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guido16

guido16

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So, the barefoot Taliban are hot topic, but, I am interested to know, off those who shoe, who does hot shoeing and who does cold shoeing?

I ask as having done both, I hate cold shoeing. It's very much make the hoof fit the shoe style, as opposed to hot shoeing where it's shaped to fit the hoof.

So ...discuss?
 
i prefer hot shoeing....better shoe fit to hoof... though i find some farriers leave the shoe on to long, and seem to 'burn' the hoof quite a bit.

on of my horses wears racing plates, which cant be heated, but can be shaped when cold due to their softeness, but has been cold shod, and this shoeing was of poorer quality than hot shoeing, as shoe didnt fit hoof so well.
 
I totally agree with you, cold shoeing (unless when using racing plates) is more fit the hoof to the shoe rather than fitting the shoe to the hoof.
My dad is a farrier and hates cold shoeing and will only do it if hot shoeing is not an option.

'I'd say either choice depends on the farrier's skill.'

If a farrier is properly trained then he should have the 'skill' to hot and cold shoe. x
 
Hot shod but horse quite understandably is not a fan of the experience really! I agree cold shod come off more so now trying to go with just the two hot shod on front and going to try the backs with nothing to lessen the drama.
 
Mine is hot shod on all four, he is not bothered at all about the process. He is very relaxed about it all.
 
Barefoot now but use to cold shoe as my horse tried to kill me during his 2nd hot shoeing! Decided it wasn't worth risking my life for!
 
Hot shoeing preferred, but as another post has said, if a shoe is lost (twice in 7 years!) then the farrier cold shoes the replacement. Horse doesn't mind procedure at all. she's a bonfire freak anyway, so spends shoeing time deep-breathing the smoke........
 
Should be shoes made or shoes bought in. That's as important as how the horse is shod, shoes made is a practice which is nearly dead, as farriers nowadays don't have hours to make their own shoes or the knowledge to do it as its not taught at college but taught by the masters. They also don't have a forge set up at home to make them. Our farrier makes his own and bought some in once said the quality was rubbish to how he makes them.
 
I have seen good and bad with both hot and cold shoeing.

Gone are the days when a farrier made their own shoes. When they went out to shoe there were no portable forges so most were cold shod.
Back then I saw a very badly made shoe used hot put on a foot which then appeared to fit because it was burnt on.

All ours are hot shod by a very good farrier.
 
As above. Hot shod, unless a shoe has come off after a very recent shoeing, then he just taps them back on.

However I have to say we've only lost 1 shoe on 1 horse (out of 3) in 4 and a bit years!
 
I have seen excellent cold shoeing. I have seen both poor and good hot shoeing.

Each farrier does it slightly differently and has slightly different beliefs.
 
Hot. The people that have bought unbroken youngsters from me have all remarked how easy they have been right from the start for their farriers and to hot shoe without any problems at all. None of them have had any special handling or desensitizing for hot shoeing but they have all accepted it without a murmur. The only thing I do suggest is to cup the eye so they can't see the smoke behind them the first time. I think a lot of it is how they've been handled in the past.
When Joey as a 4 yr old had his first set, I led him out to the yard and held him, he didn't turn a hair honestly and I do have to admit I thought we might have had 'fun' but he's well used to my farrier and he stood like a rock, never even bothered about the smoke.
 
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Matti is currently hot-shod in front, although he'll be unshod next time.

Blossom was trimmed next to him, and got rather unsettled due to the smoke. She's always a bit funny with the farrier, even though he is brilliant, and I wonder if she can pick up that scent from him?
 
All mine are hot shod and all have handmade shoes, so perfect size, perfect shape everytime :D OH won't use readymades.

Youngsters usually witness other horses being hot shod outside their stables, and for their first set they will usually have the fronts on cold and the hinds on hot (with very little smoke) so they gradually get used to the smoke and the smell, although tbh I've never had one that really objected.

I'd never let any of mine be cold shod with ready mades - you'd never be able to shape the shoe properly cold.
 
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