How often...

after 5 years of post graduate employment I expect my job to....

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I book in advance too but have sevarl clients who think they know better and either dont book in and ring when all the shoes have come off or ones who book in every 9-12 weeks even though its not doing the feet any good.

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Ooo while you're online TheFarrier, I was always taught that if it can be done shoes off is always going to be better. Anyway, Fritz, 4yr old percheron, has been given a 4 month sick note and farrier was in yesterday so we asked if he could take shoes off (we asked in advance, it wasn't a "oh... umm while you're here....:p) but he'd only had his fronts on about a week, backs about 5/6, in which time he's done no work. In the end farrier only took off the backs leaving the fronts on as he said it would be better for him. I can kind of understand it, theres next to no growth so nail holes would be really high up which must weaken it... Just wondered what you think? Hooves are v good, was owned by farrier before us!
 
He is a heavy horse and since the fronts have not been on very long the feet would break up (especially this time of year), see how the backs are doing and take the fronts off in 4/5 weeks when there is some growth. Perhaps this is what your farrier had in mind?

Hope thats helpful?
 
Depends on the horse! Pony who needs regular attention just to be trimmed = every 4 weeks maximum. Filly who has better feet = trim every 5-7 weeks. Shoes similar, depends on workload and how quickly they are putting down foot. Dont like them getting at all unbalanced!!
 
Yep, he said probs six weeks in them but he's around every 2 weeks anyway so he will see him. I thought it made sence but always nice to be able to clarify! Although he is a heavy he does have very nice compact, but correct, feet. I'm definatly loving the P's at the moment, feet are so much better than the shire!
 
For my pony it really does depend on the time of year - he goes about 9 weeks in winter, 7-8 in summer, and I trust my farrier to decide how long pony should go in between. My pony is shod in front, and the farrier trims and tidies his back hoofies when he comes out.
 
Mares are usually 5-6 weeks cos any longer just doesn't work for them.Welsh cob gets trimmed 10-12 weeks and has cracking feet,never have had anything go wrong with them,Even when he was shod he used to last same as long as not too much wear.Remember used to panic because it seemed too long between shoeing but farrier was at yard every 2 weeks so he just didn't need it.
 
We aim for six weeks, but it depends on the farrier - he can't come for eight weeks this time
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One shoes all round - but they're off at the moment due to me not riding for six weeks.

One usually shod in front, but for some reason that I can't remember, no shoes this time. He's on grass all the time so shouldn't be an issue.

One barefoot as has technically correct feet that are as hard as nails.
 
I have them looked at 6 weeks after a new set but more often than not, he goes 8 weeks. I actually spoke to my farrier (who is fab) last week about it as pony needs lateral extensions next time, which I want to get done asap, but he told me he wants to start leaving him for at least 7 weeks between sets. He said his feet don't grow v quickly so there isn't enough new growth for the new nails at just 6 weeks. He's going to check them this week, which will be 7 weeks (he's on the yard once a week anyway doing something), but expects to leave them until 8 weeks.

So I do aim for 6 weeks but if farrier won't do them ti, 7 or 8, then I take his advice. FWIW, horse has great feet if slow growing
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Ive realised that i sound like i have something against 7 weeks oops. i dont but when people start stretching to 8 or more the feet never look great.

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my farrier comes ever 8 weeks, thats the amount of weeks he suggested. i have one shod and one trimmed, the trimmed is every 2nd visit, again, farriers recommendation
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My farrier shoes my horse every six weeks max, unless one of us really needs to change the appointment (eg. he was due yesterday which would have been six weeks, but can't make it until next Fri making it seven - this happens once in a blue moon).
If she goes too long between visits, her toes get too long and she goes lame (she tore her DDFT very badly two and a half years ago and will never be 100% again so needs careful management to keep her sound). Six weeks has been shown (scientific study I read while researching at uni) to be the optimum shoeing interval for a lot of horses, otherwise excess strain is put on the flexor tendons - this is what makes me keep to the "six weeks max" rule unless it really can't be helped.
*Touch wood* ever since she has been shod by my usual farrier and back in work, she has been sound (apart from one slip in the mud in winter which we won't count here as it's not shoeing related). When she was trimmed by another farrier while she was turned away without shoes, she was done every two calendar months and was never quite sound on any surface, and her feet were always in awful condition.
 
I have both mine done every six weeks. They are both shod all round. I did try one barefoot for awhile but his feet just wore away too much so in the end i had to put shoes back on him. Other one I tried bare behind for a few weeks but he was just to darn sensitive! So had to put shoes back on him as well. Pesky expensive horses!
 
my horses are usually done every 8 weeks, however my farrier checks them every 4 weeks and makes sure he feels they are safe to go on the next 4 weeks other wise he will do them there and then. they arre both thoroughbreds and shoed all round
 
Farrier comes to me every 5 weeks in summer and 6 in the winter. My horse has very bad feet. My farrier has made a huge difference (she at least holds them now) but she still can't go for a long time.
 
I put every six weeks but it's sooner if I think they need doing and quite often my cob (in natural balance shoes) only goes five weeks.

And no, I wouldn't call myself an expert but I can see if their shoes have worn (my mare in particular wears a hind through really quickly so have to keep an eye on it) or if their feet are too long, cracking or whatever.

I have great farriers who ask for a list from the yard on a Monday and visit on Thursdays so it's no problem to get them done as often as needed.
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I have mine shod every 7 weeks on advice of the farrier.
I have a friend though whos ponies feet never grew and had the farrier three times since last august. Honestly though they look freshly shod all the time. She even had the farrier check see if he needed doing everytime he come up but he never did. Finally got done but got same shoes on how mad is that.

She is not the type to let her horses shoes hang off either, she is baffled as to how he is lasting so long.
 
Shod horses (ridden) every 5 weeks, trimmed horses (not ridden)every 6 weeks. use a farrier for both.

I choose to shoe them at this interval for foot balance. Occasionally the trims will go to 7 weeks if it is easier for the farrier to fit them in that week.

IMO it is totally false economy to go any longer between visits and detrimental to soundness.
 
If mine goes less than 8 weeks between farrier visits his feet begin to crack as they don't need doing more often than that and the shoes aren't ready to come off. At one yard I had to let the YO book it for me & she insisted on every 6 weeks. Due to the shoes still being too tight when removed his hooves suffered.

He once went nearly 13 weeks between shoeing because the damned farrier let me down twice
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and my current one (who was new to me then as I hadn't had him before) couldn't fit me in before that!
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My farrier says my mare's feet are some of the best he shoes and wishes they all had good solid feet like hers. When I first got her (May 2008) I was having her shod every 6 weeks but my farrier agreed she could go 7weeks happily. Had to go 8 weeks last time as farrier was on holiday and her feet were getting too long so wouldnt leave it that long again.
 
MIne depends on the conditions, D gets shod about every 8 weeks through the winter as he has no growth, unless of course he throws a shoe, and as we moved into spring it came down to every 6/7 weeks, but now were well into summer its going down to 5 weeks as his feet are growing like anything and his shoes are coming loose all the time. Obviously as we move back into winter this will start eaking out again. The little one get a trim when ever the farrier thinks they need one. He's brilliant, espcially with D and trust his knowledge and judgement. If he thinks they dont need doing then they dont get done.
 
Current two, clydie and gypsy cob are trimmed by my farrier about every 8 weeks - sometimes I do 7 weeks and sometimes 9 weeks depending on how their feet are looking.

My first TB had very slow growing feet and she was shoed every 10 weeks - on my farrier's advice.

My second TB and then my warmblood were shoed every 6 - 7 weeks - more for foot growth than wear on shoes and often had the shoes refitted.
 
I've put 10 weeks as that's about average up here.Our resident farrier retired a few years ago. We're on Shetland and only get a visiting farrier when his shoeing commitments at home allow. He's been a life saver as we have a growing equestrian community (100+) but don't have any off road hacking up here so horses rarely cope unshod. Certainly mine doesn't.

We did have a guy who came up every 8weeks but he has had to pull out recently due to work commitments at home.



i would prefer that my horse was seen more often as he is usually overdue when our farrier is here so like many other areas in the UK we have to make do.
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I ticked shoes but only 1 is currently shod which is the fresian x cob.
Cob mare is off work so is barefoot for the time being. She had just fronts before.
Pony is retired & barefoot.
All done every 6/7 weeks by farrier.
 
My big mare is shod every 2-3 weeks, every 10 days when hunting
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My tb is shod every 6 weeks or so and my pony has his feet trimmed when he needs it - obviously my farrier is out quite regularly so he can trim the pony whenever
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I didn't vote in your poll because there was no option for 2 or 3 weeks
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