<html><head><meta Name='keywords' Content='commtouch, pronto, mail, free email, free, branded, web based, free web based email, communications, internet, software, advertising banners, e-mail, free software'></head><body ><div align='left'><font ><blockquote><blockquote><TT>What Crazy says I have found true, for a dozen years Buck Conner and <BR>
myself had mustangs (wild ones from the programs the feds run), so <BR>
like the Spanish Barbs they went back to the early stock that roamed <BR>
the west. These breeds are unlike the modern breeds as far as hoof <BR>
makeup according to CSU Vet Clinic folks, like Crazy says hardier, <BR>
don't split out and on good ground pretty much take care of <BR>
themselves.<BR>
<BR>
We would only trim the fronts in the spring and only then if a hard <BR>
winter where they where on snow for long periods, mild winters there <BR>
was no need to touch their feet, this was the same on all 5 animals, <BR>
yet the 5 quarter horses always needed foot work living in the same <BR>
conditions.<BR>
<BR>
What's interesting too is how stout the mustangs and Spanish Barbs <BR>
where when compared to their brothers the quarter horse or morgan, <BR>
which we also had several of. Pound for pound it's hard to find a <BR>
horse that will perform like a mustang or Spanish Barb, plus they are <BR>
correct for the RMFT or Native American events.<BR>
<BR>
Just my two cents......<BR>
<BR>
Take Care,<BR>
<BR>
Concho<BR>
<BR>
- ---------------------<BR>
David your right the stock of RMFT were hard footed critters. I have <BR>
been working with Spanish Barbs. The type of horse used during the <BR>
fur trade and the ones I've been working with have some of the best <BR>
feet I've seen on a horse. Hard as hell and seem stay in good shape <BR>
for the most part. So long as they are kept in a large enough area <BR>
that they can move around and kept on dry ground. Their feet stay in <BR>
good shape. The one horse that had here for year half never did <BR>
needed to be trimmed. In fact the one time I did have shoes put on <BR>
him the shoer only ran his rasp across the bottom of his hoof a <BR>
couple of times to set the shoe and that was all that was needed. Out <BR>
of the two two year old marries I have here now only one of them has <BR>
ever been trimmed and that was because it was kept in a small muddy <BR>
corral for one winter and the hooves did not have a chance to ware <BR>
down. <BR>
With as much as the horses were used back then I bought that trimming <BR>
was ever much of a concern. Hooves being wore down to the quick was <BR>
more of a concern. But as hard as their hooves are they would go a <BR>
lot farther then any of our modern over breed horses of today before <BR>
this would be a problem, I have read of raw hide boots being used <BR>
