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A client in Bend asked me to leave her horse's feet a bit long for a trail ride
I was trimming a quarter horse for a regular client about three weeks ago. She watched me work and then asked if I could leave the toes just a little longer than usual. She explained they were going on a rocky, five-day pack trip and she thought the extra length would give the horse more protection. I told her I was worried about the breakover, but we talked it through. Has anyone else had a client make a specific request based on the terrain they ride on?
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matthewperry2mo ago
Has anyone considered how the extra toe length might mess with the horse's propioception on slick rock? That longer breakover could make the horse less sure-footed on clean, dry granite where every millimeter of foot placement matters. A horse that can't feel the ground well might panic and slip more, which seems worse than a little wall chipping.
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riverp373mo ago
Got to agree with the original poster's worry about breakover, that's the real kicker. I see what @rowan666 is saying about cracking, but honestly, the bigger risk is the horse tripping or straining a tendon if the toe is too long and doesn't roll over right. On really rocky ground, a proper roll is way more important than a few extra millimeters of wall. It's a balancing act for sure, but I'd take a shorter, faster breakover over a long toe any day for that kind of trip.
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