what did you do to prepare young horse for shoes

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cellie

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Horse is coming home he has been backed ,I havent booked farrier yet ,what do you do apart from obvious picking feet etc:D
 
I was thinking along same lines thanks .I have mounting block training to do as well ,Ive had problem horses that Ive sorted out but never newly backed :eek:
 
I always make sure that youngster is close to another well behaved horse as it is shod, this way it see's what is happening and smells the smoke. Idealy youngster is in stable with good horse just outside.
 
The usual. Pick up feet and hold them up. Whack them with the hoof pick. Cold shoe the first couple of times. Tbh though you can't really prepare them for nailing on and clenching up very well, you just have to make sure they're accepting enough of having their feet handled and hope for the best.
 
rossiroo said:
I always make sure that youngster is close to another well behaved horse as it is shod, this way it see's what is happening and smells the smoke. Idealy youngster is in stable with good horse just outside.
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Thanks:D funny but you always seem to forget obvious even if you have done it all before :)
 
Do they really need them l kept my youngster barefoot :) picking up feet every day and tapping them and if he has had regular feet trims he should be know your farrier and stand for him :)
 
I made sure mine was around in her stable when the farrier came to shoe other well behaved horse on the yard, she was trimmed during same visit. To be honest she didn't bat an eyelid when the first front set of Jimmy Choos went on and then again when the time came she took the back ones like a star. Helps that I have a brilliant, very patient farrier though...
 
ladyellierose I ve only had him few weeks so dont know if hes seen farrier or if so how many times.Hes been away being backed and his hooves are bit short they look like they need balancing and heels look little low.My farrier is very good but he missed visit as he went to backing yard and then missed their farrier.
 
Dont put shoes on until they are needed.
You may get away with not needing them!
The horses needs to lift feet nicely wheh asked, hold for as long as needed, and not fidget!
Also practice pulling legs toward and back.
It's a good idea to have the horses near a farrier when they are shoeing another horse to get used to the sounds and smells!
 
There was a time when I would be able to talk for ages on how to prepare for that all important first set of shoes.

Today, I just feel a little sad that another young horse will be going down the shod route.
It may be fine for him, but more often than not it will mean a lifetime of often unexplained bouts of lameness, full blown navicular between 11 and 15, over reaching, un noticed low grade laminitis, the list is endless.
Obviously, I'd say, keep him barefoot.
 
Pale Rider said:
There was a time when I would be able to talk for ages on how to prepare for that all important first set of shoes.

Today, I just feel a little sad that another young horse will be going down the shod route.
It may be fine for him, but more often than not it will mean a lifetime of often unexplained bouts of lameness, full blown navicular between 11 and 15, over reaching, un noticed low grade laminitis, the list is endless.
Obviously, I'd say, keep him barefoot.
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Pale Rider, are you suggesting that those ailments are a direct cause of being shod?!
 
Toast said:
Pale Rider, are you suggesting that those ailments are a direct cause of being shod?!
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Most of them, yes.

My view is that people believe, when they put shoes on the horses foot, that they are protecting him, when in actual fact the reverse is true.

Because the feeling in the foot is reduced by the shoe the horse is unaware of where he places his foot. Therefore, he will stand on sharp stones or whatever and not notice that his foot is bruised or punctured. All the more likely when his sole is thin, soft and weak. A few days later he may well become lame when the pain becomes so great that he feels the bruise or abscess despite the shoe.

Riding a barefoot horse, you sometimes feel them put their foot down then pick it up again when he detects something that may hurt him.

Navicular is a disease of shod horses which normally shows up at around 11. Few barefoot horses get this, though the odd one is reported, probably a misdiagnosis in some cases. It is lack of blood in the hoof which causes the break down of the navicular.

Obviously, if the shod horse has less feeling in his foot, laminitis when he feels it is further on than in the barefoot horse. He may not feel the pain of low grade laminitis for the most part, but may occasionally show up lame for a few days.

Because the frog is not functioning as the pump which it is, the heart has to work much harder, therfore increasing the strain on it and may well lead to a shorter life for the shod horse.

Then of course there is the effect of the shoe on the ligaments and tendons, as well as the lack of shock absorption.
 
Agree re picking out feet, holding leg up for longer, tapping foot with hoof pick and having them around when other well behaved horses are shod.

Also, make sure they know how to be tied up and stand quietly. Sounds obvious but so many people don't seem to teach their horses to stand quietly when tied up.
 
Pale Rider said:
Most of them, yes.

My view is that people believe, when they put shoes on the horses foot, that they are protecting him, when in actual fact the reverse is true.

Because the feeling in the foot is reduced by the shoe the horse is unaware of where he places his foot. Therefore, he will stand on sharp stones or whatever and not notice that his foot is bruised or punctured. All the more likely when his sole is thin, soft and weak. A few days later he may well become lame when the pain becomes so great that he feels the bruise or abscess despite the shoe.

Riding a barefoot horse, you sometimes feel them put their foot down then pick it up again when he detects something that may hurt him.

Navicular is a disease of shod horses which normally shows up at around 11. Few barefoot horses get this, though the odd one is reported, probably a misdiagnosis in some cases. It is lack of blood in the hoof which causes the break down of the navicular.

Obviously, if the shod horse has less feeling in his foot, laminitis when he feels it is further on than in the barefoot horse. He may not feel the pain of low grade laminitis for the most part, but may occasionally show up lame for a few days.

Because the frog is not functioning as the pump which it is, the heart has to work much harder, therfore increasing the strain on it and may well lead to a shorter life for the shod horse.

Then of course there is the effect of the shoe on the ligaments and tendons, as well as the lack of shock absorption.
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Re all of above I do agree with some/most of your opinions on keeping barefoot but (and i will be taking advice from farrier :)) my lads feet are quite short and if hes not coping on grass what hope will he have doing roadwork.When hes in full work hes not home yet i ride most days and
a lot is on tarmac to get to bridleways.His feet are going to wear down very quickly.My last horse could only last 6 weeks not day over as her shoes were so well worn.Farrier always commented that she was one of only horses who had full use of her shoes.
I have nothing against barefoot be far cheaper for me but do feel that our hacking and barefoot dont neccessarily work alongside.Think it will be a while before I make decision on shoes and will try only fronts if I have too.
 
cellie said:
my lads feet are quite short and if hes not coping on grass what hope will he have doing roadwork.When hes in full work hes not home yet i ride most days and
a lot is on tarmac to get to bridleways.His feet are going to wear down very quickly.
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I'm not trying to stop you shoeing, but you may need to know that barefoot feet normally look very short compared to shod ones. He should be walking on his heels, frog, on the inner part of his hoof wall and the outer ring of his sole.

Also, at this time of year, barefoot horses which are footie are more often footie because they cannot cope with the amount of fresh green grass that they are eating than because their feet can't cope with their work.

If you wanted to give it a go you would probably need to restrict his grass, and I have also found that feeding yeast and magnesium oxide have been essential for my horses. I also have to feed copper because of a mineral imbalance in my grazing.

I believe that many young horses are shod at 3 and 4 because it seems that they are not coping with their work when what they really need is not shoes, but to have their diet changed.
 
I agree with Cptrayes.
When my horse was shod I could shave with the shoes after 4 weeks, they were that thin.
Since being barefoot the hoof grows according to the work you do.
I now reckon I'd wear my backside out before hooves.
 
cellie said:
I wish but he is little footsore so will take advice maybe good barefoot trim and balance will do job.:D
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Yep. I'm with the barefoot Taliban :D. You may need to look into diet, hoof boots etc and take it slowly as you start roadwork etc, but shoeing at this age (at least he wasn't shod at 2 or 3 I guess!) seems to have a greater detrimental effect as the hoof capsule is still growing and developing. Having had a horse develop DJD of the coffin joint, not dissimilar to navicular, I'd never shoe again unless I absolutely had to.
 
Thanks for all your input , speaking to his trainer ( hes being backed at moment )we think his feet have never been trimmed properly and they are short basically because they have broken off .There seems to be a general lack of care discovered his teeth have been neglected too ,hes coming home tomorrow so I can get farrier for barefoot trim and dental work done.Think he might have to have baby teeth pulled so backing will be on hold :rolleyes:.Saddle fitter has been booked for weeks so looks like he will be getting overhaul bless him.Plus they appear to have lied and he has not been backed at all he went away initailly for 2 week reback :confused:
 
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