Poll: do you keep shoe removing kit?

can you remove a shoe? do you have the tools?

  • Total voters
    0
ArcticFox

ArcticFox

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 February 2009
Messages
2,996
Location
Midlothian/Borders
www.bryland.co.uk
Hi all


it has got us talking recently. Do you keep a shoe removing kit? can you remove a shoe if necessary?

I'm lucky that my father was a farrier, and taught me how to remove shoes, and provided me with all the equipment necessary to remove one.

unfortunately I found myself without the kit on Sunday as it lives in the lorry which was at the garage (typical - will not do that again!). My horse came in from the field on 3 legs with a shoe that had moved. It was hard to tell if it was bruising or nail in the foot that had made him so lame, but I needed to get the shoe off.

I called a large number of people in the area around me - including livery yards, to find none owned any form of kit and some felt they wouldn't be able to get a shoe off if they tried as they don't know how to.

So if the poll works, just out of interest, do you own a kit? can you remove a shoe?
 
Poll not working yet but yes, have all the equipment and can remove a shoe if needed.

Wouldn't be without it, nothing worse than a shoe that is causing problems and you can't get it off in a hurry.
 
I voted Yes I own the tools, yes I can remove a shoe

However rather rubbishly on my part the tools are stashed in my garage.
Not much good when they are normally required either on yard or when at competition, which is what happened to me last September.

Mental note to transfer to lorry.
 
Yes I have tools that can remove a shoe and I know how to do it. However I don't own a shod horse! My friends that do, don't know how to remove them.

I personally feel that everyone who has a shod horse, should be able to remove a shoe in an emergency.
 
Haven't got all the correct tools but have removed many shoes, one way or another they come off even if it means taking each nail out after clipping off the clench, it can be hard work though and makes you appreciate the farrier.
 
Yes, horses live out and an emergency kit, including shoe removal tools, are kept in a safe dry location near the gate. I have removed shoes in emergencies before (I learned after having an abscess caused by a horse twisting a shoe and standing on the toe clip when we couldn't persuade the farrier to visit after the shoe became loose).

ETA - my horse isn't shod, but his three field companions are - however the shoe puller and clench cutter are mine).
 
Yes own the tools and could remove shoe and have helped many at the yard remove shoes, but i only have one kit that lives on the yead and never thoght of one for the lorry..... perhapse when youngster starts getting out and about i should get another kit for in the lorry. I am always shocked at owners that dont know how!!
 
I didn't, then one day my mare did a very complex twist of her shoe. half the nails were still in the hoof. We raided my husband's bike tool box and botched the shoe off somehow. Poor girl. So I have bought the basic essentials to remove a shoe. My farrier then let me remove one properly one day, under his supervision, and I couldn't believe how hard it was. I thought I was going to wrench her leg off and he was standing there telling me to "put my back into it".

Reminds me I should probably get a refresher. Bizarrely, having watched them be done every 6 weeks for 100 years, I still couldn't quite figure out how to do it myself.
 
I always had a basic kit for removing shoes and was trained to do so many years ago. Where the kit is now I must confess I really don't know and when my mare twisted a shoe last year I was royally stuck! I then vowed to get a replacement kit and seeing this has reminded me that I never did!
 
looks like I'm helping people to remember to dig out their tools! ;)

I'm annoyed that I left it in the lorry, but my theory was that the lorry is at the yard where the horses are, then at a show with me so its with me all the time.

annoyed that I didn't take them out when it went to the garage but I was amazed that I couldn't find anyone who owned the kit (I do know a friend does but couldn't get hold of her - turns out she was one of two out of a large number!)
 
I don't currently have the tools but do have (basic) knowledge about how to remove a shoe.

In co-incidental timing I text my mum just before I logged on to ask her to speak to my farrier (who is coming tomorrow while I'm at work) to see if he can get us tools to remove a shoe and then give me a refresher next time I am there when the horse is shod....
 
My rather wonderful farrier taught me and then allowed me to do it on a fairly regular basis. Also to tidy up barefoot horse. Also effectively clench up as my horse seems to raise his clenches. He also gave me what equipment I did not have, including a tripod, which made everything easier. :-)
 
Red-1 said:
My rather wonderful farrier taught me and then allowed me to do it on a fairly regular basis. Also to tidy up barefoot horse. Also effectively clench up as my horse seems to raise his clenches. He also gave me what equipment I did not have, including a tripod, which made everything easier. :-)
Click to expand...

Amazing farrier- was he trying to get you to be his apprentice?:)

Our farrier used to give us an old rasps to smooth off flakes on unshod hooves.

I agree everyone with a shod horse should be able to remove a shoe in an emergency(such as a spread or twisted shoe, or one half pulled off), and they should know how to do it without removing half the hoof at the same time.

I have the kit, and have removed plenty in the past, but no longer have any shod horses.
 
Have ticked yes and yes but to be honest the kit is the yard's in the tackroom but I can, yard owner can and OH can - he sat next to our blacksmith one Christmas party and picked his brains. In the lorry we have a tool kit and am sure OH could improvise.....
 
Yes I have the kit, and yes I can.

I was amazed to discover how many cannot take off a shoe in an emergency after once seeing half the yard pondering at a twisted shoe and settling on leaving it until the farrier came a week on Tuesday!!! My friend & I removed it for them luckily as the toe clip was digging into the sole so it would have been nasty if left!
 
I've had 1/2 a days training on it but sadly it still takes me a good 15min+ to remove a shoe (that's not twisted etc.) :o My farrier would get there quicker :p
 
No but have asked farrier more than once if he'd show me but have never managed to coordinate! Will keep prodding him (she's usually shod when I'm at work so I very fairly actually see my farrier, just converse to arrange time/if there's a problem!)
 
I voted no tools but know what to do, although I haven't taken a shoe off in years so wouldn't be confident about doing it tomorrow.
 
I don't know how to do it, but I'm fairly certain people on my yard would know and have the necessary equipment (it's a very experienced international competition yard).

What equipment would I need? Other than getting my farrier to show me, is there another way to learn?
 
Hi DD

you would need a clench lifter (buffer), hammer, and pincers to pull the shoe off. ideally you would have nail pullers too so you can take the nails out individually, and perhaps a rasp so if you needed to you could rasp off the clenches. I also have a pair of leather chaps to wear to save clenches cutting your skin.

this is the kit my Dad gave me anyway. Have lost the nail pullers so just ordered a new pair.

Farriers are the best people to show you how to do it, they can also show you how to stand so you can hold the foot and have two free hands. I bet there will be a video on you tube somewhere showing how its done too. if not perhaps we need to make one ;)
 
Thanks ArticFox - I will look into getting those items just incase we don't have any at the yard.

Unfortunately I can't be at the yard when the farrier is there, so I can't get him to show me any time soon (I'm currently recovering from a brain haemorrhage so off sick and not allowed to drive!). I may as well at least trawl the Internet in the meantime to see if I can at least watch some videos about it.
 
I put yes and yes, although actually the tools belong to the yard, but we all use them and can take them to comps etc., so it seemed the closest
 
Yip, I have the full kit and can pull shoes. I know how to shoe too as it was part of my job in Oz.

Ironically I'm barefoot but I'm the only one on any yard I've ever been on to have the kit and the only one that's been able to pull shoes.

I think if you chose to shoe your horse you should have the tools and knowledge/ability to deal with all aspects of "shoe care".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top