How often do you shoe your hunters?

[Swirlymurphy]

As title really....

We normally shoe on a 6 week basis during the eventing season which is fine, very occasionally it might be 5 weeks. However I am finding that during the hunting season, we need to be shoeing every 3/4 weeks (despite being out maybe only twice in that time).

How frequently do you shoe during the hunting season and is there anything you do to help the shoes last other than things like using the verges when possible etc?

Many thanks

 

[jessie7]

My hunters are shod every 5 weeks during the hunt season and their shoes seem to last well.
Every 3 weeks seems very frequent!

 

[Goldenstar]

Every five weeks .

 

[abbijay]

Firstly, discuss it with your farrier. Are the shoes just wearing out or are they coming loose?
Have you considered road nails or studs. My horse at one point was going through a set every 4 weeks (not hunting, just in light-medium work) so we did 2 things: 1 - changed the farrier, 2 - put road studs in them.
Now we go 6 weeks for every set and [touch wood] have not lost a shoe since we changed. He even went 7 weeks on the last set, that was unheard of!

 

[cptrayes]

How often do you shoe your hunters?

Never. He hunts with no shoes on.

 

[Swirlymurphy]

The shoes are wearing out, not loosening at all. We have done quite a lot of road work recently - very wet going - so obviously that is not going to help.

Road nails/studs seem like a good idea and I will talk to the farrier about them. I'm reluctant to change farriers as he has been brilliant with my bunch of dodgy-footed horses over the years and he's really sorted the TB mare.

This is the first season hunting for many years so it's taking me a while to get back into the groove of it all!

Thanks for your help.

 

[rosie fronfelen]

all off road here and a brilliant farrier so every 6 weeks or so.

 

[chestnut cob]

Every 6 weeks, bang on. And he usually only has a new set every other time. Before Xmas he was out every 10-14 days and farrier was still saying "you don't do much road work do you, there isn't much wear on these shoes". Farrier does change the shape of the shoes if need be each time, he doesn't just nail the old shoes back on, but he just doesn't wear out shoes. We have loads of off road hacking so even during a 2 hour hack, I might only do a couple of miles of road work. We don't seem to have done much road work out hunting, and when we do, I try to stick to the verge if I can.

 

[Spyda]

Every 5 weeks.

 

[Daddy_Long_Legs]

We'd be about the same, 5/6 weeks!! We have 2 excellent farriers.

 

[L&M]

Every 5 weeks and each horse hunts at least once a week.

 

[carolinerosanna]

I look after 3 hunters going out 1 every 10 daysish each... 1 is a mare and has lovely neat little feet and the other two geldings need re shoeing every 3-4 (rather than the mares 5 weeks) as their feet grow and grow and grow.. They tend to then be taken off, trimmed down to wait for a complete new set in time with the mare. Just wondered if anyone else had such rapid hoof growth! x

 

[JenHunt]

every six weeks, without fail. Unless by some fluke we lose one, but we haven't done that in.... no idea how long! Ron is hunting once or twice a week, and Tom is more or less roughed off.

 

[spotty_pony]

Usually every five weeks, although he has been known to be ready to be shod after four weeks!

 

[LizzieJ]

Every 10 days behind, 3-4 weeks in front

 

[Ditchjumper2]

Every 5 weeks. Road nails all round. New shoes everytime in winter. Summer they go 6 weeks with no road nails in front and are shod a bit wider and longer.

 

[RobinHood]

Never. Mine hunts barefoot.

 

[Swirlymurphy]

Thank you - there's quite a difference between some of your replies. I will have a good chat with the farrier in the morning.

Thanks for your help.