Would you shoe?

[cobbycobgirl]

My ex racer came to me 5 months with shoes on which I promptly took off to allow her some downtime to enjoy just being a baby.
Whole time she’s been here she’s been barefoot. Was initially footsore walking on hard ground (rocks, gravel, concrete) but now trots happily on hard rocky ground without even batting an eye.
I’m finally looking to bring her back into light work slowly. We’ll just be hacking and doing light schooling out on hacks. Our driveway is hard rock and gravel and we live in wales so the hacking is mostly soft underfoot but can be rocky and harsh in some places.

Would you pop her shoes back on if she was yours?

I will be discussing with my farrier of course but since she’s so new he’s only ever taken her shoes off and trimmed her.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Arzada]

Are you considering hoof boots as an option?

 

[cobbycobgirl]

Are you considering hoof boots as an option?

I hadn’t put much thought into them but I’d be happy to look further into them and consider them.
Would you recommend them?

 

[Equi]

Don’t put them on until she tells you she needs them.

 

[Gloi]

If she feels she needs them start with hoof boots on the front if you are going to rocky places.

 

[cobbycobgirl]

Don’t put them on until she tells you she needs them.

This is solid advice. Thank you for reminding me to listen to her needs

 

[cobbycobgirl]

If she feels she needs them start with hoof boots on the front if you are going to rocky places.

Thank you. I’ll definitely do that before going back to shoes

 

[meesha]

Unless she's very forward going I would put hoof boots on, they can appear slow or just well behaved when actually sore. If you can borrow some boots to try it might give you indication of whether her unshod pace is her normal one.

I tried Dex barefoot, everyone said he seemed fine but i thought was bit sluggish, put hoof boots on as an experiment and I had my forward going horse back so had shoes on..

 

[ycbm]

Don’t put them on until she tells you she needs them.

This. Unless you want to stud up there doesn't seem the slightest reason to shoe in what you have described.

I wouldn't be booting up a horse described as trotting happy over rocks, either.
.

 

[SEL]

I wouldn't jump to shoe but I'd keep an eye on how she's going. One of my cobs has great feet, solid frogs but still got unhappy barefoot. Different horse with front shoes on (frustratingly)

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would see how she goes as you start work she might be absolutely fine.

 

[Carrottom]

I would start her off without but if your lanes are anything like ours, be prepared to put shoes on. I'm also in Wales and we don't have the smooth tarmac that other people speak of.

 

[cobbycobgirl]

Unless she's very forward going I would put hoof boots on, they can appear slow or just well behaved when actually sore. If you can borrow some boots to try it might give you indication of whether her unshod pace is her normal one.

I tried Dex barefoot, everyone said he seemed fine but i thought was bit sluggish, put hoof boots on as an experiment and I had my forward going horse back so had shoes on..

This is good advice I hadn’t thought of this. Thank you Meesha!

 

[cobbycobgirl]

This. Unless you want to stud up there doesn't seem the slightest reason to shoe in what you have described.

I wouldn't be booting up a horse described as trotting happy over rocks, either.
.

Thank you. I do really want to avoid shoes as I’m trying to go down the natural horsemanship path as much as I can

 

[cobbycobgirl]

I wouldn't jump to shoe but I'd keep an eye on how she's going. One of my cobs has great feet, solid frogs but still got unhappy barefoot. Different horse with front shoes on (frustratingly)

Thank you. I’ll take weekly videos to monitor. She’s my first tb so I think I’m just being overly cautious!

 

[cobbycobgirl]

I would see how she goes as you start work she might be absolutely fine.

Fingers crossed!

 

[cobbycobgirl]

I would start her off without but if your lanes are anything like ours, be prepared to put shoes on. I'm also in Wales and we don't have the smooth tarmac that other people speak of.

I haven’t even seen smooth tarmac in monthsluckily I won’t really need to go on any roads to get to the common land. It’s the rocky unstable wild ground that worries me . That being said, the ponies on the common seem to be fine!