Shoe off, nails still in hoof...will he be ok?

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Sarah1

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Hi all

Am in a little bit of a panic - last night my big lad had a mad 10 mins in the field, he's managed to pull one of his front shoes off but the nails are still in his hoof, some are flush with the hoof...also he's managed to loosen his other front shoe!
He's ready for re-shoeing and I have the farrier due Friday. I've contacted him this morning to see if he needs to see him sooner but he's fully booked & can't get out to me before Friday...
Will my lad be ok? Obviously I won't ride him til they're sorted.
I don't know why I'm worrying so much, I'm sure he's not the 1st horse to do this but I have no idea how my farrier will get the nails out!?!
 
My horse did this once. The farried tapped the clench from the hoof wall so that it stuff out far enough to pull it out underneath.

She was fine.
 
If mine I would try and remove the nails, we have had the odd one left in and normally tap the clench up gently with a flat chisel/hammer then pull the out with some pliers
 
If there's any part of the nail sticking out at all, then it definitely needs to come out so that it can't catch on anything (noted that you say it is lying flush to the wall). If it is at all possible to remove the nail yourself without tearing the hoof wall, then I would do so just for safety (there is a knack to removing nails, which I don't think I could describe adequately).

So, remove it if at all possible, however, from the sounds of it, this particular nail might be "safe" enough to leave until the farrier gets to you.
 
Thanks everyone, there are about 3 left in I think. Any that are sticking out even a little I'll try to get out with...pliers? I don't have any special tools...

The ones that are flush with his hoof I'll perhaps leave & just keep an eye on them...
 
I'd protect him with brushing and over reach boots, knock any protruding nails back down (if I can, easier said than done!) and leave alone. You've got to get the angle right to pull nails through without damaging the hoof wall and I've always been afraid of causing more problems.

If your lad is as sore as mine is without a shoe he won't be doing much anyway!
 
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