COLD SHOEING?!

lucindakay

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Hi,
i have to get my boy cold shod as we tried to ween him into getting hot shod but he would do himself more damage then good. my boy is 16hh ex-racehorse, so will naturally have his horrible hooves and what my question is should i pursue getting him hot shod or shall i stick to cold?

also if anyone had positive or negative feedback do tell as i really am thinking of converting him slowly but surely, for example sticking him on the yard while the others have theirs done because it is only the noise and smoke that gets to him.

thank you
 
All the farriers I know will cold shoe if they are only doing a couple at a time. Mine were cold shod for around 10 years and never had any problems with it.
 
I always had my tb cold shod after the first hot-shoeing disaster. He has typically thin tb feet and was feeling the heat from the shoe :eek: Not surprised he objected! Never had a problem with cold in the seven years I had him shod. Apart from this year, when I had fronts put on him (cold) to sort an issue, he has been shoeless for the past seven years, his hinds are fantastic and I'm hoping his fronts will get there eventually too.

I changed his diet. Much better feet. :D
 
my pony is cold shod and always has been,dont really know why to be honest, just kept the same farrier as the old owners! weve never had any problems, i know he does a lot of race horses and he says lots of them are cold shod too! so if its working well doesnt seem to be any point in changing to me! x
 
In theory a decent farrier should be able to shoe just as well hot or cold. Personally I'm happy either way so long as the farrier at the time can justify their choice. For example my old farrier used to shoe my TB cold because he did a lot of TBs and felt that if they had weak, thin horn anyway the heat cold burn it down too much. He moved away from the area and the next farrier decided to shoe hot, only comment is that Win didn't lose a single shoe this summer- but if that was because of better overall management/having the winter out of shoes, or down to the hot shoeing I couldn't say.

I'd talk to your farrier and ask what he/she feels is best for your horse and go from there. :)
 
I have always been under the impression that shoes that have been put on cold are easier for the horse to pull. However I had my lad cold shod when we realised he was a nightmare being hot shod and didn't have a problem :) saying that he's now barefoot and the best he's ever been! Maybe he was trying to tell me he didn't need them with his rock hard Connie feet :P
 
You guys have just put my worry to rest :) my farrier hot shod my horses 1st two times (my cob did throw a shoe 2nd time as well) on the 3rd visit he did it cold, I wondered if he was being lazy lol, but my lads shoes are still well and truely on even with this weather and no problems with the other ponies either
 
My late Clyde came to me with appalling, flat feet. After my first year with him having endless abscesses, my farrier suggested shoeing his front feet. After a harrowing first attempt at hot shoeing, he was cold shod for 12 years until the day he died (and, he never had an abscess in a front foot again).

My pride and joy, an 18h1" black Shire mare, was a Shire Horse of the Year Finalist years before I acquired her. In 2007, I decided to have a go showing her. My farrier (same one I've had for 14 years) prepared the most gorgeous bevelled shoes. Upon attempting to hot shoe her it was clear she would have none of it. So he cold shod her and she won Best Shod Shire at our first show, the Leicester Show. A couple of months later, she won Best Shod Heavy Horse at the East of England Show, to great admiration from the foot judge.

My point, don't be worried about cold shoeing. As Floradora said, a decent farrier should be able to shoe well hot or cold.
 
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