How often do you shoe?

[H's mum]

Excuse me for being in a particularly nosy mood today

I am sat going through H's diary trying to sort things out and organise her next farrier date - and it got me wondering how often other people get their horse's shod - we all know the 6-8wks rule - but many do have it less - I get H shod every 5-6wks - but whilst she was off due to surgery I couldn't get her shod for *gulps* 12wks!!! it was terrible -felt like such a bad mummy!!!

 

[HBII]

I was on every 6 weeks but I am now on 7 weeks.

ETS OMGoodness you have a horsey item diary - how organised

I might have to steal that idea for next year!

 

[CSYMolly]

Wasn't really an option for me its 5 weeks in summer and 6 in winter as a general rule for Molly

 

[Lill]

Usually around 6 or 7 weeks we aren't ever organised enough to remember when the farrier last came, but tend to guess by looking at their feet!

 

[pottamus]

Every 4 weeks in spring and summer and 5 weeks the rest of the time.

 

[the watcher]

6-7 weeks, sometimes 8 weeks depending on the advice of the farrier

 

[Law]

I go by how his feet look and how the shoes are fitting. Generally it is 8 weeks but I too have *once* gone 12 weeks

. Honestly his feet had barely grown, the clenches hadn't risen and the shoes were tightly on

There was so little growth

I didn't do anything with him for the week before he was finally shod though just in case.

 

[Alibear]

Over 12 weeks but that because both my horses are now shoeless! May have to invest in some old Mac boots for the new boy if we want to keep hacking though.

 

[jesterfaerie]

Ed usualy goes 8 weeks before they need re-doing, could wait a bit longer if needed but 8 weeks is good for him and even better for my money!
Thankfully he has brilliant feet.

 

[SSM]

4-5 weeks, they grow like weeds - or blooming big flower pots!

 

[H-J]

Mine go 5 weeks all year round

 

[ISHmad]

Never, as all ours are barefoot. But they are trimmed every 5 weeks in summer and every 6 weeks in winter

 

[reynold]

every 7 weeks - I book the farrier before he leaves at each visit and we count 7 weeks and he comes again - and fiddle things round xmas and his holidays

 

[chestnut cob]

6 weeks, dead on. My farrier books her in for 6 weeks time when he comes each time.

 

[KatB]

4-5wks depending on the weather and how active he is!!

 

[JessPickle]

8-10 weeks, his feet just dont grow fast. He has very good feet as well. He has never lost a show and I have owned him 2.5 years!

Allthough our farrier comes every thursday so its pretty flexible, certainly a peak of a fairly big RS yard

 

[H's mum]

LOL! I have to - I'd disappear up my own backside if I didn't have a diary!!

running your own business... having a new baby ...and rehabbing a horse is sooooo complicated sometimes! Haha!!!

Kate x

 

[rema]

Mostly every 8 weeks but with the ground being dry,wet,dry it has cracked my lads feet up badly so at the moment it is every 6 weeks.

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

every 8 weeks and every other time they are re-fits !!!

the field ones get trimmed every 11 weeks to and sometimes they hardly need doing

my farrier is really good and suggested we leave them longer - i was so shocked !!!

 

[Donkeymad]

Shod or trimmed every 8 weeks.

 

[rara007]

Every 6 weeks in the summer, 4 weeks in the winter as a rule, but sometimes go longer especialy in summer.

 

[Laafet]

Every 6 weeks now, we used to go 12 weeks between trims on the advice of my farrier as he feet never grew, but now he's got shoes on his feet seem to grow loads! My show pony regularly went 12 weeks on the advice of the farrier but Murphy goes only 5 weeks as after this the hoof begins to grow over the shoe. Horses at work get done every 4 weeks!

 

[sueandtoto]

Every 7 weeks , I book him when he's finished

 

[Blizzard]

every 8 weeks.... for some reason the girl who books him had started doing it every6, would cost me a fortune, so Im going back to 8.

 

[gingerspice]

Every 4-5 weeks in summer and sometimes do re-fits in order to trim but to make shoes last 6wks, but through hunting season only last 3-4 weeks - ouch says purse!!!

 

[kerrylou123]

Mine go every 7 weeks. My farrier books us in after every visit!

 

[Halfstep]

Every 5 weeks, but at the moment he is barefoot and being trimmed every three weeks.

 

[Persephone]

My mare wears a set out in 3 - 4 weeks. Expensive but satisfying in a strange kind of way.......

 

[vieshot]

Whenever i think they need it, usually about 10 weeks tbh. Hes never been lame or had any problems whatsoever so i cant be doing much wrong!

 

[Fantasy_World]

Big lad has been going around 9 weeks but have not ridden much so that could be why his shoes are lasting so well. His feet are not growing loads either but are in good condition so no problems. This time we have decided to go a couple of weeks more making it 11 with the farrier's blessing as his feet are good and every time he has been shod the last few times there have been no risen clenches or loose shoes.
The cob is barefoot so he is trimmed at the same time.
Hopefully this next shoeing should see us over the winter period as I'm hoping to go on a mini endurance ride in December which is local and a friend at the yard is connected with. Then after Christmas as that is when the weather has tended to be worse with hard ground and frosts etc I don't anticipate much riding so he will be going barefoot again for a few months to give his feet a rest from shoes. It certainly worked this year for him because when I got him last September he had been trimmed incorrectly. Not by owner, or my farrier or their usual farrier but a farrier recommended to them. Don't know the name though. Basically too much was taken off and he was foot sore on every foot.
His feet were not exactly right when I got him last September but now a year on and his feet look exactly how they should be and the farrier seems to agree.
I was originally going to try barefoot on him all year round but he just found stony ground unbearable. Being such a big horse and after being shod for nearly 16 years I did not want to put him through discomfort so I decided to just give him a few months rest from shoes each year at a time when I would be doing less riding ( due to bad weather) and the ground would either be frosty or muddy.
Personally speaking though every horse is different and shoeing/trimming varies so much from horse to horse.
I am certainly not worried by allowing my horses to go 12 weeks or so without a trim or shoe unless the farrier disagreed ( and I respected their decision) or the horse seemed in any discomfort.