Riding in the snow with shod horses?

C

Charlie94

New User
Joined
26 November 2010
Messages
3
Visit site
Has anyone got any tips or things i could try to allow me to ride out in the winter because going barefoot isnt really an option cause my TB has very soft flat feet, i heard that vaseline dosent work really well and im not sure if hoof boots are only for shod horses. are there any places in the uk that supply any balling pads or other things cause the websites are mostly american. There is an indoor school at my yard but i really want to get out in the outdoor school or hack this winter cause its tiny and turnout looks like its going to be limited. Im not very experienced so i dont think studs would be ideal. Has anyone got any ideas?:confused:
thanks xx
 
We used to ride out in snow with no problems - nothing really works that well to prevent the snow from balling - we used old engine oil on the inside of feet. It's great fun riding in the snow - love it.
 
Paint something oily/greasy in the feet - I've used lard, old cooking oil, Kevin Bacon hoof dressing, plain old hoof oil.

Think I will ride in the field this afternoon!
 
I have the same problem charlie, i've only been with my horse 6 weeks& im not planning on hacking out in the snow alot.... just in the school or a little snow hack but i havent experianced propper snow riding & studs are NOT an option.

whats the best ideas people have?
 
There are places that sell "snowball" rim pads here: http://www.stromsholm.co.uk/pages/products/?PHPSESSID=e1fe0de95806a7f47182639c644f8339 and I found a few other outlets for someone last year. In places where is snows consistently, people use those or "bubble pads", which are full pads with a convex bubble in the middle that pops the snow out, and either small road studs or borium dabs for traction. A lot of people take shoes off in the winter, at least behind, but that's a lot easier to do if you can rely on the snow staying.

Painting the feet does work short term (spray cooking oil and WD-40 are also time honoured options) but I'm not so sure for turn out as it does wear away fairly quickly.

A lot depends on the kind of snow, to be honest. I've ridden shod horses many times in dry/coarse/crispy snow without a balling problem because it's so cold/dry it doesn't pack and freeze, but wet snow/slush/ice is much trickier because it freezes to the metal of the shoe.

I was just in Canada and we were joking I should have put 10 pairs of rim pads in my luggage then sold at a profit once the snow came here. :D
 
the vaseline worked, only a tiny bit of snow in his frogs and the snow was really deep! i was only in walk though through a field for 10 minutes didnt have the guts to do anything else! xx
:D
 
TarrSteps said:
There are places that sell "snowball" rim pads here: http://www.stromsholm.co.uk/pages/products/?PHPSESSID=e1fe0de95806a7f47182639c644f8339 and I found a few other outlets for someone last year. In places where is snows consistently, people use those or "bubble pads", which are full pads with a convex bubble in the middle that pops the snow out, and either small road studs or borium dabs for traction. A lot of people take shoes off in the winter, at least behind, but that's a lot easier to do if you can rely on the snow staying.

Painting the feet does work short term (spray cooking oil and WD-40 are also time honoured options) but I'm not so sure for turn out as it does wear away fairly quickly.

A lot depends on the kind of snow, to be honest. I've ridden shod horses many times in dry/coarse/crispy snow without a balling problem because it's so cold/dry it doesn't pack and freeze, but wet snow/slush/ice is much trickier because it freezes to the metal of the shoe.

I was just in Canada and we were joking I should have put 10 pairs of rim pads in my luggage then sold at a profit once the snow came here. :D
Click to expand...

If only you could have known what was coming, you could have made a fortune!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top