Farrier Natural hoof Balance CROCK!

[westmar]

SO- here in Montana and I am sure elsewhere, idiots [Farriers] are selling this 'natural' hoof bullshit. Farriers are saying we should look at the Mustangs foot and 'correct' our domesticated equine to the Mustang standards.
FIRST: Equine in captivity are SELECTIVILY BRED! People have been known to almost desimate a breed trying to improve it through inbreeding-much like the Royals [tis gossip].
Mustangs are basically Mutts [even though very intellegent-not over bred-people love mutts]-part of the point....

SECOND: An equine in captivity does not have to travel many miles per day for feed or water, they have no predator to fight for water, feed or salt: It is usually readily available through their owners.
THE DIET FROM MUSTANG TO DOMESTICATED EQUINE IS VERY DIFFERENT!!! The needs are so different from one another, it really is vast. In pionting out an obvious fact: There is no way domestic and wild animals have the same dietary needs nor the same digestive system, bone structure or feet!

So-I hope no-one has been duped to believing this 'natural' foot balance is helping their horse[s] feet. It will cause-eventually-a crack from the bottom of the front of the hoof clear to the top-into the coronet band from the pressure on the toe. It is a scam.

Trim and shoe your horse to it's natural way of being. All a Farrier has to do is look at the hoof and trim it the way it goes and the way it shows. The hoof will tell you what it needs!

[circlep]

We have been using a natural trim farrier for about 5 years now. My trail mare went from needing shoes and pads on her fronts to trail ride,to going completely bare foot now. We have had nothing but good luck. I guess each horse and situation is different.

[jetstarheart]

Have to agree with circlep on this one as well. It really depends on the individual animal.

[cinch]

I allowed myself to be convinced I would benefit from the Natural Balance Shoes.
Out of 3 horses 2 went dead lame within minutes. Shoer had no explaination other than they have to get used to the shoes. Actually told me to trot them up and down a gravel driveway.
What I did was get the damn shoes off the next day. I came close to losing 1 of the horses, she was lame for months after wards.

I am interested in barefoot but can't seem to make it work for me since we haul to alot of arenas that don't have the best of parking and too much rock around. Now if I could stay on just dirt or grass I might give it a try.

[4jpainthorses]

Our riding horse for the most part have to have shoes due to rocks where we trail ride and in the arenas. We have found that a few months on biotin helped our horses feet more than anything. We rotate putting them on it because we have so many horses but all of them have improved feet now. It makes their feet grow and makes them stronger and harder. They won't be to hard just a healthy hard.

[Candice_17]

I think natural trimming is maybe for the weekend horses. The ones (like many of mine) that rarely get rode and when they do its a walk in the park. All but 2 of mine are barefoot, but like I said, we don't get out too much. One of them that I have shoes on has Navicular, and the other one is in training and gets a lot of miles put on her. I am lucky they all have good strong feet. But if I knew I was going to have time to get on them more regularly I'd put front shoes on most of them at least. So anyway, like I said, natural may be for the fat, lazy pasture ornaments out there.