Rocky Mountain Horse hoof question
jmc
former owner keeps telling me that you have to leave a Rocky's feet
rather long. She says, "If you trim them like a Quarter Horse, you'll
trim the gait right out of them!"
Is this true? Will I have to search around for a special gaited horse
farrier, to ensure Yankee keeps his gait? I'm sort of doubtful of this
but I'm new to gaiteds and thus willing to be educated.
jmc
Bill Kambic
The simple answer is "no."
The more complex answer is that if you leave the toe long on a
laterally gaited horse longer you will make the gait smoother and
flashier. But there is a cost to the horse in increased stress on the
flexor tendons, shoulders, and hips.
A well bred, laterally gaited horse will perform a gait that is
determined by it's conformation and natural timing. The sequence of
foot falls will not change; but the timing can. Two horses of
identical conformation can have (but not necessarily will have) a
difference in way of going. This is why disciplines that require very
specific and closely defined ways of going don't use the soft gaited
horse very much.
Altering the feet can alter the way of going. So can the type of
shoe, the position of the saddle, the position of the rider, the bit
type, the rein tension (or lack of it), and maybe the phase of the
Moon. (OK, on that last one I got a bit carried away. :-) )
So the answer is "no," but with a lot of footnotes.
John Hasler
> I've a question for the hoof and gaited horse experts here.
I'm not such an expert, but I'll have my say anyhow: this is Usenet.
> Yankee's former owner keeps telling me that you have to leave a
> Rocky's feet rather long. She says, "If you trim them like a Quarter
> Horse, you'll trim the gait right out of them!"
If the gait is natural it's in the horse, not the feet. Trim him
correctly. If he still gaits, great. If he stops gaiting he was
probably doing so to minimize discomfort.
--
John Hasler Boarding, Lessons, Training
jo...@dancinghorsehill.com Hay, Jumps, Cavallox
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI USA
JC Dill
> On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:36:13 -0400, jmc
> <NOnewsgr...@NOjodiBODY.HOMEus> wrote:
>
>> I've a question for the hoof and gaited horse experts here. Yankee's
>> former owner keeps telling me that you have to leave a Rocky's feet
>> rather long. She says, "If you trim them like a Quarter Horse, you'll
>> trim the gait right out of them!"
>>
>> Is this true? Will I have to search around for a special gaited horse
>> farrier, to ensure Yankee keeps his gait? I'm sort of doubtful of this
>> but I'm new to gaiteds and thus willing to be educated.
>
> The simple answer is "no."
Yeahbut... In my years as a farrier I never saw a gaited horse whose
natural hoof shape was the same as a non-gaited horse's natural hoof
shape. In my experience, gaited horses *tend* to have hoofs that are
longer and narrower than non-gaited horses, and this difference was more
pronounced in the front hoofs. This was definitely the case for the
TWHs and Pasos (the two gaited breeds I've worked on personally) in my
area. A typical QH has a very round hoof. IME, if you try to trim a
gaited horse so that the hoof "looks" like a QH hoof you will be
trimming it wrong, for that horse.
The most important thing is to trim the hoof so it lands evenly (not toe
first, not heel first, not on one side first), and so that the horse's
weight being carried in that leg is evenly balanced on both sides of the
hoof when the horse is standing square. (Horses do a fair bit of
"standing". In many cases they do more "standing" than they do moving,
it's just as important that the hoof is correct for standing as it is
that it be correct for moving.) A good farrier will automatically do
this for all horses, gaited and otherwise.
That said, I agree with Bill's analysis of why a gaited horse might stop
gaiting if the farrier work is incorrect.
jc
Bill Kambic
wrote:
>Bill Kambic wrote:
>> On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:36:13 -0400, jmc
>> <NOnewsgr...@NOjodiBODY.HOMEus> wrote:
>>
>>> I've a question for the hoof and gaited horse experts here. Yankee's
>>> former owner keeps telling me that you have to leave a Rocky's feet
>>> rather long. She says, "If you trim them like a Quarter Horse, you'll
>>> trim the gait right out of them!"
>>>
>>> Is this true? Will I have to search around for a special gaited horse
>>> farrier, to ensure Yankee keeps his gait? I'm sort of doubtful of this
>>> but I'm new to gaiteds and thus willing to be educated.
>>
>> The simple answer is "no."
>
>Yeahbut... In my years as a farrier I never saw a gaited horse whose
>natural hoof shape was the same as a non-gaited horse's natural hoof
>shape. In my experience, gaited horses *tend* to have hoofs that are
>longer and narrower than non-gaited horses, and this difference was more
>pronounced in the front hoofs. This was definitely the case for the
>TWHs and Pasos (the two gaited breeds I've worked on personally) in my
>area. A typical QH has a very round hoof. IME, if you try to trim a
>gaited horse so that the hoof "looks" like a QH hoof you will be
>trimming it wrong, for that horse.
You might be correct. This would be yet another "footnote"!!! :-)
>The most important thing is to trim the hoof so it lands evenly (not toe
>first, not heel first, not on one side first), and so that the horse's
>weight being carried in that leg is evenly balanced on both sides of the
>hoof when the horse is standing square. (Horses do a fair bit of
>"standing". In many cases they do more "standing" than they do moving,
>it's just as important that the hoof is correct for standing as it is
>that it be correct for moving.) A good farrier will automatically do
>this for all horses, gaited and otherwise.
Stovall's preaching to trim to anatomical correctness for the horse is
still a valid approach. It sounds like that's what you do and that's
a Good Thing, even if it means that a Paso Fino foot doesn't look like
a TB foot. Two different horse types, two different functions can
easily mean two different hoof shapes..
Ineed if you trim up a Walker like you might trim a QH (and get into
the sensitive tissue) you can get a sored horse. This is done
intentionally in some circles. It's called "pressure shoeing."
There are bunch of folks in the trotting and gaiting world that fall
into the error of "one size fits all" and then propose THEIR one size
as the answer. This is so difficult to deal with because it's a half
truth. Each type foot is made up of the same materials. Each foot
does the same, basic job. But there can easily some differences in
how they are put together. The answer is to trim to the conformation
of that horse, but that's a concept not easily handled by some, it
seems. :-(
>That said, I agree with Bill's analysis of why a gaited horse might stop
>gaiting if the farrier work is incorrect.
Very many gaited breeds are defined by one, particular way of going.
Yet "soft gait" exists on a contiuum and any given gaited horse can be
moved some distance on that continuum by a variety of means. Farriery
is but one (but probably the most common and the most dangerous for
the horse; saddle placement would likely be second most popular AND
dangerous).
The horse's foot reflects the horse but also helps influence that
"reflection." A smart owner with a good farrier figures out what
works for the horse within its performance requirements. Those who
demand performance at any price make the horse horse pay that price.
Susan
>
> Yeahbut... In my years as a farrier I never saw a gaited horse whose
> natural hoof shape was the same as a non-gaited horse's natural hoof
> shape. In my experience, gaited horses *tend* to have hoofs that are
> longer and narrower than non-gaited horses, and this difference was more
> pronounced in the front hoofs. This was definitely the case for the
> TWHs and Pasos (the two gaited breeds I've worked on personally) in my
> area. A typical QH has a very round hoof. IME, if you try to trim a
> gaited horse so that the hoof "looks" like a QH hoof you will be
> trimming it wrong, for that horse.
>
I have only known one gaited horse - a big TWH at the barn where I
board. I lust after her feet for my boys :) : big, round, barefoot.
Whereas my QH boys grow'em narrow and long-toed. Sigh.
Susan
jmc
Well said, and thank you. This is essentially what I hoped to hear -
that it's just that their hoof isn't the same shape as a QH (for
instance) and - as any farrier worth his/her salt would do I think -
should be trimmed for his particular foot shape, not to some fictitious
ideal.
I deliberately picked vids of the horses gaiting, so I know they *do*.
This guy's feet, near as I can tell, look pretty "normal":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvzyCbVVB4E&feature=related
These fronts look long, I think (the second is in an Aussie saddle...
interesting):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oord3viriyc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rQFr3NKfM4&feature=related
This whole "I got a new horse in a breed I'm completely ignorant about
with a gear I'm even *more* ignorant about" adventure is interesting -
and fun.
At least, since he's a baby, I have lots of time to learn :)
jmc
Bill Kambic
<NOnewsgr...@NOjodiBODY.HOMEus> wrote:
>> The horse's foot reflects the horse but also helps influence that
>> "reflection." A smart owner with a good farrier figures out what
>> works for the horse within its performance requirements. Those who
>> demand performance at any price make the horse horse pay that price.
>
>Well said, and thank you. This is essentially what I hoped to hear -
>that it's just that their hoof isn't the same shape as a QH (for
>instance) and - as any farrier worth his/her salt would do I think -
>should be trimmed for his particular foot shape, not to some fictitious
>ideal.
>
>I deliberately picked vids of the horses gaiting, so I know they *do*.
>
>This guy's feet, near as I can tell, look pretty "normal":
>
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvzyCbVVB4E&feature=related
Concur.
>These fronts look long, I think (the second is in an Aussie saddle...
>interesting):
>
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oord3viriyc&feature=related
Might be long, but it's hard to tell.
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rQFr3NKfM4&feature=related
Note the riding position (butt on the cantle, feet on the dashboard).
Not a problem if you're jousting our about to tie into a 1700 pound
ladino. On a laterally gaited horse, though, she's got the horse
moving hollow by putting serious pressure on the back.
For short periods a healthy horse can handle this, particularly if the
rider is also riding other gaits to balance out the stress.
>This whole "I got a new horse in a breed I'm completely ignorant about
>with a gear I'm even *more* ignorant about" adventure is interesting -
>and fun.
In general, ride the horse in a centered, classical seat and you'll do
just fine. But don't expect too many blue ribbon in breed shows. :-)
>At least, since he's a baby, I have lots of time to learn :)
Enjoy and have fun!!! :-)