoreCalifornia Chrome’s winning streak coincides with some innovative hybrid shoes — glue on shoes that were nailed on. Read about this innovative shoeing job on Fran Jurga’s Hoof Blog.
Read MoreJudging by the number of views on my post Horse Wreaths for the Holidays, there is a real demand for horse-themed decorations. For those of you not handy with chicken wire, styrofoam and balsa, here are some designs that you can buy or make from horse shoes. Most of us have just a few of […]
Read More2,000-year old Roman horse shoes were unearthed during an archeological dig in London. The shoes attached to a horse’s hooves using leather straps, making them “hipposandals” rather than actual shoes. According to Wikipedia, the hipposandal was the predecessor of the type of nail on shoes we see today. The hipposandal, which appears in the Celtic-Roman […]
Read MoreWhen Zelda first arrived, her feet were the size of dinner plates, for one thing. The problem was, their size was deceptively large because of flare. Let’s face it, draft crosses are prone to flare because they are often big, heavy horses. If the flare isn’t controlled during the trim/shoeing cycle it can get out […]
Read MoreWhen I was a kid it seemed like pulling horses’ shoes for the winter was pretty routine. Way back then winter was considered more of a rest period than it is today. Letting your horse spend some time barefoot (provided he can get through the transition period) usually improves overall health of the feet. It […]
Read MoreWe have now enjoyed four weeks of continuous happy feet. No soreness and no abscesses! Freedom’s last abscess was November 2nd – a frankenabscess that made him look like he had a broken leg. For the second time it blew out the heel bulb of his right front hoof making it impossible for him to […]
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