MystieMoo
Well-Known Member
Hi All
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to give as much info as possible.
Our 10 year old ID x Cob mare - my profile pic - has been losing one of her hind shoes recently.
We have had her 5 years and she has always had super feet, this has never happened before.
In October of last year, we moved areas and had to find a new farrier. We found one who had excellent qualifications, experience with shoeing horses on the heavier side, able to offer remedial if ever needed, and came recommended by several people.
He shod her 5 cycles in all. By the 4th cycle, the shoe was starting to come off. Not all the time, but every couple of weeks perhaps. Same through the 5th cycle.
Several things then happened at once. We heard that a couple of other horses on the yard were losing shoes, same farrier (it's a huge yard), and then we heard that one horse was on two separate cycles for his shoes and was being shod every 2 to 3 weeks, fore and hind alternately (Clydesdale, no idea if that is normal for them as I have no experience of them), same farrier. We also moved yards and changed farrier.
Mare threw same shoe at the new yard, recently nailed back on by old farrier prior to move. New farrier came. He reported that all four shoes were different, the nails were too big, the shoes were too big, and the hoof with the repeatedly lost shoe was now tricky because some hoof had come away with the shoe.
There is no sign of hoof disease of any sort and he has suggested leaving the back shoes off for a cycle or two to let the horn grow so there is something more substantial to nail a shoe to!
This all makes sense to me, but I have never had a horse of this size and weight without hind shoes: 16.2hh and around 700kgs.
So, I need all the advice I can get please re her being unshod behind for the next few months, and also how a horse like her might manage barefoot all round or if that's a bad idea given her proportions.
Some things to note:
- this is the first time my daughter and her mare have lived away from home, so I've not been able to keep my eagle eye on things
- mare is on a diet and has lost a good amount of weight and is still going down in size(!), the old yard had rye grass which was an uphill battle
- she pulled her hock back in the winter in the awful mud, vet involved, was never unsound, full work-up after time off and exercise regime where she moved beautifully for the vet
- physio is coming out asap to check her over for me as she is due to be seen, anyway, and I wonder if she's a bit out of alignment what with the hock and bad shoeing
- we have access to two arenas, one Martin Collins and one rubber, plus grassy hacking re her barefoot phase
- rubber matting in stable
Thank you!
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to give as much info as possible.
Our 10 year old ID x Cob mare - my profile pic - has been losing one of her hind shoes recently.
We have had her 5 years and she has always had super feet, this has never happened before.
In October of last year, we moved areas and had to find a new farrier. We found one who had excellent qualifications, experience with shoeing horses on the heavier side, able to offer remedial if ever needed, and came recommended by several people.
He shod her 5 cycles in all. By the 4th cycle, the shoe was starting to come off. Not all the time, but every couple of weeks perhaps. Same through the 5th cycle.
Several things then happened at once. We heard that a couple of other horses on the yard were losing shoes, same farrier (it's a huge yard), and then we heard that one horse was on two separate cycles for his shoes and was being shod every 2 to 3 weeks, fore and hind alternately (Clydesdale, no idea if that is normal for them as I have no experience of them), same farrier. We also moved yards and changed farrier.
Mare threw same shoe at the new yard, recently nailed back on by old farrier prior to move. New farrier came. He reported that all four shoes were different, the nails were too big, the shoes were too big, and the hoof with the repeatedly lost shoe was now tricky because some hoof had come away with the shoe.
There is no sign of hoof disease of any sort and he has suggested leaving the back shoes off for a cycle or two to let the horn grow so there is something more substantial to nail a shoe to!
This all makes sense to me, but I have never had a horse of this size and weight without hind shoes: 16.2hh and around 700kgs.
So, I need all the advice I can get please re her being unshod behind for the next few months, and also how a horse like her might manage barefoot all round or if that's a bad idea given her proportions.
Some things to note:
- this is the first time my daughter and her mare have lived away from home, so I've not been able to keep my eagle eye on things
- mare is on a diet and has lost a good amount of weight and is still going down in size(!), the old yard had rye grass which was an uphill battle
- she pulled her hock back in the winter in the awful mud, vet involved, was never unsound, full work-up after time off and exercise regime where she moved beautifully for the vet
- physio is coming out asap to check her over for me as she is due to be seen, anyway, and I wonder if she's a bit out of alignment what with the hock and bad shoeing
- we have access to two arenas, one Martin Collins and one rubber, plus grassy hacking re her barefoot phase
- rubber matting in stable
Thank you!
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