Horses hooves wearing

[George123]

Hi,

Has anyone ever had a problem with their horses hooves wearing away in the sand arena?

My horse is ridden in a sand/rubber arena around 5 days a week, he wears metal shoes and his back toes have worn away now to the point there is a gap between the hoof and the shoe. My farrier has never seen this before and doesnt know of a solution...

I have been pushing keratex hoof putty into the gap but it doesnt stay in or wears way also.

Has anyone else experienced this problem and if so, were you able to resolve it.

Thanks
George123

 

[TheFarrier]

Your farrier should be setting the toes of the shoes. It happens to most dressage horses ridden extensively in sand areana's. the sand is very abrasive and wears the hoof walls away very quickly.
There is no real resolution to this problem unless you use boots instead

 

[tikino]

rolled toes should help

 

[TheFarrier]

You dont roll back toes! only ever fronts. This will not help with the wear problem anyway.

If you rolled a back foot it will breakover faster and interfere with the front foot

 

[tikino]

my gelding wears his back toes and the solution was rolling the toes on the shoes and it has made a huge difference but you are the exspert and iam only an owner so guess i am talking rubbish lol

 

[TheFarrier]

That is a set toe

 

[tikino]

oh right i thought that was a rolled toe as i said i am no exspert but thanks

 

[TheFarrier]

The differenece between setting and rolling toes.

A set toe is done to the back feet, this is where the toe of the actual shoe is bent upwards (set) and is done to protect the toe from wear.

Rolling the toes is done to the front feet and is done to improve breakover. The toes on the fronts are removed and rolled (some rolling of the shoes is required)

but the major difference is one is done to the foot (to remove toe and improve breakover) and the other is done to the shoe (to protect the toe)

 

[George123]

Thanks - He probably is - what is setting the toes?
I think it has gone beyond this, he has worn an archway now, was shod on Fri and looks a lot better but they will only wear again as the wall is thin.....Just before he was shod there was daylight!
You are right, he is a dressage horse - I'm glad it's more common than I thought but what do other people do?

George123

 

[George123]

Hi,
Yours does this too?
How bad - Just before my horse was shod on Fri the "archway" he had worn had crumbled and I could see daylight!! They look a lot better after they're shod but its only a matter of time before it happens again...
I guess there isnt really a solution other than boots but my horse event and I cant really see him clumping around the dressage arena/XC in OLd macs!! If I could just put them on over teh metal shoes when I go in the sand school that would help, but I dont think you can wear hoof boots over metal shoes other than for travelling, do you know?

George123

 

[TheFarrier]

When the toes are set they will be what wears first, protecting the toes from further wear

 

[George123]

what is breakover?