Shoeing - gap between toe and shoe

comet!

comet!

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Is anyone else's horse shod with a gap between the toe and the shoe and with no toe clips on shoe? I can't see the reason for it being done like this other than the toe being cut too short making shoes with toe clips not possible?

It's very gravelly/flinty where I ride, so I am worried that he's going to get bits stuck between shoe and toe.
 
Think I'd be calling the farrier. That's not right, surely? As you say, almost bound to get bits stuck in the gap regardless of the going.

I must admit, I sent a pic to my farrier yesterday of a nail that's come out and curved round the shoe and he's coming out tomorrow cos he's a fab guy: if your farrier is any good, he'll be happy to come out and rectify an issue if you, as the customer, consider it an issue.
 
No, I don't think it's right either. Have left message for farrier, so hopefully he'll pick up tomorrow. I then had a thought that perhaps I was being stupid, and there was a logical reason for it. I wasn't around for shoeing but sounds like his apprentice shod my horse.
 
Gaps, no I wouldn't expect any. No toe clips, yes sometimes I've had these but always had the reason why explained by the farrier.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. It was his apprentice that shod him so my farrier has asked me to send over photos, which I have. Toe clip query sorted, just the gap now!

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That looks a bit odd & surely a but dangerous for him potentially getting things stuck in the gap?! No toe clips is normal but I would ask the farrier to explain why.
 
I would be asking why the farrier is not checking his Apprentices work- and if it is a change made for the horse- why has it not been discussed/agreed by you as owner.
 
Oh dear, that does look like over pruning of the hoof. I also wouldn't want the apprentice practicing on my horse.
 
I think over trimming too. I'm super paranoid about my boy so I'm glad I posted it on here now and I've got reason to query it, rather than stressing that I'm worrying over nothing.

Farrier coming later to check it. Expensive shoeing for me at £85 for shoes and half a day unpaid holiday!
 
£85.00 ............ ask for a refund,, and if you don t get it then get a new farrier, one you can trust. Just tell him he has cost you a days wages, and you are not in the least happy. How this can be sorted , I don't know I would consider taking the front shoes off and leaving them off for 2/three weeks.
 
Bonkers2 said:
How this can be sorted , I don't know I would consider taking the front shoes off and leaving them off for 2/three weeks.
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Don't do this! Your horse has too-short toes so taking the shoes off at this point would likely be very painful for the horse.
 
Goldenstar said:
I think it depends how far through training they are .
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This apprentice as gone far enough!
We all make mistakes, but the client should be "recompensed" and insist that the farrier himself does the horse in future. How they can charge that sort of money for an apprentice is beyond me. It is pure laziness/greed to allow him to work unsupervised.
 
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Bad trimming - the foot wasn't trimmed level, so when the shoe was fitted the toe and shoe didn't meet.

Quarter clips are often used in front shoes, especially if the shoe was meant to be a rolled toe, which may have been the plan for your horse but he forgot to shape the roll on the shoes.
 
ellie11987 said:
£85 for an apprentice?!
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Exactly. Why are you paying your farrier's rate when the apprentice is doing the work (and badly). Or is the farrier even more expensive?
When I go to the hairdresser I don't pay the head honcho rate when a junior stylist is doing the job.
 
Fronts now refitted by farrier. I was told that the short-looking toe was caused by my boy pawing. He never normally paws, and farrier agreed with me.

Generally the farrier shoes his fronts and the apprentice either just does the hind trimming and finishing off and sometimes shoes the backs. Until this year I was always there for shoeing, but for most appointments this year I haven't been able to be as I work a couple of hours away so for all I know the apprentice could have done his full set every time. I believe apprentice is due to qualify this year - he may even have qualified by now.
 
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Unsurprisingly I have a lame horse.

Is there anything I could give him to promote hoof growth? His feet need to grow in order for the imbalance to be sorted out (amazingly the problem is the other foot!) but he's never really had quick growing hooves.
 
How lame? Has the farrier taken the shoes off to check for abscess/corns. Poor chap.

did the farrier say that the short toe was due to pawing? What did he say about the shoeing job?
 
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