Does anyone horse have front shoes on only? and why? comments/advice please

[mightymammoth]

Hi,

I'm just wondering if anyone else uses front shoes only and why, as this is something I'm considering on his next shoeing.

How has horse horse coped? Has it taken them long to adjust?

Any comments are appreciated,

thanks

 

[LauraWheeler]

Merryn only has front shoes on. He was unshod when I got him but after only a week of owning him he got 3 very big abcesses in a row. They were due to the gap in his white line following Lami. We desided to put front shoes on him to protect his feet and he hasn't had an abcess since.

Lucy had a full set of shoes on most of her life but after her diagnosis she was semi retired so I desided to take her back shoes off as it seemed pointless paying for a full set when she wasn't doing as much work anymore. She coped realy well and didn't take long to adjust at all. She had very good feet and probably didn't need shoes on anyway

Have you spoken to your farrier about this as he will know your horses feet best.

 

[loopylucifer]

one of mine only had hinds on (she likes to be different) this because she has suspensory trouble and both vet and farrier said no to having them off. there was no reason for her to have fronts on. she is out 24/7 and has been fine without. Most horses cope fine without hinds it only if you are hacking lots on stoney flinty ground that they can get bit footy as foot wears to quick

 

[Jackson]

Before box rest Jack had had no back shoes for 12 weeks, and had coped just fine. We weren't doing that much roadwork, but he never got footy or sore, even on stoney ground.

After that he had no shoes at and is currently a little careful with his fronts but other than that!

Someone will probably come along and tell you better than me, I don't know what I'm talking about, but keeping his diet low in sugar is a good thing, as, apparently is a lot of excersise, keeping his comfort in mind if he is sore.

Good luck, if you decide to go ahead with it

 

[Trolt]

My lad only has fronts. He wears the fronts down quickly, and gets quite footsore on hard ground.
Fronts just make him comfier. There is no need for him to have hinds on, so we never have.

 

[cob&onion]

My cob has fronts only as she was barefoot but we started doing a fair bit of road work so i had front shoes on - the farrier says she doesn't need hinds and if it wasn't for the stony roads we hack about on we wouldn't need shoes atall - she copes fine and much better than without

 

[Paint Me Proud]

Chico only has fronts on (although he is unshod at the moment as the vets took fronts off when he had surgery).

He only had fronts as we do a lot of road hacking so the shoes protect his fronts, which take the bulk of the weight, whilst i took the hinds off to give his better grip on the road as we go up and down a lot of steep roads. Works well for him

 

[dominobrown]

The cob only has front shoes on
She was shod all-round since she was 2/3, and I got her when she was 12. We took her back shoes off and we have never had any trouble. She has been like that for about 2 years now. She was a little footy doing road work bare foot but no problems with just front shoes no matter how many miles she does. She is fine on all surfaces even gravel etc.
At the racing yard down the road ALL there horse have only front shoes, despite doing quite a bit of roadwork, and they all seem fine. Actually I have seen quite a lot of trainers do this. I think its quite a good comprimise.
Horse I ride out for someone is also shod like this, she was very footy on their gravel track but is now not footy in the slightest. Its also half the price

 

[Supertrooper]

My first horse did because he wouldn't let you do his back ones.

My friends cob only has fronts on as she gets a bit footy on her fronts whilst out on the road xx

 

[christine48]

My 4 yr old only has front shoes on and I will keep her that way as long as possible. I noticed a lot of show jumpers and dressage horses are only shod in front. I suppose it depends on whether you work mainly on a surface and how much hacking you do. Saves money too!!

 

[Shantara]

Ned only has fronts, but as he's not mine I don't really know (I'll ask next time I see him)
I presume because, like Trolt said, it just makes him a bit comfier on the front

 

[sychnant]

one of mine does, because he was vile with other horses when I got him. He hasn't missed them so I haven't put them back on.

The other 3 - one has no shoes due to lami, one has none as I owned her from 6 months old and never put any on her, and the 3rd doesn't as he's only 10 months old. But he won't have them unless he needs them either

I have to say, if any of my horses needed shoes, they would have them, no question. But it's a darn sight cheaper if they don't £55 for 3 1/2 trims and 1/2 a refit yesterday

 

[Nicnac]

Yep, my TB ex-racehorse only has fronts on as he doesn't need hinds unless he's eventing (daughter at uni & no chance of me being that bonkers). He is turned out 24/7 now, does hardly any roadwork but does have road nails on fronts for small amount of roadwork he does. Farrier comes every 5 weeks and he's never been lame.

 

[iconique]

I've got 2 with front shoes only and am just about to shoe 2 of my youngsters, I only bother with fronts unless competing lots (haven't for a long time), we don't for several reasons including 60%ish of the weight is across the front when ridden (if they were driven we'd have them on the back instead), it costs less and one of ours is a kicker and when you've been on the receiving end, without shoes is still not pleasant but less destructive imo.

Plus one of them has ringbone and the natural balance shoe helps him stay sound.

 

[Count Oggy]

Pony came with fronts on only. I was never with him being shod but heard he was a bit naughty. Was barefoot over Christmas as farrier was away so I took his shoes off and he was grand but wore his fronts down too much on the road. Got him shod to go off to camp and WHAT A *******! No wonder he never had backs on, he spent most of the time on his back legs! I have now been tapping his shoes with the pick everyday and as he has accepted that have moved onto hitting gently with a tack hammer, reassuring him whenever he gets tense. It would be great to be able to put back shoes on if he ever needs them, but seems fine at the moment.

 

[mightymammoth]

Thanks all, provided farrier agrees will go for just fronts and see how he goes. He hacks once maybe twice a week and goes in the school maybe twice a week, will be good to save a few pennies as his current set are £90 a time

 

[SO1]

Yes my pony only has fronts on, for several reasons. I will admit financial reasons do play a part and secondly I also know if he does kick out in the field he will do less damage and he just does not seem to need them on the back.

 

[BeckyMason97]

My mare just has fronts, she was unshod when I got her and isn't in hard enough work to really need backs, although I'd prefer to have them on, she likes to give the occasional boot, so it's not very safe to get backs on until we've sorted that out! Although it is definitely getting there! My 3yo had just fronts when I got her too but she now has all fours, she coped fine without backs though.

 

[miss_wilson]

when i bought my mare i had her back shoes taken off at our first shoeing, most of the bodyweight is transferred through the fronts thats why the shoes protect the hoof.
She has really good feet though and i have never had a problem,
plus the fact its cheaper!!!

 

[RutlandH2O]

My late Clyde had fronts only for 12 years because he had flat feet and was constantly getting abscesses. Once his front feet were shod, if he ever got an abscess, it was in his hind feet. He was never ridden in the 12 years I had him.

 

[Spotsrock]

None of mine have shoes on back. Never needed them. Adjust immediately. No vet bills for kick injuries since. Bit gutted pony came back off loan with backs on. Need to pay farrier to come take the damn things off

 

[Regandal]

My boy (17.1) has only had front shoes for years now, copes really well. Feet are in fab condition. Twice tried to leave front ones off, but he seemed footsore, so they're back on to stay.

 

[mightymammoth]

My late Clyde had fronts only for 12 years because he had flat feet and was constantly getting abscesses. Once his front feet were shod, if he ever got an abscess, it was in his hind feet. He was never ridden in the 12 years I had him.

wow a clyde as a pet bet he was fab

 

[mightymammoth]

My boy (17.1) has only had front shoes for years now, copes really well. Feet are in fab condition. Twice tried to leave front ones off, but he seemed footsore, so they're back on to stay.

that's my worry, without fronts he's crippled as his soles are so thin and sensitive(granted shoes wont cure this the only thing that would is taking the shoes off to toughen the feet up).

That's why I want to start with backs as his backs are better.

 

[Lintel]

Bailey- the 4 year old Highland has just the fronts on.
He has them on because he is a wimp He also had a bad bout of lami last year, so it's just too keep him from getting a bit "footy" when he is under rocks and stones, just because they are a little more sensitive now. We also do a lot of road work and there are quite a few stoney tracks this way.
Coco the cob (not mine) has fronts on too, because he fronts are a lot weaker than his backs due to bad shoeing in the past, it also stops him fronts getting chips and cracks. He also does the same amount of roadwork etc, as me and the boy do

But really... Bailey doesn't need shoes, he is just baby'd by his mum

 

[RutlandH2O]

wow a clyde as a pet bet he was fab

Thunder was the best!!! He was such a character and so personable. He loved all the animals on the farm. Before he came to me, I'm told his best friend was a shetland. He was my late old mare's devoted companion. He tried to befriend my donkeys, but they wouldn't have any of it, which is so ironic seeing as Thunder was terrified of them when he first met them. He adored my pet sheep and even groomed my tamest one. He taught my unhorsey OH to trust very big horses (he was 18h). My favourite photo of him is in the photo gallery (I think or maybe it's Photobucket - I don't know how to get photos on here). He's greeting my vet's tiny toddler son. The photo is Thunder in a nutshell. I miss him terribly.

 

[mightymammoth]

Will have a look at your photos now. How come he wasn't ridden?

 

[RutlandH2O]

Will have a look at your photos now. How come he wasn't ridden?

I actually bought him as a riding horse and companion for my late old mare. I have had major back problems for 15 years, now, and lost my nerve. I decided that my connection to horses would be from the ground. When I was younger I was fearless. Now that I'm into my dotage, I keep thinking does Christopher Reeve (Superman) ring a bell?

 

[Bionic Boy]

My boy has always had shoes on but then had an operation so had them off. I thought it was an ideal time to try him without as he came back into work. I have had to put the front ones on pretty quick and I am now admiting defeat and getting the back ones put back on too.

I tried but his feet just aren't up to it.

 

[9tails]

She came with a full set, but farrier advised that feet are quite good and she could go without back shoes. He took them off 4 years ago, just rasped the edges and away we went. I've never noticed a difference and she's not been footy.

Don't do what my mate did and tell the farrier that you don't want backs put back on once he's pared the hoof ready for them. Poor mare spent about 3 months really uncomfortable as she didn't have anything to wear down.