Putting shoes ON

M

Merri

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 April 2018
Messages
105
Visit site
Pony is barefoot. Vet says that pony would benefit from shoes in front. (She can be a little footy sometimes.)
What should we expect, in terms of her adjustment to having them on?

Thank you!
 
Is the pony footie in mid winter? If so, then I'm sorry this won't be what you want to hear, but you should expect her to get laminitis without much warning. A footie pony at this time of year who is not footie in mid winter almost certainly has early signs of laminitis.

Did your vet suggest anything else, like adding particular minerals to her feed, restricting her grass intake, losing weight if she is carrying too much, or testing for metabolic diseases? If you've already tried these things or they aren't relevant, then apologies for hijacking your thread.

If you go ahead and shoe there usually isn't any issue with adjusting to having them on, though you might want to fit road nails if you have much smooth tarmac, especially on hills.

..
 
Last edited:
When I am going to put shoes back on a horse I make sure that they don’t get trimmed for about a month or three weeks before ( I rasp feet weekly usually).
In all the horses I have they just get their on and go on no change .
 
Hmm yes...vets often say that because it magically makes symptoms go away without dealing with the actual problem :( Some things to watch out for are bruising from the nails, slipping on roads and hoof walls chipping also from the nails. Other than that your pony will probably be walking wondrously as if nothing was ever wrong. Sorry to sound so cynical but I've seen so many horses go downhill as soon as shoes go on and posts like this make me a little sad.
 
Last edited:
ycbm said:
If it's this pony you posted about then I think it would be very unwise to shoe to mask the symptoms of laminitis.

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/cold-legs-on-box-rest.775653/
Click to expand...

Thank you for the reply!
We had the vet out at the end of April, vet said that pony had elevated digital pulses in front and was concerned about her becoming laminitic. (She had recently gone out onto summer turnout)
She advised being tough in order to prevent laminitis, so pony was put on complete box rest on a very deep bed, with carefully managed feed (weighed soaked hay 5 x Day & token feed to give her vitamin powder) for 2 weeks.
Pony was declared well about 3 weeks ago by the vet, and we’ve got her back into work and gradually back into the field.
We booked the vet to come out today as I wanted to discuss with the vet about pony transitioning to going out 24/7 and if that could even be a possibility for her, and just to have the vet look at how she’s doing with what she’s been being fed, and her exercise. I’m in my mid forties and haven’t had a horse since my twenties, so really wanted as much support with this as possible.
Vet is very pleased with how she’s doing, no pulses, warmth, she’s sound etc, she just commented that she’s ever so slightly pottery over uneven ground (there’s a quite stony bit next to the area where we trot up and she had a look at her turning on there.)
Vet said something along the lines of her being a bit ‘short toed’ and putting shoes on would help her (protect from bruising)
I can’t see that the vet suggesting anything to mask laminitis; she did declare her sound and well about 3 weeks ago.
 
Goldenstar said:
When I am going to put shoes back on a horse I make sure that they don’t get trimmed for about a month or three weeks before ( I rasp feet weekly usually).
In all the horses I have they just get their on and go on no change .
Click to expand...
Ah, ok, thank you, she’s only just had a trim.
 
Orchard14 said:
Hmm yes...vets often say that because it magically makes symptoms go away without dealing with the actual problem :( Some things to watch out for are bruising from the nails, slipping on roads and hoof walls chipping also from the nails. Other than that your pony will probably be walking wondrously as if nothing was ever wrong. Sorry to sound so cynical but I've seen so many horses go downhill as soon as shoes go on and posts like this make me a little sad.
Click to expand...
I’m hoping that the opposite would be the case! I think that the gist of it is that the vet is thinking shoes will prevent her soles from bruising.
 
Merri said:
Ah, ok, thank you, she’s only just had a trim.
Click to expand...
In that case, if she were mine, I'd wait 3 or 4 weeks or so before getting my farrier to put shoes on as you might well find that more foot = not needing the shoes :)

That said, I have added hinds on my ridden mare 5 weeks ago. She has fronts as our ground is too unsuitable for us to do the work we want without them. Adding the hinds has made such a difference on the crunching tracks. I plan to get shoes off late autumn unless she's turns out suitable for dragging with :)
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
In that case, if she were mine, I'd wait 3 or 4 weeks or so before getting my farrier to put shoes on as you might well find that more foot = not needing the shoes :)

That said, I have added hinds on my ridden mare 5 weeks ago. She has fronts as our ground is too unsuitable for us to do the work we want without them. Adding the hinds has made such a difference on the crunching tracks. I plan to get shoes off late autumn unless she's turns out suitable for dragging with :)
Click to expand...
Ugh, why did I not think to mention to the vet that she’s just been trimmed 🙈
Thank you for the suggestion
 
  • Like
Reactions: TPO
My mare has been 6 months barefoot, but because my mum has not been well the mare went to a livery yard so I would have more time. She has been hacking and jumping BS barefoot, but in the new yard there was more hard core to walk over, both to get hacking and also to get to the school.

She was never lame, but with the extra work she sometimes felt a stone. I have had fronts on, no bother, as I think she will be more comfortable.

They went on on a Wednesday I think. She had a couple of days doing a bit less while she remembered what the extra weight felt like, but was out jumping again that Sunday.
 
Is she footy in the field? If yes then it's indicative of issues, if not I'd try boots.

It is worth remembering with one with a (particularly recent) history of lami having no shoes on usually means you can spot the signs earlier and act more quickly.

I'm not at all anti-shoe, would just want to be comfortable with regards to what benefit they are bringing.
 
If you get some boots for when she is ridden it will mean her soles are protected better than they would be in shoes but you will still be able to monitor her for signs of laminitis more easily.
 
Red-1 said:
My mare has been 6 months barefoot, but because my mum has not been well the mare went to a livery yard so I would have more time. She has been hacking and jumping BS barefoot, but in the new yard there was more hard core to walk over, both to get hacking and also to get to the school.

She was never lame, but with the extra work she sometimes felt a stone. I have had fronts on, no bother, as I think she will be more comfortable.

They went on on a Wednesday I think. She had a couple of days doing a bit less while she remembered what the extra weight felt like, but was out jumping again that Sunday.
Click to expand...

Sorry that your mum has not been well.
We actually have a lot of hardcore; it's everywhere! Thank you for letting me know how your mare got on. Hopefully ours will adapt as quickly.
 
Gloi said:
If you get some boots for when she is ridden it will mean her soles are protected better than they would be in shoes but you will still be able to monitor her for signs of laminitis more easily.
Click to expand...

Thank you, no idea about this, so will look into it.
 
ester said:
Is she footy in the field? If yes then it's indicative of issues, if not I'd try boots.

It is worth remembering with one with a (particularly recent) history of lami having no shoes on usually means you can spot the signs earlier and act more quickly.

I'm not at all anti-shoe, would just want to be comfortable with regards to what benefit they are bringing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the thoughts. No, she's not at all footy in the field. It was just over the rough stony area next to where she was being trotted up. We also have a lot of hardcore on our yard, it's everywhere: dow to the field, to the school, and to get out to the hacking.
 
Boots might depend on whether you do her yourself and therefore potentially don't mind spending a bit of extra time to take them on and off in order to get to your turnout etc.

They loosely fall into two categories - there are the bulkier/more forgiving in fit options that are probably relatively easier to put on and off (though the latter varies)
and the lighter lower profile more 'sport' option which are better for fast work etc as the breakover is better.

Successful boots always depend on good fit and we have some really good, helpful sellers around :). All will suggest that you take a photo of the hoof with a tape measure for width and length and send them the pics - better than just sending measurements as they can see hoof shape and guide if inbetween measurements.

I've always had easyboot gloves. If I need them on for a short time I can get them on well enough by hand very quickly or just using the shell not the gaiter attachment (I used to get off and take them on and off for the grass bits of hacks when I was rehabbing his hooves). But to get them on well for sports work I use power straps which holds them tighter and a rubber mallet to get them on, which sounds daunting but it's really not.
There have been many other options come out on the market in recent years so there is usually something to suit at least front hooves.
Sellers with advice in no particular order:
The saddlery shop
urban horse
equine podiatry supplies
hoof bootique.
 
ester said:
Boots might depend on whether you do her yourself and therefore potentially don't mind spending a bit of extra time to take them on and off in order to get to your turnout etc..
Click to expand...

That's all really helpful, thank you for taking the time to post that.
Are shoes a 'bad' thing, then? I appreciate that they can have a concussive effect. We don't do road work, though the ground can get hard on hacks...
 
Merri said:
Are shoes a 'bad' thing, then? I appreciate that they can have a concussive effect. We don't do road work, though the ground can get hard on hacks...
Click to expand...
They are like putting a rigid plaster cast on a limb - the living structures stop working well and atrophy. In the case of the hoof it's mainly the digital cushion that atrophies and so the back of the foot becomes weak. Long term outcomes include navicular syndrome. Look here http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/p/key-blog-posts.html for lots of reading, Pete Ramey is good (he was one of the first modern barefood advocates) and there is loads on this forum too (search 'Barefoot Taliban in the archive - there were a lot of arguments a few years ago but it seems to be fairly well accepted now!).
 
Merri said:
That's all really helpful, thank you for taking the time to post that.
Are shoes a 'bad' thing, then? I appreciate that they can have a concussive effect. We don't do road work, though the ground can get hard on hacks...
Click to expand...

I think it is more healthy if a horse can go barefoot, but then if I want to work mine and I think she would do that better with shoes, she has shoes.

I am planning that she keeps shoes for the summer while we are doing more, then pull them again over the winter. She will stay without them until I feel that she would do better with them again.

I find boots a faff.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top