Help with horse shoe sizes

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Booboos

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My new French farrier feels the horses' hooves should be a bit wider to distribute the weight more evenly, which I don't have a problem with - in fact as I know nothing about farriery I am happy to go by his advice. However, Cakey needs size 6 shoes and the farrier tells me that 'riding' type shoes only come up to size 5, size 6 onwards are 'working' type shoes (I am not sure this distinction exists in the UK or that I am using the right terminology, I am translating from the French). Basically these 'working' type shoes are A LOT heavier than standard shoes and I am a bit reluctant to use them as they may affect his willingness to move freely and would make his feet very heavy to pick out.

Has anyone heard of this distinction between shoe types? Can you get sizes larger than 5 in the UK? If yes, would I be able to buy some size 6s for my farrier to use here?

Thanks!
 
Does he mean spreading out the feet? Hence making the hooves bigger?! If this is what he means - allowing the feet to spread, it's not something I would let him do to my pony.
 
Harvey took size 9's before he went barefoot. I think he definitely found them too heavy. His feet are still very heavy without to pick out though!
I think you can buy them 'off the shelf' though.
 
@SarahandDee: Yes, he does mean spreading the feet. Would that always be a bad thing? (just asking, I have no clue, but I would imagine that if the feet were too boxy they would need to be spread more?).

@CeeBee: thanks, have you been able to buy them off the shelf in the UK?
 
IT's quite possible your horse has small, contracted feet (many shod horses do) and he wants them to spread. As long as they're not flared and too long, the wider and bigger the better really!

Kalli takes a size 6 and they are heavier and thicker than normal shoes, but I'm sure you could get lighterweight bigger shoes? You could maybe order them yourself from a UK farrie supply company and get him to fit them?

There's a couple of good Farrier forums about that allow non-farriers to post: why not post on there and ask?
 
Booboos said:
@SarahandDee: Yes, he does mean spreading the feet. Would that always be a bad thing? (just asking, I have no clue, but I would imagine that if the feet were too boxy they would need to be spread more?).

@CeeBee: thanks, have you been able to buy them off the shelf in the UK?
Click to expand...

I don't personally, but farriers are able to.
 
you can get concave fullered shoes in 7/8x3/8 which is more than exceptable most horses. Sizes differ on the manufacturers recomendatons, so this is not a great thing t go off. they dont differ dramatically but they are diffrent.

I dont see why your farrier cant get they in a lighter section.. and if not.. why not ask him to make you a set? Might cost more.. but will solve the problem.

Lou x
 
My horse takes a 7 (new size with a new farrier - very very long story but basically previous farrier was shoeing him in too small shoes) and they are from a thicker section but if anything they have improved his feet and he is moving better than ever.
 
The horse's feet do not appear flared or too long to me, so I am happy to let him continue as he is. I can get some photos for you guys later on today if you don't mind having a look.

When I first chatted to him I understood that he made his own shoes, but yesterday he gave me the impression that he was retricted to whatever was available - it may be that my French is letting me down, I will try to clarify why he can't make bigger ones!

He showed me some size 6 'working' type shoes and they were seriously heavy, backs only had one clip as well. Not sure I liked them very much, but as I've said I know nothing about shoeing!

I have done a google search for horse shoes and there appear to be several sites that sell them, as far as I can tell to anyone who wants to buy them, so I might get him to have a look and see if there is something on there he likes the look of. In general I have found that horsey options for everything are a lot more restricted in France than the UK, people are not used to using the internet and certainly don't seem to know much about what is available elsewhere!
 
You can get the lighter weight shoes in bigger sizes, eg MNC horseshoes in Milton Keynes. The sizes vary between manufacturers so not directly comparable. But surely he has to shoe the foot thats already there! A change like that would need to be gradual. If he shoes with width and length then the foot will resize itself over time.
 
shoe size depends entirely on the manufacturer . there is a massive difference between brands and the only reliable factor is the width across the quarters on a correctly trimmed foot in either mm or imperial inches and 1/4 inches
chris
 
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