New horse from Germany -shoeing dilemma

[eva]

Hello folks!

Just got a gorgeous 6 yo horse from Germany, who is shod on all 4s, fronts are pretty standard but backs extend quite a lot longer behind his hoof. Has anyone seen a similar setup? I am just not sure what to do about it, should I ask him to be shod the same next time or do as I planned and get fronts shod and hinds unshod? Just wondering if this shoeing that he has now is done for a good reason or not, as have heard both good and bad things about German farriers.

 

[Jade Holleman]

Hi eva,
when I was in Germany the farriers were really good, maybe he was shod this way because the yard/owner likes this type of shoe as they give more support for the hindleg. I would just go with what you want done unless there is a physical reason the horse needs these shoes. If the horse does not go as good without hind shoes you can always have some put on.

 

[eva]

Thanks, that makes sense will see what happens when I take back shoes off

 

[TarrSteps]

Oooooh, what did you end up getting?

It's not uncommon for dressage horses to be shod with trailers, egg bars etc behind so it may just be the usual for the previous owner/trainer/dealer. I think you can expect the horse to be a bit uncomfortable initially if you go without back shoes but that will also depend on variables like footing and workload. As above, you can always put them back on.

Be aware though that the reason we 'get away with' shoes only in front is because of the way horses naturally distribute their weight. Dressage actually seeks to go against this natural inclination by asking the horse to load the hind end. If she is uncomfortable when you take the hinds off, even if it's not obvious generally, it will affect what you can ask of her and the quality of work she can give you, at least in the short term.

 

[Jesstickle]

TS you sound like my RI. She always says she finds it odd,counter intuitive that it is considered normal to shoe in front only and then we expect the horse to sit on its bum. Never heard it said by anyone else in my whole life!

ETS: could some explain the theory behind trailers to me? I often see them on TV and don't really get what purpose they serve although I am sure they have one!

Sorry to go off topic OP, hope you don't mind.

 

[Dusty85]

OP, why dont you just ask the people you bought the horse from? Surely they will know if it was done for a specific reason?

 

[CrazyMare]

One of mine is shod like that behind for extra support due to previous injury.

If you trust your farrier, discuss it with him. The foot and shoe currently on will tell him alot

 

[AdorableAlice]

Type of shoe often seen on horses with hock problems, but at just 6 and hopefully vetted well that won't be why in your new purchase's case.

 

[Gamebird]

If you trust your farrier, discuss it with him. The foot and shoe currently on will tell him alot

This. I have reasonable experience of feet, shoeing and biomechanics but I would never (virtually never) ask my farrier to shoe a horse a particular way. I let him watch it move and look at its conformation then let him decide what is best for the horse and what I plan to be doing with it. He's the expert!

 

[TarrSteps]

TS you sound like my RI. She always says she finds it odd,counter intuitive that it is considered normal to shoe in front only and then we expect the horse to sit on its bum. Never heard it said by anyone else in my whole life!

ETS: could some explain the theory behind trailers to me? I often see them on TV and don't really get what purpose they serve although I am sure they have one!

Sorry to go off topic OP, hope you don't mind.

An old dressage trainer told me that he'd seen people, if the horse was reluctant to 'sit', take the FRONT shoes off.

Trailers and other extended shoes are supposed to provide a larger platform and extend the support rearwards as the horse shifts its weight back. Whether it actually does or not. . .

Single trailers are supposed to change the flight pattern of the foot, and/or provide lateral support that isn't straight behind. They were often used for horses with spavins in the past but seem to have fallen from fashion.

 

[Jesstickle]

An old dressage trainer told me that he'd seen people, if the horse was reluctant to 'sit', take the FRONT shoes off.

Single trailers are supposed to change the flight pattern of the foot, and/or provide lateral support that isn't straight behind. They were often used for horses with spavins in the past but seem to have fallen from fashion.

You can't beat a crazy horse person for a truly horrible solution to a training problem can you?!

I know about trailers for remedial work but have been curious about the shoeing arrangement on dressage horses on telly for ages.

 

[TarrSteps]

I'm not sure those are mutually exclusive conversations. Getting a horse to that level is going to involve a fair amount of wear and tear, as with any elite athlete. Canada's one and only Olympic medal winning dressage team included a horse whose spavins were visible from some distance! What's more, after a decent career at the top level, he continued as a schoolmaster. There is a lot of management - both preventative and supportive - involved with elite horses.

 

[eva]

Ooh this is a very interesting read thank you everyone! Will email you Tarrsteps