Broken shoe

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happihorse

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My horse is due to be reshod on Friday, which will be 6 weeks since he was last done. However, when he came in yesterday I noticed that his left fore shoe had cracked in two across his toe.

This is the second time it has happened in about 12 months. Last time the farrier said it was just a weakness in the steel, but now it has happened again I am not so sure.

Any ideas what it could be?

Do you think he is not replacing the shoes with new ones often enough so they are wearing very thin?
 
I have never heard of this.
I'd call the farrier now (speak to the answermachine) asking to bring the appointment forward for a start.
Is your horse in work & how much/what type?
How thin are the shoes as you look at them?
Any chance of a picture?
 
We had this on one of our mares shoes the other week, like DD we had never known it to happen before.
We thought that she may have stood on something sharp in the field that may have sliced through a week piece of metal. We did a day or so later found what we think could have done it. And therefore had no probs since
grin.gif

Hope she's alright
smile.gif
 
The toe of the shoe is where the strength lies and if its worn too thin can snap as described. I have point to pointers that are fittened on roads and the owners only call me when the shoes are snapped or so thin i could shave with them.

Have you increased the work the horse is doing which could account for the wear being beyond the scope of where the farrier would be comfortable refitting a shoe? I always ask how much work a horse is doing if i am considering refitting a shoe and have nevere had this happen when refitting only in the above instance which i have no control over.

If the toe is too thin i wont refit the shoe.
 
have you been doing lots of road work or work on gravel tracks?

Ron regularly goes through front shoes like this in the hunting season, in 6 weeks!

Call the farrier and bring the appointment forwards!
 
In our case the horse is being ridden 4/5 times a week and that is either done in the field or in our school! she didn't have lots of road work done either. She was due to be shod at the end of the week.
It was just really stranged and we were surprised when we saw it.
 
Thanks. I’m going to call the farrier first thing tomorrow and try to get an appointment in the next day or so.

He is worked six times a week in a sand school and then hacks / is lunged the other day.

The shoe has worm down to about a quarter of an inch thick but is also very warn across the front of the toe.

Sorry, can’t do pictures at the moment but agree that would have been more helpful!
 
How often would you recommend replacing shoes with new ones given the workload I mention above? I’m a little concerned as I don’t think my farrier fits new ones very often.
 
I really cant answer that as i have never seen the horse or its shoes or the wear pattern on the shoes.

I dont like to refit shoes too many times as even if the shoe itself wears very little (some do) the nail holes wear and if they get to the point that i would have to put bigger nails then the horse gets new shoes. (again the speed of this is dependent on the individual horse)

sorry if thats not very helpful, chat to your farrier about it. I do agree that the horse needs shoing asap since the shoe is broken!
 
If I am correct in thinking that these shoes are refits then they are being work hardened when they are being refited. This causes the metal to go brittle and fracture.

My advice would be to ask your farrier to fit a new set of shoes each time and you won't have this problem.
 
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