Shoeing problem

[ChowChow]

When I bought my 4 year old Fjord he was barefoot but he couldn't manage the very stoney tracks we have around here and he was getting a bit foot sore, he was being very careful where he walked and tripping alot.

My farrier suggested front shoes for him which helped a great deal. This is his first set of front shoes which have been on 5 weeks and already one of them has come off twice.

When the farrier came to reshoe he said it was down to the weather (we have had the most unbelieveable wet and muddy conditions) but then its come off again so is it really the wet and muddy fields we are still experiencing or my horse's feet?

 

[L&M]

What a lovely looking horse!
The weather could certainly be a factor, as my horses feet have been very soft and crumbly this summer and am also having problems holding shoes, (last set came loose after 3 weeks). Also if he is not used to being shod it may take a while for his feet to adjust, so you could go down the supplement route to improve general hoof condition.
Also try turning out in over reach boots just in case he is puuling them off himself!

 

[ChowChow]

Thanks, he's getting like a teddy at the moment!

What supplement is best? There's quite a few on the market.

 

[Fransurrey]

Mmmm, sorry, but in my experience, shoes coming off at this rate tend to be farrier error, rather than weather, at least twice in one cycle would suggest this. My fields were an absolute quagmire in 2001 (the wettest Autumn on record) and with a new farrier (I moved area), Henry lost two shoes. I switched farrier and lo-behold. Never lost another shoe the whole winter!

Fjords have notoriously good feet and on his FIRST shoeing, I wouldn't have thought that he should lose any shoe!

If your horse's feet are soft and crumbly, Sidney, try disinfecting them with either virkon, milton or even one of the foot-rot sprays for sheep/cattle. It's the fungi/bacteria growing in the crevices that make the sole crumbly. When you next have him shod, ask the farrier if you can spray them before he puts the next shoe on, as it's impossible to properly disinfect shod feet!

Of course, if your teddy continues to have problems keeping shoes on, you could always look at hoof boots, Chow Chow? I'm using these all round with my recovering laminitic and they certainly didn't hold him back yesterday!

 

[RyanJoker]

Hi ChowChow - Just out of interest what boots do you use?? I'm having trerrible trouble with one of my boys feet, losing shoes, and bruising, and I can;t seem to find a boot that will stay on

Cheers

 

[L&M]

My farrier only recommend's 'farriers formula' - pricey and take's a few months to show improvement, but definitely helped previous horse. Can't afford it at the moment for new neddy so am giving him biotin instead, so will be interesting to compare results.
Thanks for advice Fran!

 

[ChowChow]

If thats the case then a bit of a problem. Farriers here are like gold dust, very hard to come by. This one is a good, turns up and a lot of people recommend him.

Hoof boots are something I might have to seriously consider though.

 

[ChowChow]

Hi RJ, I haven't used boots on my horse but Fransurrey said they did on theirs. I will have to consider them I think.