The above title is in reference to the shoe/no shoe controversy, one that seems (no pun intended) to have a great deal of traction in the horse community. This, I have finally decided, is an issue in which there are no absolutes. Actually, the only absolute is that there are no absolutes.

Five or so years ago, Pete and I went to a Pete Ramey clinic. He is an advocate of barefoot trimming for horses. Beforehand, I read the book he compiled, Care and Rehabilitation of the Equine Foot. It is a wonderful book, with all the contributors weighing in on the subject. I most enjoyed the insights of Robert Bowker, who figured out that horses’ feet have clearly defined neural pathways, meaning that horses can feel heat, cold, and hard and soft terrain.

Concussive forces, umm umm, not good for horses’ hooves.

Off went the shoes. On went the Easy Boots. We did a trip with our horses wearing these boots. In retrospect, it was a pain in the ass, constantly having to dig in mud bogs for lost shoes. At night, it became a ritual. I’d clean them and Pete would mend them. Oh yeah, and there

Pete retrieving one of Hrimmi's boots

was the time that during a competitive trail ride, Hrimfara lost one of her very expensive Renegade boots in a swamp. A young volunteer found it and returned it to us at lunch. My observation was that Renegades float.

We returned home and kept the horses barefoot. This was okay last summer because we didn’t go anywhere, just on our trails. And it worked out well this past winter because we rode the horses in the soft snow. However, about a week ago we had a heavy snowfall, this combined with warmer temperatures has made our trails punchy. Not riding on trails also made me punchy.

So, I started road riding. The horses didn’t like this nor did I. We stayed close to the edge of the road because the rest of the road looked like it might have icy patches. The horses skittered some; then they began moving really slowly.

My mantra became no fun, no fun, no fun. The day before yesterday, Pete suggested that we put the ice shoes back on them. I agreed, for otherwise I’d have to wait another month (at least) before riding again. I thought, there goes all that time put into conditioning the horses, who are now in excellent shape.

Yesterday, before Josh’s arrival, I pulled the old ice shoes out of the tack room and laid them out in the tack room pathway. I removed the nails and old pads.

Josh eyeballed the shoes and quickly figured out which would best fit each horse. I was really impressed.

Shortly after he left, I was back on the road. I rode all three mares. They quickly figured out that they had shoes on and that they could move about safely. Yesterday and today, I had some really good road rides.

No, there are no absolutes. If we do do another trip this summer, I am going with having them shod, this as opposed to being booted. This isn’t a tough call. It’s simply the right thing to do, given that we ride a lot in uneven and sometimes icy terrain.

Next: 76. 3/17/21: Tenacious Winter