In July I heard of a free horse. I was in need of a
companion animal so I took him.
Chilly, a 17 year old quarter horse arab who had been out
of work for a year, came with three shoes, really long heels, black decrepit hoof material under the shoes, a dippy back and
a pot belly.
Now we are in January, a mere six months later.
He transitioned to barefoot really well, competing and placing in a hunter pace barefoot, and working up to being ridden regularly.
His feet at first chipped away to an alarming degree, but now
they are short, round, with an enormous wide frog and he truly lands heel first. He was never lame through the process, only
a little sore on rocks for the first two months.
He has a beautiful trot, his back is not dippy anymore, and he
has rounded out to a great degree through the hind end, hips and lumbar area. I attribute it all to the barefoot trim,
and am grateful for all the great information on the web.
Chilly is now my #1 riding horse--he goes everywhere-- to the
beach, to the trainers where he is learning dressage, and on trails. He is happy, sound, free moving and cheerful.
He goes beautifully in a bit less bridle. He always trots out in hand eager to get to work.
He lives out 24/7 without blankets, leg wraps, shoes,
or anything, and I am overjoyed at the simplicity and beauty of it all.
My goal for him is to compete in dressage so I can show the world
how good, and how simple it can be. I truly believe he came into my life to show the world how a horse should live.
~ Sarah January 2005
