Didn't know whether to laugh or cry!

EnduranceAli

EnduranceAli

Active Member
Apr 2, 2005
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Hayscastle, Pembrokeshire
www.exmoorali.blogspot.co.uk
Was just wasting some time on the computer and came across this website. Clicked on the Barefoot page - and, well, just have a read ...

http://www.farrier-giles.co.uk/barefoot.htm

So sad that these views are still about. Just had my ponies' feet trimmed this morning - and both have fab feet, that can go on any surface without boots. The more 'abrasive' surfaces they are exposed to, the harder their feet get.

Ali x
 
I think he has a lot of good points but makes a lot of bad points and misses out a lot of good points too!

I'm not a fan of a closed mind be it for or against shoes.
 
Oh dear, that's a man on a soap box! He's entitled to his view of course, but from someone with a PhD I might expect a more open mind or at least a more balanced view...and better English tbh!
 
Unless I've very much mistaken those articles are very old hat, I can remember reading them years ago. I think the bloke likes to stir things up ;)
 
It does say copyright 2005. Not THAT long ago, but still a few years. He does come across as rather fed up for whatever reason and seems to get angrier the further you go down the article!

Regardless, I will still say, whatever suits each horse.

I know people who are very strong minded about barefoot, equally some are very stongly opinionated about shoeing.

Each to their own.
 
OK, 5 years ago :D

His views on mediolateral balance are interesting, not everything he says is coming out of the top of his head :)
 
Whatever you like to call it, riding your horse without shoes is quite feasible provided certain basic rules are adhered to i.e no rough stony or rocky ground, no abrasive surfaces (roads) and most of all the animal is restricted to not very much work.

oh no, i am doing it all wrong!!!!!
 
notpoodle said:
Whatever you like to call it, riding your horse without shoes is quite feasible provided certain basic rules are adhered to i.e no rough stony or rocky ground, no abrasive surfaces (roads) and most of all the animal is restricted to not very much work.

oh no, i am doing it all wrong!!!!!
Click to expand...

:bounce: I'm doing it half wrong! Shoes on the front and shoeless on the back!

Or is that half right as far as he's concerned?
 
Whatever you like to call it, riding your horse without shoes is quite feasible provided certain basic rules are adhered to i.e no rough stony or rocky ground, no abrasive surfaces (roads) and most of all the animal is restricted to not very much work
Click to expand...

What's "not very much work"? a 25 mile endurance ride, for us doing 100 is not very much work when you include all the training.

I think he might have had one too many lame horses whose feet were not suitable to go without shoes and whose owners were novice and took the evangelical preachings on board.
 
Hmm...

In 'real life' Giles is actually quite a nice old guy and certainly a very experienced farrier. Interestingly he keeps most (if not all) of his own horses barefoot and probably wouldn't shoe them unless he absolutely had too.

He is however very opinionated and as a (retired) life long farrier is very defensive of his life's work and loyal to the farriery profession in general and he has a bit of a bee in his bonnet about barefoot trimmers in general, especially about how easy it is to become a barefoot trimmer with very little training or experience (a concern I share with him).

On line he can be deliberately provocative, a bit of a wind up merchant and certainly enjoys a 'good ruck'. Baiting the 'barefooters' has become a bit of a sport for him so don't let him wind you up too much.

He will probably come on here and berate me for saying anything (if he's still around as I believe he has been seriously ill recently) but actually he's quite an amiable old duffer and I'd go for a beer with him any time and could probably even learn something from him.

He is a very good farrier, his views should not to be discounted.
 
newrider.com
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