Could Your Horse Cope......

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....without shoes?
TBH I'm starting to wonder if I need NB's on my cob.....and when I mention it to my Farrier I'm told he needs shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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He is currently not in work and was shod with NB's on my Vets advice.....not that there is a thing wrong with his leg conformation....now I find myself wondering,do all horses need shoes?
 
No some horses well ill go as far as to say most horses dont need shoes when then are out of work or in light work.

NB on vts recommendation? has the horse had a soft tissue injury?

I cant see a cob that is out of work needing shoes.. but i havent seen the horse and I havent seen his feet or the reason he needs the NB's.

PS.. A well trimmed foor can do the same as a NB.. please remain with a farrier mind.. they know what the crack is lol

Lou x
 
Mine can't cope without shoes. She'd be ok in a muddy field but on hard ground, frozen ground or in work she goes lame very quickly. She is mostly TB though so you kind of expect it.

I'm surprised by the blunt response of your farrier though - mine would happily discuss going barefoot even though its not something I ever intend to do.
 
my current horse needs shoes however the cob I had before her hoof was as hard as nails and she never needed shoes even when ridden regularly on the road so no not all horses/ponys need shoes
 
When my TB was out of work we took her shoes off (she had dreadful feet) and it was the best thing I ever did, when she came back into work I just had fronts on and was brilliant.
If the one in my sig ever had a prolonged period not in work then she also has her shoes off.
I have another who has never ever has shoes and is fab without.

Can't see your cob having a problem without shoes aslong as you are sensible and keep and eye on him.
 
My pure bred Arab copes just fine without shoes. She wear hoof boots for hacking for better grip and cos some of the roads round my bit are more hardcore than tarmac (she used to be so footy giong over them when she was shod)
 
My point is this cob has fantastic feet,they grow too quickly and appear super tough....I think he could cope all the time without them.....and he has no problems..Note:He was taken off a wide web shoes,as appeared to loose them quicker.The reason I ask is farrier out on Tuesday,a set cost £75 and cob won't start work till Spring!
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my irish cob doesn't have shoes on - my farrier encouraged me

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mine was the same I kept asking does she need shoes yet? lol
 
I have a TB x, 2 cobs, a Connie, a welshie and a shettie all barefoot.
If there is no particular reason for your horse to have shoes on then why not give it a go. If your farrier won't do it find one that will or remind him who is paying...
 
Old Cairo our first clydesdale had his shoes off following radiotherpy and they stayed off. I did have to put the fronts on the first summer, but he then went onto black sunflower seeds and the following year was fine.

He was in light work but still doing a little jumping etc. For him it was the best thing we did. He stopped having constant thrush and hemorraging.

Jemima the first gypsy cob had her shoes off. She did a few miles of roadwork a week, XC, SJ etc and was fine without them.

Farra, new clydie mare had her shoes removed within the week. She has been fine and no problems whatsoever.

Chancer, second gypsy cob - never worn them.

I don't do miles of roadwork and our hacking is on grassy/muddy tracks for the most part. They have very tough hard feet, thanks to the BOSS. Should they ever need shoes I would put them on, but my farrier says no need at the moment.

My Hann/TB mare was fine without shoes when in light work, but my old TB had to have fronts on, though she could cope during the winter when the ground was soft.

I would start with the backs and then try the fronts - now is the perfect time to try it.

Ask your farrier why he says he must have shoes. Does he need them for leg/foot problems, sounds like the feet themselves are ok. It could possibly that he does like just getting £25 odd for a trim.
 
My farrier has encouraged and advised me to keep 2 of our natives without shoes....they both get regular trim/balance ......my horse has shoes cos he was footsore without and his feet were in bad nick when I got him, he has NB at farriers suggestion and has lovely hooves now, bless him.
 
Nope - maybe behind but definitely not in front. I love my TBs but do get little pangs of envy when I see a warmblood with lots of hoof..
 
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whys he outta work?

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Nothing wrong with him,it's my nerves and I admit I hate riding in Winter.....he will be coming back into work March time...done alot of ground work this Winter!
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Once I'm back riding then I plan to make myself ride at least 5 times a week or he will be sold or put out to loan...As I know he is wasted with me!
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If theres nothing wrong with him.. Then im not sure why your vet recomenbed NB's and to be fair.. they are NOT remedial shoes anyway.. Someones having you on.

ou x
 
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Its not barefoot its unshod! or PAIRED!

Lou x

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Its whatever you want to call it. I prefer barefoot
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I think you referred to the hoof as a foot further up the thread didn't you
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Amy was happy as larry without shoes on during her retirement.

Thumper had them off for a few weeks holiday in the summer - bad decision.

Freddy TB - no way hose.
 
My Irish Sports Horse (3/4 TB 1/4 ID) doesn't have shoes. She went barefoot after a diagnosis of navicular and it was the turning point in her recovery.

From what you say of your cob, I would try her barefoot. Most cobs cope so well they don't even need the conditioning period that TB types have to go through. The cob I used to have (now owned by someone else) used to put her front feet through sheep wire and stand there stuck with the wire between her shoe and her heel looking pleased with herself, but it became such an obsession, her new owner took the shoes off. She has coped perfectly fine without shoes and can't attention-seek any more!
 
I have an elderly TB with godawful feet, and as I knew I wasn't going to have time to ride him over the winter my farrier suggested I have them taken off - it's the best thing I have ever done for his feet and after 6 months they look amazing, almost like normal feet!
 
Mine are unshod. Herbie had fronts on when i got him, and then was re-shod but one came off within a week, so had both taken off. He wasn't ridden for 6 weeks due to stress and stuff, but coped just fine without.
We don't do a lot of road/tarmac work, so it suits him and he has never shown any sign of sore feet.

Magic used to wear shoes, then when I left the RS hers were removed as she was semi-retired. Never footsore, and she is ridden same as H, not much road work etc. She has nice feet.

Phantom never had shoes and he also had good feet, am hoping Harmony will be the same. All trimmed etc and don't need them
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edited to say, that it has been 18 months now.
 
I just wrote a big reply.. and lsot it because someone deleted a post.. so now i cant be arsed to write it again.

Lou x#

Seriously pisses me off when i spent time writing a post and some has deleted the one im replying to. Waste of my time.
 
I have a very good vet,and he felt he would be better on a NB shoe....as Wide webs did not suit him,much was discussed at the time of vetting!
I just think he could cope without shoes,and as I stressed he has very good feet.....just feel like they think me stupid and having been round horses for more years than I can count......I was just curious as to how other people faired when dealing with their farrier on this subject and how others coped without shoes!
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I just wrote a big reply.. and lsot it because someone deleted a post.. so now i cant be arsed to write it again.

Lou x#

Seriously pisses me off when i spent time writing a post and some has deleted the one im replying to. Waste of my time.

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Oh ..
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