Farrier visits for shod horses

[BOWS28]

Just curious as to how long people consider 'too long' between farrier visits. It's not that i'm tight and don't want to pay, but my girl is booked in for her shoes on Friday and that will be 11 weeks. This winter her feet seem to have not grown at all... she is sound and her feet are actually looking amazing! Its only in the last week or so they've seem to have grown! She has been doing minimal road work, due to dark evenings and long work days for me..
Should i be concerned?

 

[Chippers1]

To be honest I tend to go with what they look like to, he goes longer in winter and shorter in summer generally. I just keep a close eye on them and if he's uncomfortable etc.

 

[Follysmum]

I always book the shod ones in for every 6weeks
Unshods I watch and see how they grow,have been known to go 12 weeks

 

[BOWS28]

To be honest I tend to go with what they look like to, he goes longer in winter and shorter in summer generally. I just keep a close eye on them and if he's uncomfortable etc.

So glad it's not just me. After getting some comments from other people up at the yard, i was doubting myself! You really wouldn't know its been 12 weeks or 6 at the moment haha. Whereas in the summer, we don't go any longer than 6-7 weeks.

 

[holeymoley]

You can normally get longer out of them in the winter however just be very careful, even fractionally too long can throw the whole hoof out of balance and cause problems.

 

[ester]

I’d never let a shod hoof go over 7 weeks and I would be considering diet choices if insufficient growth.

 

[oldie48]

I book in for the next visit when farrier has finished, usually 6 weeks unless ther's a reason to go for a shorted time. tbh if I didn't book in then, I'd struggle to get an apppointment. 6 weeks seems about right with the horses I've had.

 

[Nasicus]

You can normally get longer out of them in the winter however just be very careful, even fractionally too long can throw the whole hoof out of balance and cause problems.

This! There's more to it than just how thin the shoes have worn or how much the hoof has grown over.
Hoof balance, overall hoof health and spotting problems early on being a few of them.

 

[Ceriann]

Mine is 5-6 weeks irrespective of weather or we risk balance issues.

 

[ihatework]

I have genuinely never known a horse that could go 11 weeks without it being detrimental to their hoof balance.

Maybe yours is one of the very rare ones that can???

I go a max of 6 weeks but more often 5. If scheduling issues crop up I’d be getting the jitters at 7 weeks!

 

[flying_high]

Mine tend to be 4-5 weeks in summer 5-6 in winter. But a bit variable. There are times when grass growing when four be better. Ideal is to ask farrier the best interval for each horse, and he will when doing them say if was too long or short and factor in for next time. There is a soundness report somewhere, which says ideally competition horses should be shod every 4 weeks. Based on the fact feet are best balanced day shod, and worst balanced just before reshod, as feed dont grow in a way for good movement whilst shod. For a foot to go 11 weeks and remain balanced, there is another health issue or diet issue as cause. Some vet and remedial farrier managed laminitics have very little foot growth and go long intervals but thats because of serious damage!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

B is shod every 5 weeks whether he grows much foot or not because he wears his shoes out really fast. He is booked in two months in advance so I always know when he is being done. DP is barefoot and with a foot imbalance I think it is important that he is seen as regularly as a shod horse is. Sometimes he will only need a minimal balance but I would rather it was done sooner rather than waiting as it affects his whole near side and he becomes very tight through the shoulder and poll.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

Shod every 7-8 weeks max, no longer. He's got great feet though. Youngsters trimmed every 6-8 even if it's just a tidy to keep balanced.

 

[Chippers1]

I wouldn't leave mine 11 weeks but there was 8 weeks between his most recent and the last shoeing. In summer it's more like 5 or 6 weeks so it's not a huge difference but I don't book him in for the next when the farrier is there as he's on a riding school/livery yard so the farrier is here every week and I can get him in.

 

[AmyMay]

Shod every 5 weeks (less when hunting in winter).

I'm afraid my conscience wouldn't allow me let them go up to three months without seeing the farrier.

 

[Surbie]

Shod usually every 5-6 weeks, this cycle was 7 weeks and that was too long. His feet had been slowing down, now are growing like the clappers. Back feet are bare and are self-trimming.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Mine is 5-6 weeks irrespective of weather or we risk balance issues.

Same here. Can’t imagine going 10 weeks!

 

[HeyMich]

A horse I used to part share would go 10-12 weeks between shoeing. It would drive me mad! After about 7-8 weeks I would ask the owner repeatedly when the farrier was due to come, and the owner's reply was 'it's not needed yet, she hasn't lost any shoes'...!! I didn't share her for long.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Every 6 weeks here but used to manage 8 weeks. Her feet are more prone to going splat now she's older.

 

[PapaverFollis]

"Going splat" is a technical phrase. True story.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

You can normally get longer out of them in the winter however just be very careful, even fractionally too long can throw the whole hoof out of balance and cause problems.

This. He is shod in front only. In summer 6 weeks is a bit of a push. Farrier is at the yard weekly and has helped tidy up unshod rear hooves in between shoeing.

In winter I plan 8 weeks but the advantage of a huge horse with dinnerplate size feet, is that I can hear that he is going out of balance before it is too late. It has taken many months of listening before we understood and started to recognise the change in the tone. It's more often 7 weeks and not 8.

We only do roadwork once a week so this is about hoof growth not shoe wear.

 

[Lintel]

I'm the same as your OP my boys feet haven't really budged since his last visit... this is the guy who normally needs done ever 7 weeks or he is falling over his feet. By the time my farrier is out this year it will be nearer 10 weeks- he just isn't needing them don't just now.
That being said if they majorly sprouted or he was trippy or lame I'd get him out at the drop of a hat.

 

[sjdress]

I have a mare who used to be awful to shoe, vet sedation job. She would go 10 weeks between and it has never caused any problems, 12 years on! Totally depends on the horse as my new one goes 6 weeks as his hooves are not so good and can get brittle if left too long

 

[Pinkvboots]

5 weeks in summer 6 in winter never known a horse to go 11 weeks and not look like it desperately needs shoeing.

 

[The Trooper]

I've two draft mares with huge feet. They are both done 6 weekly, i tried 8 weekly in line with my parents' cob but it wasn't working for them. They tend to go loose after 4 or 5 weeks and need the farrier to come up and do a quick tighten.

 

[meleeka]

When mine were shod it was 8 weeks. I’ve never gone longer than that in 30-odd years of ownership. Current ponies aren’t shod and it does sometimes happen where farrier has a look and says they don’t need doing so it doesn’t cost me anything for him to check himself.

 

[BOWS28]

A horse I used to part share would go 10-12 weeks between shoeing. It would drive me mad! After about 7-8 weeks I would ask the owner repeatedly when the farrier was due to come, and the owner's reply was 'it's not needed yet, she hasn't lost any shoes'...!! I didn't share her for long.

Oh no, please don't think i'm being like that!! She is still completely balanced, comfortable and her shoes are hardly worn at all due to the lack of work recently. I would happily pay for them to be done every 3 weeks if she needed it! but my farrier says there is almost nothing to do after 6 weeks. i have double checked with him and he is more than happy, knowing her feet. She is an older girl, and her feet just don't grow like wild fire anymore. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the condition of her feet! she also had a full MOT with the vet not long ago when i questioned about feet. He said that some horses hooves just slow down with the growing when they get older! he wasnt worried at all.

 

[dogatemysalad]

Mine are done every 6 weeks. One is unshod and retired due to navicular and ligament injury. My farrier has managed to keep the old girl sound and comfortable for the last few years and the shod horse has beautiful healthy feet. On my list of priorities, hoofcare comes first.

 

[ester]

I’d like to see where the older hooves growing slower claim comes from.

How are you assessing balance?

 

[BOWS28]

I’d like to see where the older hooves growing slower claim comes from.

How are you assessing balance?

I don't want to be made to feel guilty.. i was only asking and she is fine!

Its something that a vet told me, so i'd assume they would have reason to believe this is correct?

Regarding balance - i know my horse. Her foot fall is completely even. With even weight distributed over all 4 feet. She never drags her toes etc