Interesting ASB props from a non-ASB farrier. And Question.

As some of you know, Q leaves for the trainer this coming Friday, so I've been busy organizing, cleaning, packing, figuring out what stuff needs to go with and what does not (HOW can a young horse I've only owned since the end of January have SO MANY blankets already?? And why do I feel like he still needs more? It's the hunter princess in me...) He's going to an eventing barn for 3 months, but she doesn't have her barn built yet, so he'll be living out (which makes me nervous) - hopefully it'll be OK while the weather is mild, but depending on how he's shaping up after that and what the barn status is, he'll either stay there, come back to his warm howse to grow, ground drive and trail ride for the winter, or go to a dressage or H/J barn for further evaluation and training. (I know: THAT narrows it down!)

Which isn't really the point of this blog. I do tend to rattle on a bit.

The thing I did want to pass on was this: my excellent farrier, who mainly does the Western breeds and the 2 small H/J barns in the area with the usual array of TBs, warmbloods and ponies, came out to trim Q one last time before we move (unfortunately) out of his service area. As we were taking our leave, he paid Q a very nice compliment.

He said: "You know, I wish EVERY hoss I worked on had as good feet as this one. This li'l hoss has the best feet I've seen in 20 years."

I said: "When was the last time you did a Saddlebred who had never seen the show ring?

He laughed. "Twenty years."

And Quattro really does have good feet! Remember, I'm coming off a lifetime of TBs - long toe, short heel, thin wall, thin sole, flat-footed, prone to infection/cracking/chipping, MUST be shod if you even want one to cross a gravel driveway at a decorous walk with a rider on its back. So Quattro kind of spoils me. These feet just don't wear out and they don't wear down! He's been on gravel and blacktop and hard ground all summer; I expected to be putting shoes on the front long before now. He had ONE trim where it had been rainy and he was standing in mud a lot and got a little mushy and I thought "Mayyyybe time for shoes..." But I discussed it with my farrier, who convinced me to wait a month and sure enough, Q's been fine ever since.

Please note that I am NOT what the COTHers like to call a "Barefoot Nazi" ("Horses weren't MEANT to wear shoes! They should run wild and free and BAREFOOT! Anything else is ABUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE!!!"), but neither do I see any sense in putting shoes on a horse unless the horse presents a valid reason for it. Given my TB background, this is the longest I've ever had a horse in training that was still barefoot and not giving me any real reason to think he might need shoes.

Hence The Question: In YOUR discipline (whatever it may be), how far up the competition levels have you actually seen a barefoot horse compete? In the hunters, I don't think I've ever seen one at 3'6" but I've seen plenty at 2'6". (I also THINK I have a recollection of a huge, plate-footed Perch mare doing the Level 5 jumpers barefoot at Conyers one year, but I may be projecting.) What I'm wondering is, where is the sensible cutoff point?

Just curious. Reports from your discipline would be most appreciated!

Back to tack cleaning. The adventure continues!