|
On the Icelandic horse e-list, Ragnar Eriksson mentioned succinctly
the shoeing principles: "it can be new shoes on the front legs
and worn shoes on the hind legs or 10mm on front and 6 mm on the
hind!".
In North America, where shoe selection is not in these global
dimensions, on some horses, just using the weight differential
between a regular weight shoe that your farrier may have for up
front and a saddlelite shoe on the rear can help clarify a two-beated
tolt towards four beat. Using the difference between regular and
saddle-lite shoe weight gets you in the direction of the weight
differential between a 10mm on the front and 6mm on the rear.
It is about a 40 percent differential.
Of course, having the real 10mm shoes up front with a lighter
shoe in back helps a little more because of the mass put in to
the wide web 10 mm shoe from Iceland. On the one hand the weight
differential between front and rear helps to break up a two beated
paciness in the foot fall of tolt. The total mass of the weight
of a 10mm shoe up front also helps with the roundness and lift
of the stride.
However, regardless of all of this fussiness, shoeing is not
necessarily going to clarify a horse that can not do it anyway
nor will it really solve the problem if it is in the rider. Really,
the effect of improved shoeing will also depend upon your skill
at riding tolt otherwise. If things are not going well for your
horse, do not necessarily blame your horse or your shoes. Look
also to yourself.
For instance, if you are not light with the the reins on the
bit anyway, switching to heavy shoes up front could also send
a horse heavier in to the bit as they tend to lean in to the bit
as a side consequent to more weight in the front shoe.
To the unsuspecting or inexperienced with this change, you could
also get a horse stiffer on the bit, ending up with a horse hanging
even more on the bit if you are not prepared to recognise this
or deal with it otherwise in your riding.
So with this, what problem was solved as we tried to mechanically
manipulate with the shoes to acheive some perfection in movement?
The original problem of trying to clarify gait or increase lift
then can goe on to other things of consequence. When we see such
an effect, do we evaluate it as bad temperment, bad riding or
bad shoeing, this 4mm of separation?
That is it, I have contributed to too much chatting on computer
again. Now, let us fuss and talk less on computers and just go
riding!
Regards from the saddle, Doug Hamilton
|
