That’s because hunting has a limited season, and when the season is over, the horses go on vacation to rest and recoup. Down time is good – unfortunately it is something that a show ring horse very rarely gets. Ever. They have to grind around and around and around the ring almost every dayall year long. Sad, isn’t it.
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All my horses are barefoot. Growth will exceed wear IF the trim is correct. If you are driving or riding a horse on the pavement, and their feet are wearing down faster than they are growing, your farrier is not trimming them for barefoot success. I have experience in this area, so I’m not just talking out of my *ss.
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I foxhunt my QH/TB in Old Mac G2 hoof boots. I will NOT gallop or canter on pavement only because I think it’s an unneccessary risk. However, one of our whips and myself were talking a few weeks ago about how surefooted our horses are in hoof boots versus shoes. An inflexible, steel, slick-bottomed metal shoe will never compare with a treaded, flexible boot. We do NOT hunt in fluff-bunny territory; it’s pretty rugged and rough. The G2’s stay on, and give Buddy confidence on all surfaces. If we need to move fast on a paved road, I will move over to the shoulder where it’s grass/pavement mix.
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Disclaimer - I am a bit “altered” on chemical substances due to 24 hours of muscle spasms in my neck. While the above information is correct, I can not be held responsible for the tone in which it was conveyed. I just hope I’m better by Sunday AM, or else I won’t be hunting. OUCH!!!
jmho!
Hey some of us have hunted many years altered…chemical substances are your friend! Take your pills; shut up and ride!!! :yes: 
Amazing how small coops are on Percocet!!
I think a little work on hard surfaces can be helpful in legging up horses for all conditions. You’re supposed to get them fit on the surfaces they’ll be using out hunting right? So if your hunt does trotting on gravel roads; duplicate that when conditioning your horse. I keep mine off the loose gravel/bigger rocks to avoid stone bruising. And sometimes the shoulder is better but beware broken glass/metal etc. And if it’s someone’s front yard? Forget about it!! I know of lots of angry landowners stories where the hunt used the side of the road and the house owner thinks of it as THEIR front yard right up to the pavement.
But I agree; I try to keep to a trot when I can. I find cantering on gravel roads in Va. creates the dilemma - how do you stop!?!! :eek: Ashphalt? then it’s side of the road if I can or right on the border if I can. In our area road work happens!
Hunt on!!!
Yeah, we do have one fixture with a bunch of gravel roads. They are small rocks so not hard on the horse’s feet. Some of my horse’s are barefoot behind and never get sore, but dang don’t pull up quickly, you’ll put yourself into a slide. That’s why it is important to leave a horse or two space between you and the horse in front of you.
Having had a horse fall on me on two seperate occations I am paraniod of riding on asphalt at anything remotely faster than a trot.
Came away with a few spots of road rash the first time when at a canter. A broken arm, dislocated hand, separated shoulder, cracked ribs, concussion and alot of bruising when at a gallop. I can happen really quickly and once they slip there is no helping them catch themselves. Luckily I kicked free of stirrups both times and did not land under the horse.
NEW TO BAREFOOT HUNTING Old Mac G2 hoof boots
HI,
My TB’s are barefoot and use front boa boots. I have been told that the boots might get sucked off in the mud during a hunt. It sounds like Old Mac G2 hoof boots have performed well. How are they with Jumping fences (landings) and through heavy mud? DO you boot all 4 feet or just the fronts?
Thanks 
I was also raised not to gallop on pavement, but from the slickness standpoint. I’m surprised so few people on here use borium. Yes, you have to make sure your farrier is very experienced in applying it and diligent about making it even, but I’d say at least 95% of our hunt’s horses have it. We do a fair amount of trotting and cantering down pavement, and once or twice a season will do some galloping if necessary. I have never, ever seen a horse with borium go down, even when jumping directly onto a road. I guess if I didn’t have it, I would even hesitate to trot, as I have seen a couple of guests without borium go down at the trot on pavement when rounding a corner. Not for everyone, but to me, extremely good stuff and I wouldn’t hunt without it.
For the record, my horse gets legged up for the season with roadwork for conditioning.
I use borium but that sealant that people put on their driveways is awful. Even if you’re just crossing it at a nice quiet walk you and the horse will be lucky to get to the other side in one piece. It’s some sort of paint, I think. Horrible stuff.
Borum and pads will cure every complaint I have seen here.
I also am a big believer in galloping on the shoulder, not on the asphault.
However, I am not the believer I was a few years ago.
Several years ago I was galloping down the driveay at Larry Levey’s THE HILL to get to hounds that were about to get on 522. I was galloping on the shoulder and Barclay Rives was galloping on the pavement beside me. My horse stepped in some sort of drainage hole and Barclay later commented that he had never seen such trick riding.
I made it all the way to the ears of a 17 hand long necked TB and back to the saddle.
So galloping on the pavement does look better to me after that.
Claude S. Sutton, Jr.
My horse has drive in studs that go in at the beginning of hunt season. They are small but do the trick on pavement. I used to use the screw in like for eventing but they would come unscrewed on a long hunt.
[QUOTE=cssutton;3695586]
Borium and pads will cure every complaint I have seen here.[/QUOTE]
Oh yes, and definitely pads. Forgot about those.
it is not the known danger
+1 for the driven in borium studs
twice I have had my horse slide out on a hunt, once resulting in a broken foot for me.
my only hunt injury requiring professional treatment so far.
it wasn’t asphalt but thawed mud over frozen… ,!_!/’ [upside down horse] OUCH
Actually, I prefer the old fashioned apply the beads approach, but no one out here in Utah does that, so I use those drive in pins now, too. Back east, I had the farrier apply a bead to the heel of each hind shoe (nothing on toes, nothing on front) and together with the snow pads, that served me well. I don’t much like borium on the front feet, too much stress on the joints I’m thinking- and with the traction on the back, every horse I’ve had knows where it is, and uses it. I would add that I have jumped coops with blue ice on takeoff and landing and am still here to talk about it, though it’s not something I’d go out of my way to do. But you know how it is when hounds are runnin’ good and it’s either jump or get thrown out.
I have had one horse very nearly go down on pavement with borium, here in Utah, but extenuating circumstances. Riding with Pony Express on the warmblood in a July 4th parade. He’s cool with marching bands, all manner of horses and horse drawn vehicles, motorcycle quadrilles, whatever. He does NOT like those little poppers that explode when thrown on the ground. And every kid on the parade route seemed to have a few dozen of those in hand. One too many landed at his feet as we rounded a corner, and he did just have a meltdown. He didn’t go down all the way, but far enough that he did skin the outside of his hock- how he got himself back up from that I don’t know, but I decided that intersection was a good place for him to exit, poor guy.
Although at present I am using borum all the way around, it has been my observation as Beverley almost says, but obviously knows also, that a horse always slips behind first before he goes down.
Watch carefully horses that are making very sharp fast turns, as in polo or barrel racing and you will note that they always have big trouble recovering from a slip behind but have no trouble with a slip in front.
A horse who slips in front will almost always catch himself.
Claude S. Sutton, Jr.
Last year while out hunting we were doing some serious cantering down paved roads… however I decided to trot, and rode along the side of the road when I was able… at a check we were letting our horses graze a bit, one of the Joint Masters commented on how this was not good horsemanship (letting them graze with bits in their mouths)… I really had to bite my tongue on that comment!
And why did you have to bite your tongue?
There is nothing more annoying than trying to figure out which way hounds are going, trying to hear hounds and having some horse with his nose next to your knee chewing.
Unless it is a member of the field talking.
I for one don’t like horses jerking my arms out of the socket to get something to eat.
Claude S. Sutton, Jr.
If we do not wish to lose our freedom, we must learn to tolerate our
neighbor’s right to freedom even though he might express that freedom
in a manner we consider to be eccentric.
Not a foxhunter, but an endurance rider here. I canter on the shoulder of the roads frequently. Even gallop when it’s the flattest, driest place available. But that’s on the gravel and my horse wears hoof boots. I would never canter on pavement in shoes, holy crap that is nightmare material. I saw a horse do the splits on pavement while wearing shoes. It seemed like time stood still while that poor animal was suspended with hind legs splayed, unable to get his legs back. Completely terrifying.
I’ve cantered on pavement in hoof boots when I was trying to keep up with other riders at a trot, and my mare broke to canter. Never had problems but can’t say that I would recommend doing it frequently, and definitely not in shoes.
My boots are outfitted in studs right now and the studs are slicker on the pavement than plain boots.
Me neither, which is why I teach them to do it only when I drop the reins and give the command (“OK, graze!”). Obviously, this isn’t done where it’s going to interfere with the MFA.
[QUOTE=cssutton;3708327]
And why did you have to bite your tongue?
There is nothing more annoying than trying to figure out which way hounds are going, trying to hear hounds and having some horse with his nose next to your knee chewing.
Unless it is a member of the field talking.
I for one don’t like horses jerking my arms out of the socket to get something to eat.
Claude S. Sutton, Jr.
If we do not wish to lose our freedom, we must learn to tolerate our
neighbor’s right to freedom even though he might express that freedom
in a manner we consider to be eccentric.[/QUOTE]
I guess I should have been clearer… it was the Master who let his horse graze first! I am an avid “no grazing with a bridle on”.
When I was hunting in Northern VA I had borium on the shoes because of the frequency we were on pavement but that resulted in bruised toes. When I moved to central VA I went to screw in studs.
As far as grazing is concerned, I let them graze. Its a lot cheaper to let them graze at checks then to pay for the ulcer medications. If you can’t hear the hounds over a horse eating grass, its time to turn up the volume on your hearing aid.
