Back shoes on horses turned out together

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Frans

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On Wednesday I turned my horse out with our two ponies after they had spent some time in fields side by side. They seem to have settled down together very happily. I took the back shoes off my horse in case things didn't go so well but I'm tempted to get them put back on now as I'm not sure how well she will cope hacking on the stony paths round us without them. The farrier is coming this afternoon for the ponies so will talk it over with him but what do you think? My concerns are for the ponies getting hurt if she kicks but she hasn't kicked out at all (though the shetland did). Also are there any other potential issues with her having back shoes on whilst turned out?
Thanks in advance!
 
I would be inclined to give her a go barefoot behind, you never know she might surprise you. The horses that go over all terrain barefoot needed to start somewhere so give it a chance and get her hacking which will stimulate and strengthen the feet (and backs are the ideal start) If it doesnt work put them on for the next shoeing cycle, job done!
 
You don't need shoes on to go over stoney ground - you just need good strong hooves. Get your diet, exercise and trimming regime right and you'll be fine. Use hoof boots in the interim if you need to and don't listen to any nonsense from anyone else, especially farriers, telling you that you NEED shoes on.
 
Plenty of horses are turned out together with shoes on, every day in lots of yards. As they are settled together now I am sure they will be fine.
 
PoppyAnderson said:
You don't need shoes on to go over stoney ground - you just need good strong hooves. Get your diet, exercise and trimming regime right and you'll be fine. Use hoof boots in the interim if you need to and don't listen to any nonsense from anyone else, especially farriers, telling you that you NEED shoes on.
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This.
 
As above both shod turn out is (often but not always) fine. And so is being unshod behind. Very very few moderately sound and healthy horses can't cope without backs on in moderate work imle (in my limited experience!).
 
Back feet bare is much easier than all bare, that's for sure. Put them back on if you want, but always worth trying bare, two less shoes to be thrown and need replacing haha.

As for getting hurt, well there's always that risk, even in a herd of horses that have been together for years. They don't understand that they've got heavy metal shoes on, which can cause a lot more damage than an identical kick with a bare hoof could. But in saying that, even a well placed (or for us, poorly placed) kick from a bare hoof can cause significant damage. I'd say it's worth trying bare on the backs for a while, certainly helps to de-weaponize the hooves, to an extent.
 
I would put her hinds back on, mine always get their hinds off for introductions, but once they are happy I put them back on. Yes they could kick each other in the future, but horses have a million creative ways to injure each other and them selves at the best of times. Just a thought - does she change much with her seasons? Are they all mares?
 
Thanks everyone, ultimately going barefoot would be great but it would be a long job Her soles bruise easily on stones even with shoes on and she has had several abscesses in her front hooves as a result. She was previously on livery and one reason for her coming home is to have more control over her feeding and general care but I'm worried hat leaving the shoes off straight away may be too much.
She is not normally the freindliest of mares towards other horses but seems to have really hit it off with the pony mare (think the pony being her shadow) whilst our poor little shetland gelding is being somewhat pushed out. They have lots of space for now but in the winter when they are in a reduced area there may be more disagreements.
 
Could always just try bare on the backs and see how she goes. My mare was only shod when I got her as her feet were appalling. After we started getting some good horn growth, we took the backs off and she remained like that for a year or so, coped very well, even worked in a riding school during that time. When she came back, I whipped her fronts off too and she's been bare for over a year now.
I found that having her only shod in front worked well, even now that she's completely bare her back feet are rock crunching and the farrier often has quite a job cutting the excess off haha!

Her fronts are more sensitive, so I use boots on exceptionally stony ground, but I reckon that's because they take most of their weight on the fronts.
 
My boy has been fine with no back shoes on for the best part of a year but we've just had new hardcore laid on the paths between the yard and fields and it seems to have tipped him over the edge. We've persevered for the last few weeks but he's getting worse not better so they're going back on next week. He's turned out with 12 others, about half of which are shod behind and we haven't had any problems.

I'd say you could do either. I'd try her barefoot but be prepared to put them back on if she's struggling. Now they're settled, they shouldn't be too much of a problem.
 
Frans said:
Thanks everyone, ultimately going barefoot would be great but it would be a long job Her soles bruise easily on stones even with shoes on and she has had several abscesses in her front hooves as a result.
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You need to tackle this regardless. Putting shoes on will just mask it, not cure it.
 
Not every horse can go without shoes. I have two , one happily barefoot and one shod all round. I can get away with just fronts in the winter when I ride less but he cannot cope barefoot.
 
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IME it depends on the horses. We have 4, who live in pairs. The older 2 who have both been shod but aren't now wouldn't dream of raising a leg to each other, even though one is a dreadful face puller and can't be kept with one of the other pair as they fight.
The other, younger pair, who have never been shod, play at kicking each other (mostly near misses) all the time and I certainly wouldn't risk shoeing either of them, even though they are the best of friends.
 
PoppyAnderson said:
1990 called and wants you back.
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Ah - the Barefoot Taliban. Haven't read a post like that for a while!

It's absolute rollx that every horse can go barefoot. Many thrive, some cope and there are some who just can't and it's quite frankly cruel to keep trying.
 
I've tried two ponies with unshod hinds, and ended up putting shoes on both. Ridden x 4 per week, 2 x hacking.

The difference in the attitude out on the roads once the shoes were put on was astounding.

Its worth a try OP, now the shoes are off, but please don't feel you have 'failed' if you have to put them back on.

Touch wood ;) I've never had a kick injury from horses being turned out together in small settled groups of 2-3....

Fiona
 
Mrs B said:
Ah - the Barefoot Taliban. Haven't read a post like that for a while!

It's absolute rollx that every horse can go barefoot. Many thrive, some cope and there are some who just can't and it's quite frankly cruel to keep trying.
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Not true. What is true is that some people can't be bothered to put the work in or aren't able to make the necessary changes to enable their horse to go barefoot. In the UK, in the main, we keep horses in small grass fields, which aren't typically conducive to going barefoot. This in itself can make it difficult.
 
Why wouldn't I even try? Because while most of you Talibans 'we are the only people who love our horses' say your horses go just as well on all terrain as an shod horse, many unshods I see look footy and sad and certainly are not striding out. Not all, I grant you, and most people like their horses to eat grass and hay as their main food source. PA - HHO has moved on from posts like yours.
 
I have never managed to get a horse to stay unshod for long. They are unshod when I first break them but as soon as I start hacking out up the road each day they start to get footsore and need shoeing. If I didn't get them shod their sore feet would put them off being ridden and I want them to enjoy their work.
 
I would leave the baacks off and give it a go hacking without. Bear in mind it takes around 6 weeks in some cases to toughen up. I do agree though that some horses that we have bred with no concern paid to hoof quality (aka many race horses) cannot perform to their best ridden without shoes. But they are in the minority. I used to be a traditional horse persson who shod all round. Now I take hinds off always and never had a problem. My 6 year old is barefoot and has never worn shoes. She is a TB x WB. If I was doing a lot of hacking on roads then she would probably need fronts on because she doesn't do so well with lots of wear on her feet.
 
I have a large youngster with draft breeding who has congenitally thin soles and a severe medial- lateral imbalance on one fore. Aged 6, he has been unshod until now but he is being shod in front next week. This is despite being on a bf friendly diet and all the rest - every other horse I have had has been unshod. Recent repeat x rays and long, long discussions with the vet and farrier have brought us to this point. Boots were not really up to the job either, and due to his foot size we have been limited to the Cavallo BFB.
Until now I believed that "any" horse could potentially go bf. I don't any more. At least not if I want him in any kind of work.
 
Antw23uk said:
This.
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i would say this is also nonsense....listen to your horse!!!!!! no matter what some people say,some horses cant cope without shoes if they are to be worked......i have always tried to keep mine without shoes and a few find it very uncomfortable if in hard work, so i have them shod in front but hinds are usually ok........i would think yours would be able to cope without hind shoes on , just keep and eye on her and ask the farrier to just rasp away the jagged edges and not to cut away too much...and also make sure the diet is right,good luck
 
PoppyAnderson said:
Not true. What is true is that some people can't be bothered to put the work in or aren't able to make the necessary changes to enable their horse to go barefoot. In the UK, in the main, we keep horses in small grass fields, which aren't typically conducive to going barefoot. This in itself can make it difficult.
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Insulting tosh to all those people who have tried hard to transition their horses, including lifestyle, paddock, feed & exercise regime changes to still find they have an uncomfortable horse.

Some horses will not manage comfortably without shoes, however much you'd like to believe otherwise.
 
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Mrs B said:
Insulting tosh to all those people who have tried hard to transition their horses, including lifestyle, paddock, feed & exercise regime changes to still find they have an uncomfortable horse.

Some horses will not manage comfortably without shoes, however much you'd like to believe otherwise.
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Believe? I don't 'believe'. That (insultingly!) insinuates that my assertion is based on no knowledge.
 
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