Thursday 12 April 2012

To Shoe or not to Shoe

That is the question i am contemplating. G was extremely sensitive on the rocks when we went for our hack the other day, given the situation my ferrier is recommending it if i am planning on doing a lot of rides outside with him this summer. I was planning on having them done next year for competition but it appears i may need to do it sooner.

I have been doing a lot of reading about shoeing vs not and the benefits of using those weird looking boot things... I was hopeing you guys might have some insight on this.

Should i shoe all 4 or just the 2 front that he seems most sensitive on?
Should i not shoe and stay away from rocky trails?

None of the horses at the barn get shoes on... except the Mounted Troop Horses who have shoes on all 4 during the show season....

Lots to think about....

8 comments:

  1. Since I don't know your pony's particular feet this is more of a general comment than a specific one. I try not to shoe my horses unless they absolutely need it. Nowadays there are super easy boots you can use for trail riding. If you must shoe, I would only shoe the front if those are what's sensitive. But then again, I don't know jack about shoeing. Just that a good barefoot trim has seemed to work for mine. If you trust your farrier, go with his recommendations....

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    1. My ferrier is great and has taken very good care of G and thats what he said just do the front for now. I honestly dont think those boots would work for G he is a bit of a princess and when i put splint boots or bell boots on him he lifts each leg rediculously high... i would never keep him shoed year round we will see how it helps. I figured he would have this problem when i bought him because he is fairly flat footed. I hear its a common issue with Thouroghbreds (im sure someone could give insight on that :))

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  2. My mom's Arabian used to only wear shoes on the front and it worked well for her. I am not a fan of shoeing if it can be avoided. Coro has really lovely, hard feet, but they are sensitive on the rocks and where I keep him now has a lot of sandstone to negotiate so I got some boots for him (fronts only). I got Easy Boot Trails - they are truly a cinch to put on, but I have only tried them once so far and the jury is still out. He did quite a bit of stumbling, and at one point when we met the barn manager's wife with her hiking poles, Coro was so busy staring at her that he tripped over himself and fell to his knees. It was pretty scary and made me hesitant to trot or canter with the boots. He did fine the rest of the ride and I do think it's just a matter of getting used to them. I could definitely tell that his feet were more comfortable on the road.

    Whew, long comment!

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    1. lol yeah im was hesitant with the boots as i mentioned to mona, I dont believe that shoes should be kept on when they are not needed so his would only be on during the summer the winter would be for his feet to rest and the nail to grow out. He is super flat footed im going to try to get a picture when i am out there tomorrow morning to show that.

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  3. Choosing to keep your horse barefoot is a whole horse management choice. Diet, exercise, turnout, and hoof care are all important factors to consider. That being said, Harley is bare and trots over rocks, but he also lives out 24/7 and gets regular trims from yours truly. I have never used boots, and I do have some of the same reservations which you described, but I would still try them before shoes.

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  4. Yeah G lives outside but there are no rocks in his pasture or in the arena. But the only places to ride on outside are all gravel roads... :(

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  5. For my 23 yr old arab, we only shoe his front feet during the summer and pull them during the winter. I do his trims when he is barefoot. I thought about leaving him barefoot for another cycle but he tends to get sore on the rocks too. I have never used boots so I can't chime in there. The only horse we shoe all around is our draft cross and she told us that was what she needed. Try the boots and see if they work for G. He will let you know. Good Luck.

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    1. Thats what i was thinking just keeping him shoed during the summer and giving him the winter to rest. He almost fell on the rocks when we went out for a hack because they were bugging his feet it was a bit of a scarey experience lol i felt bad for him. i have been doing a lot of reading on the boots and it is 50/50 a lot of people are still recommending the shoes... we will see how it goes i have a month to decide.

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