# Sparks from Horse shoes



## Painted Horse

My horses have been barefoot for the last 5-6 years. This summer I decided that I tired of them walking the edge of the trail, brushing me into trees, and being hesitant to really move forward on a rocky trail. So I put shoes on them for the rest of the summer and probably thru hunting season.

I took them out for long rocky ride last night to see if the shoes made a difference in my horses attitudes. ( and it absolutely made a huge difference).

We got going a little late, left the trail head at 6pm for what I hoped I could ride in 3 hours and be back before dark. Well my expectations were bigger than what I could actually do. We didn't get back to the trailer until almost 10pm. So the last 30 minutes we were riding in dimming light as dusk settled in.

During this part of the ride, I was following my daughter and we were pushing the horses fast to get back to the truck. Of course being the return to the trailer section of the ride, The horses were more than happy to cooperate and we held a fast trot or canter for the last mile or two.

As we traveled along in the growing darkness, I was reminded just how many SPARKS fly off horse shoes when they strike rocks. Utah has already had over 400 wildfires this fire season. It is a terrible year for fires. And while we are not seeing the problems that Colorado is, it is a year for concern.

So my question. Has anybody ever seen a fire started from the sparks off a horse shoe? Maybe I should have left my horses barefoot. Even though we don't see the sparks in the daytime, I'm sure they are present. Just more visible at night. I'd really hate to turn around and look back and see a column of smoke rising off a trail I just traveled.

A couple of photos from last nights ride. They are a little fuzzy because of how late it was getting and the low light conditions



















Leaving the parking lot









Looking back on the climb up. The trail follows the river for 7 miles up the canyon then climbs up the draw you can see in this photo. So we came all the way up for the lowest point visable


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## Painted Horse

A couple more
Leaving parking lot at trail head









Lots of green as we climb up the draw









Looking at the opposite side of the canyon. This what the area directly below us looks like,. Very steep


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## Darrin

I've heard of fires being started from sparking shoes but have never seen one start myself or know anyone that has. But, I did grow up on a farm and saw more than one fire started by sparks coming off equipment and landing in dry grass. So I have to say it is definately a possibility but don't think the chances of it happening are real high.


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## Painted Horse

Utah's Governor has been very vocal about not target shooting any more this summer. He claims that many of the 400 wild fires Utah has had this summer were started by sparks from people shooting guns.

Now myself, I've never seen bullets spark like they show in all the movies. In fact I've often commented to my wife that I want to BUY some of them sparking bullets. Since my copper or lead bullets don't spark when they strike a rock.

At any rate the Governor has called a ban to all target shooting because of sparks, So I wonder if a ban on horse shoes could be forth coming.


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## Critter sitter

I don't know about fires from sparks but I have to say WOW great trial ride pictures
BEAUTIFUL


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## Painted Horse

Thanks, They are a little out of focus. I was loosing light fast and the camera just isn't fast enough on it's speed settings to capture the photos in dim light from a moving horse with out loosing some of the crispness. I should have gottenoff and stabilzed the camera for a better shot.

The best part, Is that I left home at 95° and most of the ride I was wishing I had worn a long sleeve shirt. It cools right off on the mountain.


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## Darrin

Lead and copper bullets wont start a fire but if you are in the prone position shooting I suppose your muzzle blast could. I would be more worried about black powder guns than smokeless.

If your Gov. is a nut case or one has their ear they could go so far as barring horse shoes. I would think they'd find it easier to ban everyone from leaving pavement first.


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## Painted Horse

Probably close the forest first

Gov is pretty sensible guy, Just being faced with high firefighting bills and reports fire were started by poeple shooting.


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## QOS

gorgeous scenery!!! I can see where it could happen with super dry conditions but it is probably a slim to none that it will happen.


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## waresbear

Great pics, glad you decided to use the proper footwear for your horses. Kinda neat seeing those sparks, huh? When was I a crazy youth, me & my friend would gallop down paved roads at night to see the sparks fly from the hooves.


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## themacpack

It *could* happen, but is not something I would consider an extreme risk. The only fire/explosions I am aware of with shoes sparking are in relation to the presence of other risk factors such as the extreme concentration of oxygen in hyperbaric chambers


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## Makoda

Well your seeing the sparks which is all it takes to start a fire, but if you have ever tried to start a fire with flint and steel you'll know that it isn't that easy to do. You do need some good tinder, even dry grass can be hard to get going unless it is finer. But it is definantly possible. A gentleman that I worked for fixing fences on horseback years ago did tell me to watch where I rode and try to avoid the dry grass. I never started a fire but being as it was his property and he was paying me I also did what he said. 
As for starting a fire from shooting yes I have done that one a few times. And shooting around dusk can help you to see it better as well. I think some of the problem is not necessarily the bullet lighting up but what you are hitting. And if your shooting tracer ammo you can really start some fires up.  But never have I started a fire that I didn't put out and haven't shot a gun for a few years now so none of the ones this year were from me.


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## ponyboy

The rocks must be flint. I've never seen that happen but it must be cool.


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## Makoda

the rocks don't have to be flint just have to have a hardness of 7 or so on the moh scale. quartz would work and many other rocks of similar hardness to flint


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## Blue

Here in Arizona we have a lot of granite and sparks fly a lot! I've never seen a fire start from it, but in our extremely dry windy conditions lately better safe than sorry. 

Gorgeous trails! Wow! If I ever get to your neck o' the woods, I'll be calling you.


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## Delfina

There's burn marks on the concrete aisle where I board.

My then 4yr old was throwing a hellacious tantrum, slipped off the mats in the aisle, slid on the concrete which produced a shower of sparks and caught the loose hay on the floor on fire. Just happened that someone had left a partial bucket of water sitting a couple feet away, so I immediately doused it.

I'm in CO and things are beyond extremely dry here. I now sweep the aisle of any loose hay before putting my horse in the cross ties.


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## Painted Horse

No flint around here. Lots of Quartz, Granite and compressed Shale
The Sour Dock and Cheat Grass are both pretty dry right now.


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## dctack

Love the beautiful pics. I would personally be very surprised if the small sparks from shoes would actually start a fire. But, stranger things have happened.


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