Horse just won't keep shoes on!

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Horses24-7

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Hi all

I am at the end of my tether! I know it sounds a tad dramatic but my horse just wont keep his front shoes on!

Hes been on the majority of hoof sup, has hoof hardener applied, wears over reach boots and his feet just look shocking. I've just swooped farriers and he seems to have shod him a lot better and his feet looked really good, then I've got him in today and he's pulled one off!

I seriously am getting to the point where I'm thinking I'm going to have to sell him as I want to get competing etc and he spends every other week out if work as he's missing shoes.

Ive tried him going barefoot but it really didn't suit him, he had them off for nearly a year and was still foot sore so I'm not prepared to go down that route.

What do you think? Any of you have similar problems? I know I sound dramatic but I love riding him and Ive got a training session booked for tomorrow that I'm now canceling as farrier can't get out till after bank hol :-(

I just want a horse with 4 shoes on!
 
is he tb? mine had the same problem keep woofwear club overreach on all the time as they are long so stop him pulling them off himself he also has equine america hoof magic which has been the best of all ive tried and used to have keratex gel on daily now use aqueous cream as reccomended from here has helped him feet now miles better and never pulls them off i know its expensive and nightmare but persevere! unless you have oodles of time and fancy barefoot...
 
Do some research into a low sugar barefoot suitable diet, whether you shoe or not a healthy foot is a healthy foot and it sounds to me like his feet aren't very healthy.
Most of the time diet is the culprit, if you've tried taking the shoes off before and he was still sore after a year then the diet wasn't right for him - by which I mean that it might be a 'recommended diet' but it didn't suit his specific needs, if you can get the diet right chances are you'll get the feet right.
 
Can only speak from experience, but my tb had shocking feet. This is what worked for her in the end:

Naf Rock hard liquid supplement
Keratex hoof hardner
Naf hoof moist

Over-reach boots on all four feet at all times

I also have to admit that when she went onto a broad-spec balancer, her feet improved. It was to the extent that you could see a ridge of better growth advancing down her foot! So I would consider your feeding regime as well.
 
maggiesmum said:
Do some research into a low sugar barefoot suitable diet, whether you shoe or not a healthy foot is a healthy foot and it sounds to me like his feet aren't very healthy.
Most of the time diet is the culprit, if you've tried taking the shoes off before and he was still sore after a year then the diet wasn't right for him - by which I mean that it might be a 'recommended diet' but it didn't suit his specific needs, if you can get the diet right chances are you'll get the feet right.
Click to expand...

Definitely this ^^^

This is why my friend went shoeless. In four years her horse never once kept a set of front shoes on for more than three weeks. It took her a couple of years to get her diet right, including keeping her off grass during the day and feeding additional copper and magnesium oxide, but she won her last ODE and is competing affiliated BE. She had a HUGE dish in shoes, which is all but gone after six years without any.
 
I had the same problem & the lad was being turned out in over reach boots. manged to cure it by using X large (this 0n a 15.2hh New Forest X warmblood so not huge hooves) over reach boots, just for the turn out, that well & truly covered the hoof plus some. Use large size for riding. No problem since.
 
Hoof boots? That they use for barefoot horses? How about turning him out in them?

Failing that I used to feed my TB mare Limestone flour when her feet softned and cracked. Worked wonders.
 
My TB share horse was having exactly this problem. His owner is now using a different farrier who is hot shoeing him and putting two toe clips on the front (previously he was cold shod with a single toe clip). Since the change he hasn't lost a shoe - he's now on his 3rd set! I've probably cursed everything by writing this down, but maybe it'll help you :)

Re. supplements he's now just on pink powder, so we'll see how it goes.
 
My TB used to pull his shoes off a lot, but his hoof quality has noticeably improved since I doubled his linseed and seaweed. He lives out overnight, in during the day, and his diet consists of nothing but grass, pure lucerne (alfalfa), and his linseed/seaweed/brewer's yeast balancer. My farrier also keeps his heels fairly short in front to stop him overreaching so much.

Also, handy tip for you - bit of cider vinegar watered down and brushed all over the foot will harden it up :)
 
Horses24-7 said:
Hi all

I am at the end of my tether! I know it sounds a tad dramatic but my horse just wont keep his front shoes on!

Hes been on the majority of hoof sup, has hoof hardener applied, wears over reach boots and his feet just look shocking. I've just swooped farriers and he seems to have shod him a lot better and his feet looked really good, then I've got him in today and he's pulled one off!

I seriously am getting to the point where I'm thinking I'm going to have to sell him as I want to get competing etc and he spends every other week out if work as he's missing shoes.

Ive tried him going barefoot but it really didn't suit him, he had them off for nearly a year and was still foot sore so I'm not prepared to go down that route.

What do you think? Any of you have similar problems? I know I sound dramatic but I love riding him and Ive got a training session booked for tomorrow that I'm now canceling as farrier can't get out till after bank hol :-(

I just want a horse with 4 shoes on!
Click to expand...


I had this problem with my horse last year. He was new to me last March and was losing shoes atleast once a fortnight despite supplements and Over Reach boots. I mentioned this to my original farrier (lots of experience, well respected in the area) who i'd used for years and years and he just couldn't get it right shoeing wise. I moved yards and for ease of routine used the new yard farrier. He said my horses feet had been left too long, just slightly, but taking in to account his confirmation he really had to pull his toes in. He has been shoeing since January and my horse has not lost a shoe since.

I would really advise speaking with your farrier further about this to explain your frustrations and ask if there is anything else he can recommend shoeing wise rather than supplements etc as it does sound as though your horse is over-reaching - its always front shoes. If not, do you know any other highly recommended/friends farriers that you could get to shoe your horse and again explain what has been happening?

I totally understand how annoying it is. I was the same last year. Missed competitions, hacks with friends cancelled. All very irritating.

Good luck
 
My friend has a horse with poor feet and her husband is a farrier. He recommended Profeet supplement and Kelp. These have worked miracles with her cobs feet. I'd have a good chat with your farrier as they can make lots of changes to what they usually do based on the horse, I'm aware of a lot of his customers who don't fit the "norm" where he welds extra bits on shoes etc to make them work for the horse. Another friend has recently swapped to him and her horse has gone from being shod every 3 weeks to every 5! Much better for the horse's hooves and her pocket!

Fingers crossed you find a solution.
 
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