Big race and shoes

[oleos93]

Has there ever been a horse or horses that have run a big race, say any leg in the Triple Crown or the BC, that has run barefoot? If so who, and was there a medical reason why or a training advantage why or just because??

[zinn21]

I don't think in modern times there has been any.

[Shammy Davis]

This topic has come up frequently over the years. In the UK circa 2005, a horse won a 2 1/2 mile steeplechase, to be the first winner unshod. I'm not familiar with their regulations about running unshod, but I've read a couple of articles indicating it is becoming somewhat more popular in UK.

http://www.thehorseshoof.com/success_SaucyNight.html

Most recently in July 2011, the Racing Commissioners International (RCI) Association tabled a decision on racehorses running without shoes.

http://hoofcare.blogspot.com/2011/07/un ... oners.html

[reenci]

there you go with another informful link....thanks

[oleos93]

I have heard of that one in the UK, but I was more interested in any here in the US or even Canada.

I know each track is different....is there any rules disallowing it for any BC races or any of the Triple Crown races? A rule in general not necessarily a track rule.

I did read an article of a fellow in CA who challanged the no shoe rule just on a reg race, and then the rule was changed and most tracks are allowing it.....but, I guess a new questions is, in a big race like the above mentioned, it is mandatory regardless of the track rules?

[Shammy Davis]

My understanding is that unshod horseracing is legal in some areas and not in others. In Dubai, no horses can race unshod. While in Australia, horseracing has relaxed its rules to allow it. I googled and found no specific information on NA tracks. Maybe some other members have some specific information as it pretains to NA tracks. As a retired farrier, I think it will be difficult for trainers and owners to make decisions about running a horse unshod, if the rule is not consistent throughout the industry. Running a horse unshod requires that the sole be sturdy and healthly. When a horse is shod a farrier pares away much of the sole thus limiting its ability to withstand surface trauma without the protection and elevation that the shoe provides. It normally takes four to six months for a once shod hoof to regain optimum sole growth. It is an interesting topic and I'll do some more research on it. I will tell you that we've got a couple of OTTB's that my daughter uses as field hunters. They are hunted and ridden about three or four times a week during the season. They are unshod year around and they do very well, handling all surfaces equally well. In the past ten years, neither has had any significant lameness problems. Nothing more than a couple of bruises. I think this indicates that it is possible for racehorses to do well unshod. The other thought I have is that shod horse lower limbs experience a great deal of twisting and torque when cantering and galloping, thus being prone to injury. That is why much attention has been placed on use of mud caulks and stickers.

[Shammy Davis]

Woops. My statement about Australia relaxing it rules maybe in error. I've read two conflicting articles one stating that AUS is not amending it rules to allow unshod racing. I need to dig a little deeper.

[oleos93]

I do see it differs by track. I am wondering though on a track that allows for unshod horses, then has a big race, like the Derby for example.....does the rule become void because of that race or is it still in place regardless because that is the rule per that track despite the type of race being ran.

Also the rule on waiting 60 days to run if a trainer/owner decide to put shoes on....is that 60 days at that track in particular or is that 60 days if they decide to run at another track.

So lets say horse A is running bare and then decides to put shoes on but track A says they cannot run for 60 days because of the rule.....so horse A then goes to track B whether in the same state or not, do they still have to wait 60 days at track B?


I am looking to but can not find much more then the basic rules per track.

[Shammy Davis]

60 days would probably be fine if going from unshod to shod. Not so easy the other way around. To recover the once shod hoof to normal sole thickness, like I said, is going to require to four to six months. It would be foolish for a trainer to even think about training after removing shoes.

As far as the G-1, G-2, and G-3 races, et al, check the condition books for rules on shoes as they pretain to each track or check with state racing commission.

[Blue feather]

Recently I raced a fillie at Penn National. During the post parade she nearly pulled her right front shoe. The shoe was hanging by 1 nail. The paddock blacksmith refused to reattach it so the trainer pulled the shoe completely off and she ran with 3 shoes. She won by 4 lenghts at 16 to 1 odds. The incident caused me to relook at some of my "...written in stone" views.

[Bast]

I have a fuzzy memory of an entire racemeet being conducted with barefoot horses because of a legal dispute that kept them from being shod.

This was sometime in the 1960s, and the track was in the SW.

Does anyone else recall this?

[oleos93]

Very AWESOME Blue feather!!

[Crystal]

Bluefeather- Congrats, but your paddock farrier REFUSED to tack the shoe back on? Did he/she state why? I'd be blowing my lid but I'm sure the win helped a bit

[ratherrapid]

if u were a jock, would u ride an unshod horse at 40 mph over a sand track?

[Shammy Davis]

I agree w/ratherrapid on this one. Where were stewards on this? Or did they know?