Why would a farrier

[Wheels]

Fit a shoe that doesn't come all of the way to the front of the toe?

Friend recently had her horses shod and the shoes don't really appear to fit the horses hooves. In each of the feet there is either bits of hoof over hanging the shoes or the shoes in some cases are protruding out from under the sole.

Is there any time when this could be beneficial to the horse or is it just lazy farriery.

 

[ImmyS]

My thoroughbred has rolled toes to make her break over cleaner and faster to stop stumbling, this makes the shoe appear to not come all the way to the end of the toe as it is rolled over. Not sure if it the same reason for your friends horse though? .

 

[Gingerwitch]

Usually if the shoe is out side of the hoof - so looks like the shoe is too wide, your farrier is trying to give a greater weight baring area to the horse... sometimes this will encourage the hoof to widen, some farriers shoe tight, but most now agree that the bigger surface area the horse has in contact with the ground the better it is for them.

Again like the other posters have said, if the shoe appears to be small he could be trying to adjust the break over point.

Or you could just be unlucky and he has been shod poorly

 

[Spyda]

Anything like this?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Some farriers do it on jumping/galloping horses so that if they strike into themselves on the hoof does damage ad not a great lump of metal - damage limitation they call it lol!

 

[Wheels]

Spuda yes that is exactly it on the fronts, what is the purpose of this? The back shoes look too wide but not long enough, the shoes don't come to the back of the feet, looks like the bars are actually under the shoe.

 

[milo'n'molly]

The short at the toe is usually to quicken the point of break over when the horse walks, not sure why the shoe wouldn't go all the way to theback of the foot as mine usually likes to havemore at the back for support unless the horse is constantly pulling shoes. The best idea would be to ask him

 

[Wheels]

They're not my horses and its not my farrier, my friend asked what I thought of the shoeing and for me the feet on both of her horses are not looking the best. She isn't happy with them or the farrier atm and she doesn't know why the farrier shod the horses this way and didn't want to ask him in case he span her a yarn!

 

[tallyho!]

Looks like a good shoeing job to me. The farrier has taken into account the balance of the whole horse, his break over, has supported the heels and given as much ground contact as he can. Shoeing is not about making it look neat and pleasing to untrained eyes, it serves to do a job of supporting a horse as well as possible while it does its job if it can't use just its hooves.

Have you seen this thread? Worth a read....

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=513676

 

[Wheels]

Thanks for the link tallyho, will have a good look later

 

[Orangehorse]

Mine is shod like this and has been for years, on his advice. It is a wide shoe on the front, so nothing to do with over-reaching. It is to help the break-over, as my horse had a terrible tripping problem when he was young - I nearly stopped riding him. Other treatments helped a lot, but when I started with this farrier after being barefoot for a while, he suggested this style of shoe "because I think it will suit him." Not exactly a precise explanation, but it works. Have shown him successfully and no-one ever made a comment.

 

[FionaM12]

she doesn't know why the farrier shod the horses this way and didn't want to ask him in case he span her a yarn!

It sounds like a breakdown in communication to me. I would have expected the farrier to explain his actions, and I wouldn't have expected the client to feel so distrustful she'd think he would "spin a line".

I there any reason why she doesn't trust her farrier to be honest?

 

[Gingerwitch]

It sounds like a breakdown in communication to me. I would have expected the farrier to explain his actions, and I wouldn't have expected the client to feel so distrustful she'd think he would "spin a line".

I there any reason why she doesn't trust her farrier to be honest?

Farriers are like vets - if you dont trust them change them.... its not fair on them - as your always ready to jump at them... and sometimes things do happen - i trust my farrier implicity - he tells the truth, he shoes my horses if i am not there, and phones me half way through to tell me what he is doing - and phones me at the end especially about little lad as he is sometimes really nervous of being shod - and that is nothing to do with my farrier at all

 

[Wheels]

Gingerwitch that sounds like a perfect farrier, very few and far between I would say.

Fiona yes you are right, it sounds like a breakdown in communication, not really sure why she doesn't trust him but there have been a few times I think that things just haven't looked right.

Finding good farriers in her area is very difficult, qualified farriers are hard to come by, qualified farriers who turn up and do a good job = almost impossible

 

[cptrayes]

It's perfectly normal to shoe short of the front of the foot. On front feet it's to bring the breakover point back, which reduces strain on the DDFT. On the back feet it's usually to stop them pulling off the front shoes.

 

[Echo Bravo]

Why doesn't she just have the nerve to ask him? if she doesn't trust him go else where.

 

[Ranyhyn]

Agreed, it's too important to not feel comfortable to ask anything. If your friend wants to know, you tell her to ask him and if he doesn't like it or she doesn't like his reply - get a new farrier. She is paying for his/her services they aren't being done as a favour!

 

[FionaM12]

Finding good farriers in her area is very difficult, qualified farriers are hard to come by, qualified farriers who turn up and do a good job = almost impossible

If you say which area (roughly) she lives in, someone here might be able to recommend good farriers perhaps?

 

[mandwhy]

A bit like doctors, I guess farriers can sometimes forget to explain why they are doing something, and let's face it not everyone is interested, they just want something done well whatever it is. If she wants to know why then she should just ask him politely and he should answer unless he thinks his work is being attacked (I think they can be a bit sensitive about this so I tend to be careful how I word things!).

 

[dressedkez]

My goodness - and many years of training do Farriers undertake??? And how many of us are experts ???? Work with your Farrier not agianst them.........

 

[Ellen Durow]

Please, never be afraid to ask questions. In my experience most farriers are pleased when clients, or even interested on-lookers, ask questions about their work. A friend of mine always preceeds her questions with "In the interests of my education, why....". It sort of defuses the question and the farrier doesn't think she's criticising.

(If the farrier didn't like the owner to show an interest I would be just a teensy bit worried.......)

When I was a student I once apologised for asking what I thought might be a silly question and the lecturer said "The only silly question is the one you don't ask".

 

[mcnaughty]

Its good to talk ....

 

[Meowy Catkin]

My goodness - and many years of training do Farriers undertake??? And how many of us are experts ???? Work with your Farrier not agianst them.........

Sadly the Farrier training system turns out some very bad Farriers along with good ones and everything in between (same with trimmers - there are good and bad out there).

I strongly believe that every horse owner needs to understand correct hoof balance and if your horse is shod - what an excellent/good/mediocre/bad shoeing job looks like. You need to be able to judge the Farrier/trimmers work so that you can hire the best and sack the substandard.

 

[Queenbee]

What springs to my mind is that whilst there is a breakdown in communication... Putting those shoes in was a conscious act and that the horse NEEDS these shoes, with a farrier who has a course of action I would be wary of chopping and changing until speaking with him... Perhaps you're friend could give him a ring and chat to him about his plans over the phone?

 

[cptrayes]

My goodness - and many years of training do Farriers undertake??? And how many of us are experts ???? Work with your Farrier not agianst them.........

Unfortunately farriery is a solitary "I'm my own boss" profession that will attract a fair proportion of people who are very poor communicators and some who do not like to be questioned and take it as a challenge.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a farrier who is prepared to be "worked with" by the owner.