Foal with hind shoes on at 7 week old!

cblover

cblover

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Recently I met a mare and foal in the heavy horse world and the foal had hind shoes on at 7 weeks old. Holy crap!!! Nothing wrong with the foal....this is purely for showing later in life and this encourages the hocks to turn inwards and touch each other. Not exactly natural is it!!

I feel so sad for the little mite...from a year old it'll be shod all round. How can anyone think this is ok? I despair, honest I do!!
 
It is not unusual for young shire horses to be shod for the showring. I have seen yearling shires with full sets. Our two year old is shown but will not have shoes until he needs them. At £130 a set I hope thats not too soon! He was placed down the line for this reason at a show this year but we will still take him out because we enjoy doing it. I believe the practice in Clydesdales is called "couping" this may be an interesting read, although its dated 2005 so I'm not sure of current legislation http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2005/02/20767/53706
 
Wow. Every day is a school day.
I wouldn't want to be the farrier... Bad enough trying to put shoes on a "adult" nevermind a bouncy young foal!
 
Wow

I did encounter a few years ago some foals being shod to correct ballerina syndrome so I did wonder if it was this when I opened the thread

Seems not, how sad
 
I know in the past that Clydesdale horses were cow hocked/ close behind. It was desirable for ploughing, for stepping in the furrows. My Kev is cow hocked . Funnily. Enough my farrier was talking about it the other day and he said that now it's not needed they are trying to be rid of it and reintroduce staight/ correct legs behind. There are always a few dinosaurs who cling to old practices, so maybe it's that or maybe they are trying to correct his stance. You never know. I don't know enough to have the answer, however any practice to alter an animal for show, in that manner is plainly wrong, unless it is going to improve health
 
Poor little mite! :( How anyone can think shoeing a seven week old in a scenario such as this is acceptable is honestly beyond me.
 
That's very sad. I have also seen plenty of young cobs and trotters shod all round. Someone I know thinks it's cruel to drive a horse without it being shod, regardless of its feet or how often. Strangely he doesn't think it cruel to drive a horse when it's rising two!
 
Doesn't matter what breed, shoes that young is disgusting - another reason I hate showing and kennel club, the criteria set out is ridiculous and to be marked down for not having a shod foal doesn't make sense. Poor poor horses
 
Sukistokes2 said:
I know in the past that Clydesdale horses were cow hocked/ close behind. It was desirable for ploughing, for stepping in the furrows. My Kev is cow hocked . Funnily. Enough my farrier was talking about it the other day and he said that now it's not needed they are trying to be rid of it and reintroduce staight/ correct legs behind. There are always a few dinosaurs who cling to old practices, so maybe it's that or maybe they are trying to correct his stance. You never know. I don't know enough to have the answer, however any practice to alter an animal for show, in that manner is plainly wrong, unless it is going to improve health
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There is a significant difference between a cow hocked horse and a decent heavy horse that is close behind. My Clydesdale is very straight behind but also close (although not close enough to be a real contender in the show ring).

In terms of the "farrier" who did it, I suspect it will have been shod at home, there are plenty in the shire world that do.

It is definitely not right to shoe this young however for as long as judges place youngstock with shoes on others will follow suit and then you get to the stage where people think it is wrong to leave them off. I would be very interested in the SHS/CHS stance on this.
 
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