Shoes

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Ranyhyn

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Please correct me if wrong, but do front shoes have the toe clip at the front and back shoes have the toe clips on either side?

My horses front shoes have toe clips either side - why?
 
That's the usual way of doing it, but i have seen many have toe clips either side on the front and vice versa, i don't think there is any particular reason for doing so.
 
My young horse had side clips on her front shoes when I bought her. My farrier explained the reasons why they sometimes do this but I can't remember what they were either. Ask a farrier!
smile.gif
 
Ditto above two, my mare has the clips at the side, the farrier explained why but I can't remember. She has crap feet though, and the side clips help somehow.
 
One of mine had side clips as the toe had to be cut back quite square, this was done to change the break over point after an injury - can't remember the full details but was done by farrier on vets advise!
 
Quarter clips are generally used behind.. however they are used in from for a number of reason..

a) More 'hold' for activities such as hunting and eventing.
b) A damaged hoof. Such as a crack, or hole from on abcess.
c) In a horse whos toes have previously been left to long to allow the toe to be 'dobbed' off.
d) To alter movement, by putting a quarter clipped shoe on you can 'safe of' the toe of the shoe (between the clips) and this will ease break over.
e) To allow the hoof angle to be easily altered by the farrier, removal of some toe tissue is sometimes all it takes.

Hope you find this helpful.

Lou x
 
[ QUOTE ]
Quarter clips are generally used behind.. however they are used in from for a number of reason..

a) More 'hold' for activities such as hunting and eventing.
b) A damaged hoof. Such as a crack, or hole from on abcess.
c) In a horse whos toes have previously been left to long to allow the toe to be 'dobbed' off.
d) To alter movement, by putting a quarter clipped shoe on you can 'safe of' the toe of the shoe (between the clips) and this will ease break over.
e) To allow the hoof angle to be easily altered by the farrier, removal of some toe tissue is sometimes all it takes.

Hope you find this helpful.

Lou x

[/ QUOTE ]

Can you explain c and D to me please when you have time?
 
I'm no expert, but as I understand what my farrier has explained to me, the concept of C and D is that with quarter clips the farrier can shape the foot (toe) differently in between the clips - e.g perhaps square the front off slightly to quicken the breakover. With toe clips, the front of the foot is, by definition, where the toe clip is. With quarter clips, it is almost like the toe overhangs the shoe (though it doesn't when the foot is dressed correctly), whereas the toe clip marks the edge of the toe.

Does that make ANY sense or have I just rephrased Nailed's post??
confused.gif
 
C- when the front of the hoof is trimmed straight dwn to get rid of the large amount of hoof that has grown long (rather than getting the lovely rounded edge) where the front single clip wouldnt hold.

D - squared toes caused by the use of quarter clips change the stride of the horse.

I think it sort of relates to the balance of the foot and levelling. With a change in the more natural shape of the hoof pressure points and also areas of strike off change.

Please correct me if Im wrong, but hope this helps!
smile.gif
 
Wow you lot are bloody clever, I understand the term until 'breakover' I can say what I think you mean but I wont!

In a nuthshell then, for my tiny mind, is it something to worry about?
 
I doubt its much to worry about, im sure the farrier does what he feels is correct with the way the shoe is worn down with use.

I know my boy (because he has an asymmetrical pelvis) wears one hind shoe down on the inside more so the farrier uses toe clips (dont ask me which ones!) and trims the foot to compensate for the wear.

tbh, i dont pretend to know but i ask questions and hope hes doing the correct thing.
 
Breakover.

When a horse moves, the hoof 'roles' into the air. The point at which the toe leave the floor is known as the breakover point.

By rolling the toe, or safeing the hoof and the shoe, you can reduce the break over point (Much easier on an unclipped or quarted clipped shoe.) By reduceing the break over point you reduce the effort that the horse has to use to move the limb. This can improve the way of going in some horse and can prevent and reduce lameness in other conditions.

Dobbing of the toe.

Whenyou dob the toe you generally shape the foot from the underside (usually with cutters) and then you use the rasp to take the 'toe' completely back to where you have shaped. It usually gives the appearence of clubbed feet but it is rectivied by regular trims. This is usually done on horse who have not been paired for a long time or who have gone too long between shoeing.

Lou x
 
Kitsune - the best way to explain it.

Take your thumb and press the end of it firmly down on a table top, now roll the top of your thumb over the thumb nail - if your nail is long you will not be able to do this, if your nail is very short you will be able to do it easily.

Now imagine that those same stresses are being applied to the hoof and surrounding tissue structures, and it will become clear why the correct angle of hoof and sufficient trimming back of the toe (this bit relates to your thumb nail) is important. If you need to cut the toe back quite short, to deal with stumbling or to correct growth problems then, in order to set in a single toe clip, it would be necessary to cut into the internal hoof structure - in these cases it is more usual to dispense with the toe clip altogether or to set in quarter clips.
 
Thank you both for those explanations. I spent some time today just feeling how he felt as he walked, at the beginning of the ride his stride felt a little, clipped and tentative, but as we went further he began to stride out a bit more - I put this down to stiffness but perhaps it could be why he's shod this way, reading into your first point Nailed..
 
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