>>>> Just wanted to clarify no one thinks shoes per se are a BAD thing, least I >>>> dont!
I definitely agree... although actually, I think a few people DO have the idea that shoes are ALWAYS bad, but I don't. I've managed to keep my horses barefoot about 99.9% of the time since about 1991 or so, and that's a lot of "hoof-hours" in that time. Still, I know that works for us, for our horses, on our terrain, and for the way we ride. I don't dare claim it would work equally well for everyone. I like to think of myself as a "tack minimalist". I have no problem using tack, shoes, etc. that really fills a need, but I like to start with the least and only "tack on" (pun intended) what is really for a purpose. One thing I may have said on this list - I know I said it on the treeless list, but I'll say it again. I've started hearing the term, "barefoot, bitless and treeless" as if that is some holy trinity that we should all aim for, and that they are somehow connected. It worries me when anything gets too "sloganized." We're almost exclusively using treeless saddles here on our farm - I sold my last treed dressage saddle but I still own a couple of Wintecs - just can't remember the last time I used one. It's been ages since one of my horses had shoes. We do use bits a good "bit" of the time - boy, the puns just keep coming - but we do ride without bits all along to be sure we're not overly dependent on them, and we almost always ride on a loose rein when we use a bit, with only minimal contact. If I were schooling a horse for dressage, I'd probably use a LITTLE more rein contact. BUT, we only do each these things because we feel like each one is genuinely a good option for my horses, and I feel free to mix and match as best suits my horses. If I thought one of my horses would do better in a treed saddle, I'd go looking again in a heartbeat. If I saw a need for shoes to make one of my horses more comfortable - well, the comfort of my horses is ALWAYS more important to me than any dogma du jour. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
