# Bits and shoes detrimental to a horse's heath?



## Fenris (1 August 2017)

How long before it becomes too dangerous to go out on a horse in public?

http://horsetribute.com/video-guy-confronts-animal-abusing-cop/


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## Leo Walker (1 August 2017)

Its a parody video. It says so at the beginning of the video


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## Fenris (1 August 2017)

There are people out there who believe what he says though.


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## MagicMelon (2 August 2017)

I havent watched the video (slow internet tonight!) but I definately think shoes aren't good for the horse in general. Metal isnt exactly shock absorbing so it cant be great for the legs can it.  I wish they'd have developed better materials to make them with which was mainstream these days. Metals had its day, Im shocked shoes are still stuck in the dark ages. 

Bits, I dont really see what damage they can do other than if it was badly fitted then obviously it could hurt the mouth / teeth.


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## Chinchilla (3 August 2017)

MagicMelon said:



			Metals had its day, Im shocked shoes are still stuck in the dark ages. 

Bits, I dont really see what damage they can do other than if it was badly fitted then obviously it could hurt the mouth / teeth.
		
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 Most bits are metal too? And quite heavy? And on soft tissue whereas shoes are on a non feeling part of the foot to prevent it being worn down so the feeling part has to take up the impact of movement? (Bearing in mind a horse can have up to 1 ton of force on each leg when it moves). 
?????
I mean I don't like to have a hair in my mouth, I don't know what it would be like to have a piece of metal put there involuntarily...but equally not all horses like bitless bridles (neither of my mares do, so I'm not 'anti bit' in any way). 
Personally I think both bits and shoes have their right and proper places, but equally it is absolutely possible, as with most things, to commit acts of abuse through the improper use of them, e.g. as you say badly fitting bits, I also think overly strong or complicated bits in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use them, so I would never use a double bridle or pelham  because frankly I don't know how to, and I am totally, absolutely, completely against gags, pelhams, wilkies, double bridles, etc., being put on ponies/horses that are going to be ridden by very young children. Shoes left on too long or not fitted correctly can also cause harm/damage/pain to the horse.

PS yes I'm well aware video is tongue in cheek. It was quite funny actually.


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## Chinchilla (3 August 2017)

you can get plastic shoes as well - racehorses' shoes are phenomenally light. I think of goldolphin's youtube there's a video of their farrier that has the exact figure in but it's almost nothing!


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## be positive (3 August 2017)

MagicMelon said:



			I havent watched the video (slow internet tonight!) but I definately think shoes aren't good for the horse in general. Metal isnt exactly shock absorbing so it cant be great for the legs can it.  I wish they'd have developed better materials to make them with which was mainstream these days. Metals had its day, Im shocked shoes are still stuck in the dark ages. 

Bits, I dont really see what damage they can do other than if it was badly fitted then obviously it could hurt the mouth / teeth.
		
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I haven't watched but find your reply rather odd, a bit can cause immense damage, yes it is the hands at the end of the reins that actually do the harm but some horses are extremely sensitive and more easily damaged or have conformation that means wearing a bit needs careful consideration, my horse has very narrow bars and if you could have seen the state of my horses mouth after he had been badly handled while at the vets, in a chifney, you may have a different view, a week after it happened you could still see down to the bone on his bars, his mouth was black and blue, his tongue was swollen as were all the soft tissues in his cheeks, he was supposedly well behaved, they denied using a chifney and "got away with it" he has recovered he now wears a nathe as his bars are permanently damaged and roughened, previously he always wore a wide chunky bit to distribute the pressure and had no mouth issues but is not happy in anything metal since the incident.

As for shoes i have no idea what could be used that is as efficient as metal, it can be shaped to the individual on site, kept on by nails which do no harm, allow some movement and growth, can have stud holes put in to aid grip as and when required, are fairly hard wearing, cheap to produce even if they are not cheap to get put on, are reasonably safe and secure on most surfaces, I cannot think of any material that would allow all of the above without compromising in some way, going barefoot is obviously ideal but still has it's issues with grip so not always the best option for horses that compete.


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## Nasicus (4 August 2017)

Okay, the guy in the video is a youtuber by the name of VeganGains. This video was NOT a parody. He slapped the 'parody' tag in there once he started getting flack from people. He's a rather unpleasant person.


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## ycbm (4 August 2017)

Nasicus said:



			Okay, the guy in the video is a youtuber by the name of VeganGains. This video was NOT a parody. He slapped the 'parody' tag in there once he started getting flack from people. He's a rather unpleasant person.
		
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I'm glad you wrote that. It definitely didn't say it was a parody when I watched it. I thought I was going mad. I also thought he made himself look like a total prick.


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## Nasicus (4 August 2017)

ycbm said:



			I'm glad you wrote that. It definitely didn't say it was a parody when I watched it. I thought I was going mad. I also thought he made himself look like a total prick.
		
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That'll be because he is one


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## Leo Walker (4 August 2017)

ycbm said:



			I'm glad you wrote that. It definitely didn't say it was a parody when I watched it. I thought I was going mad. I also thought he made himself look like a total prick.
		
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It says right at the start that its a pardoy video. I have no idea about the rest of it, but it clearly states pardoy at the beginning.


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## Nasicus (4 August 2017)

Leo Walker said:



			It says right at the start that its a pardoy video. I have no idea about the rest of it, but it clearly states pardoy at the beginning.
		
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Yes, because he added it to say so after people called him out for it. Seriously, this guy is a militant vegan who isn't afraid to make death threats on people he disagrees with. He's certainly not above pulling the 'It's just a prank/parody bro!' card when he's under fire.


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## Leo Walker (4 August 2017)

Well by watching it and sharing it, all you are doing is giving him the attention he craves. Theres nutcases in every walk of life. They are generally best ignored.


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## ycbm (4 August 2017)

Leo Walker said:



			It says right at the start that its a pardoy video. I have no idea about the rest of it, but it clearly states pardoy at the beginning.
		
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I said in the post you quoted, it didn't when I watched it!


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## Leo Walker (5 August 2017)

Well it does and its been there since the video was posted. And just to save endless bickering here is the screenshot:


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## ycbm (5 August 2017)

That was not on the version I saw, as Nasicus and I have both told you.  Even I'm not that blind!

The article it was embedded in is not on a parody site and makes no reference to it being a parody, but also refers to shoes and bits and riding a horse in a city as animal cruelty.


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## ycbm (5 August 2017)

Vegan Gains. What a nice guy, not!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-eaters-series-bloodthirsty-online-rants.html


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