A Big Day For Rio.

   Today Rio had her first visit from the farrier.  (At least since I have owned her.  She may have had her feet done before I got her.)  She was surprisingly good.  The hardest part for her was paying attention.  She was fairly good with her feet though and I am pleased with my new farrier.  I'm glad to have that out of the way because I have been anxious about getting it done.  Her feet are pretty good about taking care of themselves so she shouldn't need another visit for at least 4 months.

    A note about choosing a farrier.  If possible choose a farrier certified by ELPO.  (Equine Lameness Prevention Organization.)  These farriers offer trimming that works with the horses body to naturally help them walk better.  A lot of farriers us a "long-toe" method when trimming.  This can be very harmful to horses and I NEVER recommend it.  The argument for using a long-toe method of trimming is that it brings the frog of the foot above the ground so it isn't injured as easily.  The folly in this is that the frog of the foot MUST come into contact with the ground for proper circulation.  The body of a horse is too big for the heart to circulate the blood back up the legs.  The heart pumps blood down the legs.  When the horse steps on the ground the frog compresses, shooting the blood back up the leg.  If the toe of the horse is too long the frog can not compress and the lack of circulation in the leg can cause numbness and nerve damage.   A friend of mine had her horse done by a "regular" farrier and her horse started stumbling a lot and was barley rideable until she had an ELPO certified farrier come do his feet.  Having a long toe also acts as a lever against the horse because it is not natural.  This can be proven using algebra though I'm not sure of the equation.  You are on the computer right now so it should be findable.  Anyways, this makes the horse exert a lot more effort to walk especially when ridden and can lead to lameness and fatigue.