|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Sept 9, 2016 15:03:34 GMT 1
Goodness, things are coming thick and fast at the moment! This link to the Rockley Farm Facebook post today is very interesting because a couple of the comments following it highlight success stories from people who have taken their own horses barefoot. As with Nic, one of those owners is expressing amazement at the intelligence and beauty of the hoof when it is allowed to grow and perform as intended:- www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1185739414821073&id=129496323778726Again, I hope I've got the link right. Dawn Perkins
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Sept 25, 2016 18:06:16 GMT 1
One of the Rockley Farm ex rehabs is Buddy. Fortunately for Buddy, his vet is Chris Tuffnell. Although he initially recommended pts because of lameness, he was amazingly open-minded and supported Buddy's undergoing barefoot rehabilitation at Rockley. Buddy's owner recently posted a reference to a recent conversation she had with the wonderful Chris Tuffnell:- How many horses have been put down over the years because vets and owners will not consider barefoot rehabilitation? Dawn Perkins
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Sept 30, 2016 15:32:21 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Oct 10, 2016 10:47:06 GMT 1
A feathery cob has arrived at Rockley Farm. It will be interesting to follow his progress:- rockleyfarm.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/feathery-ted.htmlI was reminded of Domino, one of the many horses and ponies who have been successfully rehabbed:- rockleyfarm.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/horses-to-confound-all-stereotypes.htmlHaving researched the subject of barefoot for some time now, I only post links to what I believe to be reliable sources. This page of testimonials to Steve Leigh, a barefoot practitioner who has always supported Nic Barker and the work she does, shows the amazing variety of horses and ponies who have been successfully taken barefoot. The evidence of the benefits of barefoot are beginning to be appreciated much more readily now that there is so much on-line information from around the world:- www.natureswaynhc.co.uk/testimonials/index.phpDawn Perkins
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Oct 17, 2016 13:18:03 GMT 1
Just look at what hardworking bare hooves can do. Some of the Houston mounted patrol (who all work barefoot for long shifts on the city streets) chased a felon on urban streets and eventually caught him! It is considered dangerous to canter or gallop shod horses on hard surfaces because of the risks of slipping, sparking and damage to the joints. However, barefoot hooves - provided they are healthy - grip road surfaces better (especially the SMA surfaces which cause shod horses such difficulty) and, because their hooves are allowed to spread and take the load efficiently, they avoid the terrible concussive damage that shoes can cause, even at trot. www.facebook.com/SmashTheHoustonMountedPatrolHorse/photos/pcb.973099666135055/973099036135118/?type=3&theater(I hope I've pasted the link to the right photo.) If you look at the testimonials on the Nature's Way page which I posted above and, in particular, the one which contains a link to footage, you can see just how fast (admittedly out of control) a horse with healthy bare hooves can gallop with a rider on board on a made-up surface. Nic Barker has also shown footage of her barefoot horses cantering on roads whilst out hunting without problems occasioned to their hooves or their joints. These pieces of footage show excerpts of various ex-rehab horses cantering on roads and on stony tracks without incident:- rockleyfarm.blogspot.co.uk/2016_09_01_archive.htmlMuch of what we have been taught about cantering on roads, etc, (apart from the obvious and sensible precautions regarding traffic) has arisen out of the fact that, for many years, horses have been routinely shod. Now, however, with footage available from all around the world showing hardworking, healthy barefoot hooves managing perfectly well over all terrain and at all speeds, maybe it is time to consider exactly why it is considered normal to shoe and eccentric not to shoe. Ultimately, the deciding factors are diet and exercise and maybe that is where more research and study should be targeted. Dawn Perkins
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Oct 17, 2016 18:57:57 GMT 1
Sorry, I realised I had put the wrong link to the Rockley Farm videos showing cantering on hard surfaces. These are the ones I meant to paste the link to:- vimeo.com/74675241vimeo.com/106403422I have pasted links to them before but they are relevant to this particular topic. Dawn Perkins
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Oct 22, 2016 10:47:39 GMT 1
Time and time again, it comes up that barefoot horses become lame or footsore immediately after a trim, whether it is done by a registered farrier or a barefoot practitioner. It seems that humans just cannot resist meddling and trying to force a speedy solution to a problem. A trim for a barefoot horse is completely different to a "pasture" trim or a trim preparatory to fitting a shoe. A barefoot horse should never be trimmed without the trimmer/farrier watching to see how the horse moves and discussing diet and exercise regimes with the owner first. The trim should be as minimal as possible, should take into account and limb abnormalities, previous injuries, etc, before deciding exactly how to approach each individual hoof. The farrier/trimmer should then watch the horse moving again after the trim to check that all is well and that the horse is moving as well as or better than before. It should never be worse afterwards. Steve Leigh's testimonials (pasted above) show the huge amount of information he requests and the observation he undertakes before any work is done. This is also why Nic Barker believes that creating the right conditions for a barefoot horse to be able to self-trim is the best option of all:- rockleyfarm.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/3-reasons-to-trim-your-horse-are-you.htmlDawn Perkins
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Nov 4, 2016 13:14:06 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Nov 6, 2016 19:37:37 GMT 1
I find it absolutely extraordinary that there are those who are so determined to believe that horses cannot work barefoot on urban road surfaces that they are branding the amazing Officer Greg Sokoloski of the Houston Mounted Patrol a liar. How saddening. It is worth reading the comments following his post:- Dawn Perkins
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Nov 8, 2016 19:33:52 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Nov 9, 2016 9:36:48 GMT 1
Unfortunately, it looks as though that video has gone - possibly because it was a video made by Houston Press. These are just a few posts, however, which show the amount of love and care these police horses receive and how healthy they look. The money saved on farrier and vet fees has helped to provide the incredible facilities they enjoy, including an airy training barn where they can also enjoy a bit of play. Those facilities, in turn, have enabled planned public access, which helps to bring the community together and raises still more funds for the horses' facilities:- Dawn Perkins
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Nov 19, 2016 15:04:25 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Nov 29, 2016 13:37:13 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Nov 30, 2016 19:11:08 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by Dawn Perkins on Dec 2, 2016 10:16:47 GMT 1
|
|