Horses unshod behind

MontyandZoom

MontyandZoom

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There are a few new horses at my field and two of the newbies are coming to RAF Halton on 28th March with me.

The two horses were shod on the weekend. They had both arrived with only fronts one. Neither had been shod behind in their previous home, however the farrier put shoes on their back feet. Apparantly he had advised them that they required shoes on the back for XC otherwise they would slip.

Zoom has only had fronts on in the 3 years I've known her. We have done lots of sponsored rides (up to 3 foot xc jumps), hunted and done loads of roadwork. I have never had a problem with her feet.

Is the general consensus that horses need to be shod on the back for xc? I have spoken to my farrier about it in the past but he said that he didn't see the point if we were just doing low level and her feet were in good nick?
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Thoughts?
 
Studs are usually the norm for XC so maybe the shoes have had stud holes put in? If not there really isn't much difference between shoes/no shoes - i've had falls from both, neither offered us much grip!!!
 
Depends on the horse. My Welsh cob was competed (and won) up to 3'6 SJ on grass unshod behind so no studs and 3' XC. Never had slipping issues. It was only when we got the big mare and our somewhat diva-ish dressage instructor had a fit about her doing dressage on grass in a 20 x 40 with no studs that I'd ever actually owned a horse that used them.

If Zoom is used to not being shod behind and therefore not having studs I wouldn't change anything unless there is a problem.
 
There was a horse running at the last Barbury P-2-P with no shoes on behind.
Despite dad being a farrier ours only have shoes on as required. We do shoe the pacers alround when they're racing but off season they have no shoes on, then when they first come back into work they have fronts on, only having hinds on when their road work increases and they're being driven. They have shoes with flair on the back instead of studs for extra grip though.
 
My pony's totally barefoot, and I haven't had any problems with slipping at any pace. He feels far more sure-footed than most shod horses I know.
 
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I think there is an eventer who actually has her horses UN shod - completely.

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There is more than one of us. I've evented five different horses and hunted two others completely unshod. A friend events hers. Another friend showjumps two. There is an intermediate rider, sorry I don't know her name, with a yard of unshod horses. Tom Robinson went advanced on a horse they could not keep sound if it was shod.
 
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