Vent: A client in Boulder told me his horse was 'fine' after a 30 mile trail ride

I got called out to his place last Tuesday for a routine trim. The horse was standing in the cross ties, and I could see the hoof wall was cracked and the sole was bruised just looking at it. I asked him when he last rode, and he said the day before, a full day on rocky trails. He just shrugged and said 'he's not lame, so he's fine, right?' I had to explain that a horse can be sore and hiding it, and that the hoof was telling a different story. Has anyone else had to talk a client down from pushing a horse too hard between visits?

2 comments

2 Comments

evan_carr16d ago

Look, horses are tough animals built for this stuff. That Boulder terrain is what they live on out there. A little cracked wall and some sole bruising is just normal wear and tear from an active life, not a red alert. If the horse isn't showing lameness, it's probably just fine and the owner knows his animal. Sometimes we see problems where there aren't any because we're looking for them. Pushing a horse on a long ride is how you build a tough trail partner, not break one.

dylan70816d ago

I get what you mean about horses being tough, but calling sole bruising "normal wear and tear" doesn't sit right with me. That kind of damage is a sign the horse is working on painful feet, and pain should never be part of a training plan. Building a tough partner means conditioning them slowly on good footing, not ignoring damage and hoping for the best. How is a horse supposed to trust a rider who pushes past clear signs of discomfort?