Saturday, October 10, 2020

Bryce Canyon, Utah

 








You can ride from the rodeo grounds to the rim of Bryce Canyon. We love this ride (did it back in 2003) and the best time of day to do it is sunset or dusk so you can see the rocks change colors.

During the ride I noticed my horse was babying his feet even though the trail was pretty much sand. Twenty years ago, Ari & I took a class on barefoot trimming. The idea was not to replace regular farrier visits. Instead, we wanted to be able to do easy touch ups on our horse's feet when we are traveling so our horses stay healthy. 
We dug out our barefoot trim equipment - a hoof trimming tool and a file.
The way I trim is I take a little off, put the foot down and watch my horse put weight on it. If he licks and chews after he puts weight on it, I know his foot feels better.
Three of my horse's feet had frogs (these are the foot pads) with tears and shredding. So, I cleaned up the pads and shaped his hooves.  I could tell he was a lot happier after his manicure.
I highly recommend learning basic trimming if you keep your horse barefoot as well as taking a classes on how to evacuate your horse in the event of a fire or other emergency and a basic wound care and vet class.  These classes are usually offered at horse expos, but some vet clinics teach these classes as well.





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