Horse Slipping- help?

[jessie7]

I was wondering if anyone has any experience of young horses slipping?
My 4yr old was shod all round. He used to trip quite a lot in the summer when he was brought into work. He was in work for a few months and then due to lack of time I turned him away. I brought him back in about 4 weeks ago and he hasn't been shod yet. When riding yesterday on grass he kept losing his hind legs and slipping very badly. My other 4yr old was being ridden out with me, who is shod all round, and he didn't have any problems.
My farrier is due this week and I was planning on just having fronts put on but now I think I need hind shoes too??
Problem is I have no experience with him to compare to as it was dry when he was in work before and although he seems a little less idle now, I haven't had as much tripping problems, I'm worried about his total inability to grip??!
Not sure what to do as he worried me after Saturday........

 

[Miss L Toe]

Without seeing the horse it is difficult to say, horses are able to gallop and so on when there is no rider on board, you need to think about this.

 

[jessie7]

He seems to manage hooning across a wet field on his own! Although if I lead him (ride and lead) he will often loose his footing, slipping or tripping. I always thought that a horse would have more grip barefoot?
Would having hind shoes on give him more grip on grass?- I'm imaging it will cause me added problems on roads..........which is my biggest issue really........

 

[Miss L Toe]

Ask your vet to assess him

 

[Oberon]

Sounds a bit suss.

Generally unshod horses have better grip. But something sounds a bit off - perhaps a bodyworker if you didn't want to get a vet straight away?

I remember hacking out with two friends.

The Tank (barefoot)
Jasper (shod fronts)
Paddy (fully shod)

We were all going the same pace in a row.

The only horse to slip was Jasper.

Jasper was the only horse who's owner never schooled and they were both unbalanced. That's the only reason I can see that Jasper would slip when the other two horses didn't. I think slipping isn't always about whether they're shod or not.

(not suggesting you and your horse are unbalanced)

 

[Goldenstar]

Young horses will often slip and trip it is why when I was young 3 and 4 yo's always wore knee boots because of this.
but your post makes it sound as though this much more and I second the advice to get the vet to look at him.

 

[jessie7]

Sounds a bit suss.

Generally unshod horses have better grip. But something sounds a bit off - perhaps a bodyworker if you didn't want to get a vet straight away?

I remember hacking out with two friends.

The Tank (barefoot)
Jasper (shod fronts)
Paddy (fully shod)

We were all going the same pace in a row.

The only horse to slip was Jasper.

Jasper was the only horse who's owner never schooled and they were both unbalanced. That's the only reason I can see that Jasper would slip when the other two horses didn't. I think slipping isn't always about whether they're shod or not.

(not suggesting you and your horse are unbalanced)

Thanks - I will get in contact with the physio and get her to give him the once over before I go down the vet route. He doesn't seem to be in pain or look 'wrong/off' in hand/ turned out etc. He is rather unbalanced as haven't had time to do much with him since he was backed so that would definitely be part of it but I have never had a young one that is so 'unsteady' on it's feet??..........

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Young horses are more likely to slip due to lack of balance with a rider on board and lack of fitness.
Sometimes, it can also be due to concentration wandering, my last baby had the attention span of a knat.
Build up muscle by lunging, pole work and hacking out in walk, then increasing to trot over the next few weeks and see if he improves. It'd be a shame to shoe if it isn't necessary.

 

[Flame_]

My horse is a bit lethal unshod, I have to be very careful. His field is also covered in skid marks when he isn't wearing shoes. Its just his action, I think, and that he isn't a particularly careful horse. He also needs plenty of road studs when he's shod.

If not wearing shoes is risky for you and your horse and there isn't a specific reason you are avoiding shoeing, I think just put shoes on.

 

[jessie7]

My horse is a bit lethal unshod, I have to be very careful. His field is also covered in skid marks when he isn't wearing shoes. Its just his action, I think, and that he isn't a particularly careful horse. He also needs plenty of road studs when he's shod.

If not wearing shoes is risky for you and your horse and there isn't a specific reason you are avoiding shoeing, I think just put shoes on.

The farrier is coming tomorrow. There wasn't any reason he didn't have shoes on other than I chucked him out for a couple of months and so he had his shoes pulled and he does minimal road work on the farm. I thought I would see how he got on un-shod until the farrier was due for my others. Will see how we get on with shoes all round. I'm hoping from what you have said that shoes will give him more grip, just I have read so much conflicting info about barefoot giving them better grip compared to shoes

Thanks for your help