Snow with Shoes?

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Iron-Classic

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15 December 2012
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New York, USA
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My horse is shod with just plain regular iron shoes. It snows a ton here in New York and I was wondering if it is safe to ride in the snow or if my horse won't have enough traction? I know it gets slippery faster with shoes but if the snow is a few inches deep would it be ok? I just don't want to cause any injuries

Thanks bunches!!! :D
 
If you grease the sole (not the frog or the shoe) it can help stop the snow from compacting and creating "ice stilts" which causes the foot to rise off the ground and usually at an odd angle although tbh I've found that it doesn't really help an awful lot :cool: I tend not to ride in the snow for that reason alone but I think riding in the snow is possible but you would have to take it a lot slower and more carefully than usual obviously because of the slippery-ness and not being able to see what's under the snow in the way of uneven/pot holed ground.
I found my lad had more grip last winter and the winter before when I took his hind shoes off but for preference (dependent on how much work you'll be doing with him and how much roadwork will be involved) I'd take all the shoes off. One of the ponies at my last yard was barefoot and she was the only one that didn't have any trouble with ice stilts.
New york must be an interesting place to keep a horse? :)
 
Iron-Classic said:
Thank you! I will definitely take your advice

New York City would certainly be interesting, but I'm in Western New York. All farmland out here :)
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Ah! Ha ha! I come from a tiny village in scotland so when people say NY I instantly think the city not the state :o:D
 
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