Can't keep his shoes on!!!

[Marv99]

I am at my wits end with my horse. Over the last 3 months he hasn't managed to keep a set of shoes on for more that 3 weeks.

As a 7/8th TB I accept he really doesn't have the best feet in the world but as he has quite upright pasterns he is in a heartbar wedge in front so when he loses a shoe I have to box rest his and all the hard work I have put in over two weeks to try and get him ready for competitions goes to waste while I have to box rest him while waiting for the farrier.

I always thought my farrier was wonderful and for a farrier he is very good with my horse who can be a bit of a handful and at 17.2hh needs a firm hand. He always turns up when he says he will and will pop out to put on a show as soon as he can. (Usually a few days) However now I begin to wonder. I have asked him and he said to make sure I use over reach boots (I do!) and to keep him out the mud (he no longer goes out but he still loosing his shoes). But I am really at my wits end, the cost is rocketing at having to have a shoe put back on so often and he feet are starting to look a mess. I can't help but stress that this is a downwards spiral!! He is also such a wimp I don't want him to end up lame and hurting.

So I have decided to use a another farrier (recommended by a friend) and see what he thinks. I would almost be inclined to take his shoes off for a while as we don't really do any road work but I know he needs the wedge to raise his heels. Does anyone else have similar experiences? Am I right in trying another farrier?

 

[ferrador]

personally i think you should ask your present farrier if he could get another farrier in for a second opinion on the shoeing . if he is good there will be no problems and all parties will be happy . myself and the majority of farriers i know have always operated this policy to great effect and it makes for a better atmosphere for all involved
chris

 

[Marv99]

My farrier is a bit of a lone wolf but I think I will give it a try. He has lost a few customers recently as he is quite expensive but my vet rates him. I don't want to fall out with him but my horse comes first!

 

[Ladylina83]

I haven't had a "farrier" for years now but when I did he said that their tutor used to chuck wedges at them in class as Quote "that was all they were good for" !

ssssshhhh take um off

http://www.performancebarefoot.co.uk/index.html

 

[Vetwrap]

I feel your pain, really I do. When I bought my big horse 11 years ago, he was in normal keg shoes. My farrier carried on shoeing him and my horse would take just keep taking them off. He had such a poor rate of growth and was taking such huge chunks of foot off and there was nothing left to nail into.
Having been told to retire him at the age of 10, having tried double dosed farriers formula for 18 months, biotin, keratex, cornucrescine, keep in, turn out, no roadwork etc..., I changed farrier. New farrier was a remedial farrier and it was a battle, but he put him in bar shoes and he set the pattern for the years ahead. His feet will always need careful monitoring, but he holds shoes now and is fine on roads.
My youngster, I intend to keep without shoes.
Based on my previous experiences, I would get yourself a copy of "Feet First" and arrange for a remedial farrier to come and see your horse. Time without shoes would obviously help to give the foot some time to recover and I have had really good results using keratex with my young horse.
There is some very good advise on the UKHNCP - http://www.uknhcp.org/page50.html

Hope this helps

 

[kittykatcat]

(quiety shouts whilst waving a banner) **take them off!! take them off!!**

A reeeeeeally scary concept to think about, but once your horse has gone through a transition period (and it sounds like he may have one due to poor conformation at the moment) you will be amazed. Even if you have to buy hoof boots to help him make the transition you wil be hundreds of pounds up from the sounds of it!! If your farrier isnt pro barefoot, maybe have a search on UKNHCP for a barefoot trimmer near you who will have gone through this scenario hundreds of times with other horses...

Good luck, and what ever you do I hope the situation gets resolved it's not fun - i was in the same position 6 years ago (and shoes were cheaper then!) but took my WB's shoes off and havent looked back xx

 

[arizonahoney]

Give your horse to Starzaan - she is always in need of quadrupeds who can't keep their shoes on for more than 15 minutes at a time

 

[Marv99]

I have been really thinking about taking his shoes off but worry about his upright pasterns. The vet advised on having his heels raised so that his pasterns and feet were all in line when he went lame and had x-rays 1.5 years ago. We were never sure of the cause of the lamness as after 6 months off he came sound (he was only ever half a tenth so there was very little diagnosis work that could be done). My concern is that it wouldn't be good for him and would damage his joints.

Also he has a scar on the back of his foot where he put it through some wire as a youngster (I've no idea how but he had jumped out of his field) so I on't know if I would be able to get hoof boots to fit without rubbing and I think he would probably need some as he is a very sensitive soul! Also we both live to jump and I'm not sure if boots would be suitable for this?

 

[saddleupagain]

I am having similar issues except that if it makes you feel better I seem to be loosing a shoe weekly! The farrier says its because he is heavy and rattles the nails but I said shires keep their shoes on!!! Before everyone shouts bare foot at me I've tried for 9 months with backs off and he never felt 100% sound going down a hill and my instructor said he occasionally doesnt look quite right behind. I had a horse whisperer out as he's a rescue and had a traumatic past and she said he is complaining about his feet he is asking for shoes back on and so we reshot him and he's much better. I would have thought after 9 months he would have come right if he was going to?! So the farrier has suggested Kevin Bacon supplement so I will try. I've got some plastic things that screw into stud holes and go up over his heel to stop him catching and pulling front off. Since we have been doing dressage he tracks up and I'm guessing is catching himself. Farrier also just said the shoe he put back on today the damage on shoe no way he could have pulled it off must have been another horse. But anybody got any other ideas? Oh and he's distroyed an over reach boot! So 4 new ones going on? Is it worth putting a sausage boot on as well?

 

[soloequestrian]

With regard to hoof angles, look at this from the Rockley blog:
http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/hes-legend.html

 

[Kallibear]

Why is he in heartbar wedges?! He has upright pasterns so wedging the heel off the ground will only make it worse??!

I've found extreme remedial shoeing like wedges rarely does any good in the long turn and many farriers now agree.

Take his shoes off, let him grow the foot shape and angle he needs, not the one someone's decided to give him and improve his horn qulity. Then he could be re-shod if he really needs it, or continue to work without.

 

[TwoStroke]

Personally I'm really not a fan of wedge shoes. Even if the horse lands heel first in them, the angle the foot is at means that the inner structures of the hoof and leg are effectively landing toe first. A persistent toe first landing is the primary cause of 'navicular'.

Upright pasterns are not a problem for barefoot horses, as far as I'm aware. The hoof boots may be an issue though. Would it be possible to pad the area in sheepskin or similar? A big fluffy sock may help.

 

[Shysmum]

GET EM OFF !!!

 

[Oberon]

Thread was from 2010

 

[Shysmum]

guess we'll never know what happened now !