Would you ride if your horse lost a front shoe

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canteron

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My horse has lost a front shoe in this horrible mud.

The weather finally looks OK for a just a couple of days and I am balancing not riding because no front shoe against horse loosing fitness because of limited opportunities to ride. Horse is type who is much nicer if ridden most days.

Would you ride - in the school on a surface, or out on a hack?

(PS Farrier due mid next week).
 
In a word 'no'. Just as I wouldn't go for a walk myslef with one shoe on. The horse will be unbalanced and uncomfortable and may well cause itself injury/strain. If the farrier is coming mid-week the horse will hardly lose much fitness in the meantime.
 
If sound yes on a decent surface.

Saying that I have lost a shoe on a hack and carried on. No problem. If the hoof is balanced to begin with, why should there be a prob with balance? The other foot with the shoe on will at most be 10mm off the ground if that? Unless you have a very very thick shoe...
 
in a an arena/school/appropriate surface , yes.

as long as there was no additional lameness/horn damage and horse was happy i dont see a problem.

in fact i did when i lost a shoe out hunting last week.
 
I lost whole riding I'd stay on back. But if lost before, know.
Try walking with one shoe on and one off or even just a sock, throws you out a fair bit, and I'd worry about more costly issues being created.
 
I wouldn't. Tallyho - I can see what your saying but I still don't like the "thought" of it.
I have lost a front shoe out hacking and pony was balanced and forward going for the 40 minutes home.
 
depends on the horse. My welsh yes as he wouldn't notice and has quite hard feet just not on rough ground. My highland no because she is a bit precious and can't possibly walk without her metal feet. :D
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
The horse will be unbalanced and uncomfortable and may well cause itself injury/strain. If the farrier is coming mid-week the horse will hardly lose much fitness in the meantime.
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i would disagree with this as a blanket statement.

lost a shoe last thursday. Horse fully stabled, no turn out. Farrier coming out specially to replace saturday.
Checked hoof/leg trotted up on hard surface sound.
hacked her round the menage for half an hour in walk and trot rather than leave her stood in for the day on friday.

would have been very surprised if this had led to any strain.

As long as you have your common sense hat on and dont take silly risks, listen to what your horse is telling you once you're on board- any discomfort etc, i dont see the risk.
 
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Yes, I do. My farrier is 60 miles away and comes fortnightly. If a horse looses a shoe the day after he's been then its not getting 2 weeks off! We ride on the verge. Never had a problem.
 
lula said:
i would disagree with this as a blanket statement.
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It wasn't a blanket statement. The OP asked if I would ride if my horse lost a front shoe, that was my answer. Yours may not be the same, although I wonder why the horse wears shoes if it is comfortable without.
My horse doesn't wear back shoes but is very uncomfortable without fronts.
 
You gotta wonder whats going on if you lost a front shoe and horse was instantly lame...

The feet aren't made of glass and a sound and healthy foot should be able to put up with the walk home if out on a hack.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
Yours may not be the same, although I wonder why the horse wears shoes if it is comfortable without.
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point taken.
although comfortable on a surface like a rubber and sand arena is one thing. Not sure if she'd still be as comfortable without shoes on the amount of road work/hunting we do.
 
If horse is sound and there's no damage to foot then yes I would ride in school on soft surface. He'd be turned out in field even when he's lost a shoe so I don't see the problem if he's not foot sore riding in school, obviously wouldn't be jumping. Really depends in the individual horse.
 
The problem with riding a horse out on hacks is you will cause wear to the shoeless hoof. You may not visibly notice it but it will happen and it will make the hoof smaller in the shoe that is put back on which will risk further shoe loss on that hoof.
 
No even if the hoof is in good condition doesnt take away from the fact that the horse is going to be unbalanced and likely to put stress in other parts! My 4 year lost one of his and had to wait nearly a week for farrier annoying but didnt make too much difference
 
No but have in the past with a hind shoe in an arena. Less likely with a front shoe in my mind though and if any road work to get to arena put a hoof boot on the missing shoe foot

Also out hunting have pulled two shoes off (one front and one back) and I didn't know until got off him when back at trailer
 
If either of mine loose a shoe i wait a few days untill i can see them playing in the field then i will start doing light work in the school again.
 
My mare pulled a shoe off hunting last Saturday. For all I know she could have pulled it off in the first 5 minutes. She was perfectly sound galloping and jumping hedges, stone walls etc for hours!

For the following days she was ridden in the arena and once shoe was back on she then hacked out. She was perfectly fine on it.
 
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