Tips for finding a lost horse shoe in the field?

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u02srg3

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My horse lost a shoe a couple days ago, and as the nails are all still in it i am worried it could cause a puncture to one of the horses in the field. Have had a hunt but cannot find it anywhere, any tips for finding lost shoes??
 
Oh dear - sorry but if your land is anything like mine you better give up now! Our 20 acre field must have millions of shoes in it by now, all lost in the mud!

Failing that, a headlight at night might do the trick to catch the glint of metal?
 
You'll never do it !
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My horse lost 6 shoes is about 5 weeks in a 4 acre field and it took all summer to locate them and that's on dry ground.
 
I wouldn't worry overly about the nails - they will most likely just be swallowed up my the mud at this time of year, never to re-surface
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I'm brilliant at finding lost shoes. I generally walk to and fro across the field in narrow lines in a methodical fashion so I always know which part I have covered and keep my eyes peeled to the ground. Good luck. Shoes with nails still in are such a worry!
 
ride round your field, it's amazing how much easier it is to spot them from horseback. We scoured our field once when Pidge lost one and couldn't find it, found it very easily from on top of him and it was in a spot we'd gone through several times! good luck
 
I find the harder I look for something the less likely I am to find it, especially in my workshop, then I give up and ignore it and it pops up infront of me!
Maybe after a heavy downpour it might wash some of the mud away to enable you to see it under torchlight as some of the others have suggested?
Good luck, Oz
 
I always have a look around where there are any fresh divots as mine usually over reaches his off when he's larking around. Start around the fences and work in.. they can sometimes pull them off on the fences if they are sheep wire, but also if they hit the brakes hard coming upto the fence thats when they pull them off. I've found a few...but probably lost more!
 
My Granma always used to 'pin the devil' if she couldn't find something. Nine times out of ten it would work. Stick a pin in the back of your sofa and say "I pin the devil to find .....'s lost shoe" I know it sounds daft but I always think anything is worth a try. Good luck
 
I agree - look for where they've put the brakes on or changed direction suddenly. It's normally in the stickier mud. I always go looking for mine & will find them within a couple of attempts. You should worry about the nails - can easily puncture their soles walking on an old shoe.
 
I send all of the yard kids into my field (Saturdays are best) put them in a long line and offer prize of sweets of cash to the finder. Works everytime!!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I send all of the yard kids into my field (Saturdays are best) put them in a long line and offer prize of sweets of cash to the finder. Works everytime!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I like that suggestion!
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I recently found Henry's lost shoe...that he lost in 2001. God knows how it stayed hidden so long. It wasn't even in a muddy part of the field, so all I can think is that it was buried by a divot, then weathered its way to the surface over the years! Good luck!
 
Okay, all you need to do is borrow the most expensive accident prone horse on the yard. Turn it out into the field (encouraging it to run around like a nutter can also help) then just turn your back for about thirty seconds and when you turn back I can almost promise that the horse will be standing in the biggest mud pit with one foot held high in the air with a the missing shoe and nails attached to the sole of said foot, as it will have made a massive puncture and your horse will have to be off for another month. This method normally works for me. lol.
 
I FOUND IT!!!!!!!! Gave up looking and starting picking up much from the field, and then I just cam across it in the middle of the field! Hurray! Thanks everyone for your suggestions, i will bear them in mind for next time!
 
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