Corona
Well-Known Member
Do you think shoes hinder a horses movement in any ways? I.e would putting shoes on a youngster supress or alter its movement? x
Do shoes hinder movement/paces?
- Thread starter Corona
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teddyt
Well-Known Member
If they are put on correctly, on a well balanced foot and the correct steel section for the horse then no, shoes dont hinder movement. They can actually improve it!
Abbeygale
Well-Known Member
My mare has never had shoes on her hinds before about 5 weeks ago, and she had not had shoes on her fronts for about a year.
I was a little worried that it may change her movement - but in all honesty I think that she seems even better than before.
I do have a wonderful farrier though
I was a little worried that it may change her movement - but in all honesty I think that she seems even better than before.
I do have a wonderful farrier though
jenh166
Well-Known Member
If put on well, they will improve movement in theory as with time horse will learn that they are far less likely to step on stones etc so step more purposefully. I know some people think that you cant get a good bum on a horse without hind shoes, but I have managed to get horses working through really well without them.
Having said that, if your farrier is not very intune with the horses he is shoeing, they can be disastrous!!! I have a friend whos horse moved a bit shuffly and not confidently all summer, then she swapped farriers and now he moves like a dream!
Having said that, if your farrier is not very intune with the horses he is shoeing, they can be disastrous!!! I have a friend whos horse moved a bit shuffly and not confidently all summer, then she swapped farriers and now he moves like a dream!
CrazyMare
Well-Known Member
Mine had always had shoes on, and I took them off for foaling, and her movement got worse, as she wasn't striding out as well, then started going lame.
With shoes on, she is always on a mission, striding out to get whereever she is going, as quickly as possible.
With shoes on, she is always on a mission, striding out to get whereever she is going, as quickly as possible.
cptrayes
Well-Known Member
"If put on well, they will improve movement in theory as with time horse will learn that they are far less likely to step on stones etc so step more purposefully. "
Shoes can "improve" movement. The extra weight can be used to cause higher foot lift (eg hackneys) or longer striding (valued for dressage horses) or produce an exaggerated running walk (eg Tennessee walking horses who have truly disgusting shoeing).
Before I was prepared to "improve" over the natural paces my horse has been given, I would question whether artificially increasing a horse's stride length by a mechanical means instead of by gradual gymnastic exercise will stress joints and cause problems earlier in life than if it was not done.
I couldnt agree that it will improve your horse's movement to be shod because he steps more purposefully. It is my experience that most barefoot horses step just as purposefully as a shod one - I have a dressage horse working at advanced medium who also hacks up stony tracks, and a hunter who gallops up farm tracks laid with hardcore. I've had five affiliated eventers. The "secret" is in the management of the horse to get it rock-crunching so that it genuinely is not harmed by stones, as opposed to what appears to be a numbing effect from shoes in many horses. (If an owner can't get a horse rock-crunching, or boot up, then the horse should be shod, not be allowed to fear treading on a stone).
I also have problems with the often-stated thinking that shoes stop horses from treading on stones. A half inch stone with a third of an inch shoe will still cause damage. Often a lot of damage because very many shod horses have thin soles and many shod horses seem not to feel stones properly, tread on one hard and damage themselves badly. I had one who trod slowly onto a piece of buried angle iron until it punched a hole right through his sole before he felt it. An unshod horse in the same situation would remove their weight from a stone which will damage it.
What shoes will do with your youngster is slow down the speed of growth of his/her feet, reduce the size of the lateral cartilage that supports the back of the foot and atrophy the tiny spiral blood vessels that run through it, amongst other physical changes. These changes are seen consistently by trimmers during their training, when they dissect hooves.
On top of that it will cost you a lot of money. And if you are unlucky and your horse is a susceptible one, or your farrier does a poor job, then they will possibly give your horse navicular syndrome/impar ligament strain/deep digital flexor tendonitis in a few years time.
It your horse is happy without shoes at the moment, the question for me would be - why would you have them put on?
Shoes can "improve" movement. The extra weight can be used to cause higher foot lift (eg hackneys) or longer striding (valued for dressage horses) or produce an exaggerated running walk (eg Tennessee walking horses who have truly disgusting shoeing).
Before I was prepared to "improve" over the natural paces my horse has been given, I would question whether artificially increasing a horse's stride length by a mechanical means instead of by gradual gymnastic exercise will stress joints and cause problems earlier in life than if it was not done.
I couldnt agree that it will improve your horse's movement to be shod because he steps more purposefully. It is my experience that most barefoot horses step just as purposefully as a shod one - I have a dressage horse working at advanced medium who also hacks up stony tracks, and a hunter who gallops up farm tracks laid with hardcore. I've had five affiliated eventers. The "secret" is in the management of the horse to get it rock-crunching so that it genuinely is not harmed by stones, as opposed to what appears to be a numbing effect from shoes in many horses. (If an owner can't get a horse rock-crunching, or boot up, then the horse should be shod, not be allowed to fear treading on a stone).
I also have problems with the often-stated thinking that shoes stop horses from treading on stones. A half inch stone with a third of an inch shoe will still cause damage. Often a lot of damage because very many shod horses have thin soles and many shod horses seem not to feel stones properly, tread on one hard and damage themselves badly. I had one who trod slowly onto a piece of buried angle iron until it punched a hole right through his sole before he felt it. An unshod horse in the same situation would remove their weight from a stone which will damage it.
What shoes will do with your youngster is slow down the speed of growth of his/her feet, reduce the size of the lateral cartilage that supports the back of the foot and atrophy the tiny spiral blood vessels that run through it, amongst other physical changes. These changes are seen consistently by trimmers during their training, when they dissect hooves.
On top of that it will cost you a lot of money. And if you are unlucky and your horse is a susceptible one, or your farrier does a poor job, then they will possibly give your horse navicular syndrome/impar ligament strain/deep digital flexor tendonitis in a few years time.
It your horse is happy without shoes at the moment, the question for me would be - why would you have them put on?
MissSBird
Well-Known Member
Difficult one because, as cptyres explains in a very eloquent way, 'improve' is an interesting term.
From my experience putting shoes on did improve my pony's stride. She had been shod infront and barefoot behind all her ridden life, so approximately ten years. My sister started to do jumpcross with her last summer however, and we felt there were moments on the grass when she was slipping - these were the days most of the big warmblood types were using some form of studs.
Not wanting her to slip and scare/hurt herself, we chatted to our farrier who suggested putting hind shoes on first, to see if that would make a difference. If it didn't we would then add studs. But it did and the slipping has stopped without studs. We've also found her hind legs and hocks are much more active and she is working through from behind better than she ever has. She's had them for 3 shoeing sessions now and I can't say I've noticed any problems from them.
I have however just bought a youngster who is just broken and is fully barefoot. I intend to keep him that way until it becomes necessary to shoe him - for example I do a lot of road work which his bare feet may not stand up to.
I'm all for barefoot (with regular trimming and attention by a farrier), if a horse can cope with it. Some can, some can't. I think its a judgement call between your farriers advice and your own horses feet. But if you can save money, then why not do so?
From my experience putting shoes on did improve my pony's stride. She had been shod infront and barefoot behind all her ridden life, so approximately ten years. My sister started to do jumpcross with her last summer however, and we felt there were moments on the grass when she was slipping - these were the days most of the big warmblood types were using some form of studs.
Not wanting her to slip and scare/hurt herself, we chatted to our farrier who suggested putting hind shoes on first, to see if that would make a difference. If it didn't we would then add studs. But it did and the slipping has stopped without studs. We've also found her hind legs and hocks are much more active and she is working through from behind better than she ever has. She's had them for 3 shoeing sessions now and I can't say I've noticed any problems from them.
I have however just bought a youngster who is just broken and is fully barefoot. I intend to keep him that way until it becomes necessary to shoe him - for example I do a lot of road work which his bare feet may not stand up to.
I'm all for barefoot (with regular trimming and attention by a farrier), if a horse can cope with it. Some can, some can't. I think its a judgement call between your farriers advice and your own horses feet. But if you can save money, then why not do so?
rocketdog69
Well-Known Member
I have an andalusian and this time last year I had his back shoes taken off as the ground was soft, if I wanted to go for a hack I had to do minimal roadwork and also to save a bit of money. The plan was that if he didnt cope I would have shoes put back on. He coped well. I February of this year I discussed with my farrier about taking his front ones off as well. Since then, I've never looked back, it was like riding a different horse, his stride really improved. He still has no shoes on an incidentally hasnt been touched by my farrier since. He gets checked regularly but he never needs his feet touched at all.
I dont think it would work for every horse, I think its a cases of horses for courses.
I'm just very lucky.
I dont think it would work for every horse, I think its a cases of horses for courses.
I'm just very lucky.