Hunter style shoes, any input please. Also in Hunting.

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POLLDARK

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My young horse pulls his front shoes off (despite overreach boots) being quite short backed he overtracks easily. The style of shoe he has has nearly 1/2inch protruding at the back which I feel he is stepping on & levering the shoe off. I am told that Hunter style shoes don't have this bit at the back & so I thought I might try them. If anyone has any comments about them I would be grateful to hear them before I take the plunge. Thanks:)
 
Speak to your farrier about this he will probably be shoeing him long to help give heel support, you dont want to be posting in the future about collapsed heels and a lame horse. Rolling the toes on the hinds may help or doing the same in front to improve the breakover would be better options as he should improve once he strengthens and gains his balance.
 
I think hunter style shoes are not as good for their feet.

Mine was shod this way as short backed and would pull shoes off out hunting. My farrier didn't like doing it thou and as soon as the season was over would go back to shoeing him the other way.
 
Thanks both for your advice, much appreciated, I will certainly discuss it with the Farrier next time, particularly re heels. Perhaps using the Hunter shoe for a couple of shoeings so that the nail holes can grow down a bit & the hoof can recover may be the way to go. Thanks again.
 
This is a constant juggling act with hunters shoes them with good heel support and you get the shoes being pulled off and chucks of foot missing nothing to nail to ang all those issues or you compromise on heel support and risk contracting heels , navicular syndrome , ddft and all those sorts of issues not forgetting that the longer heels help protect the suspensories as well.In time they can develop long toes and weak heels then it's a nightmare.
It's a real hard one I would discuss it with great tact with the farrier far more issues are caused by lack of heel support than by losing shoes if he's doing a great job with the heel support the last thing you want is for him to feel criticised as far too many farrier don't make the effort to shoe this way.
If the horse is not already on a good quality hoof supplement you should give one to boost the quality and growth of the horn .
you should also film the horse walking and trotting in a straight line with his long heels on check his foot falls the ideal is the horse lands heel first in reality many horses in shoes land flattish . you will need to slow it down to see.
If at any time in the shorter heels he starts in land toe first you have a problem brewing and need to seek advice.
I have one shod hunter this year he is in natural balance shoes this is working well for him it may be worth discussing this with the farrier as well.
You say your horse is young it's likely he gets on his forehand and unbalanced as he grows up with luck the problem should reduce.
 
I will Google Natural Balance shoes, thanks. Any idvice is worth hearing. He has never pulled a shoe when ridden funnily enough. He hoolies in the field & that's when he does it. Finding long parralel gouges in the turf is fairly usual when the mood takes him & he has decided to slither to a halt, then pirouette & dance !!
 
Natural balance shoes don't suit all horses like everything they have pro and cons but the horse I have in them is doing very well so far ,just another option to think about .
It's maddening why they pull them in the field but at least you dont have to lead them miles back to the lorry.
 
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