shoieng tip of the week

[turnandburn]

Mine are barefoot for now. My 26 yr old has never had a shoe in her life and is probably the soundest horse I own.  My mare, on the other hand, has had shoes since she was 2 and is also new to the barefoot thing...since her injury in March.  I've been riding her and she seems to be fine.  I can even walk her across my rock driveway w/out a gimp...yes, she is tender just after a trim, but the next day, she's fine...in the air about whether to put shoes on her or not when I start running again....I've got a good farrier, tho, and he said leave her barefoot and see how it goes...shoes tend to ease my mind and give me one less thing to think about before a run.

[barrel58]

Well I have to put in my two bits in.  OK put your self in the horses postion,  is the ground is harder, med, he can't grab it like he should. You tire to run those barrels at some of these jackpots or specially rodeos, there is some rocks or ground you  can slip on. They need that little production, its like tennis shoes, I know some of you go barefooted but you don't for long.  Nothing is worse a bused hoof that can become a abses.

[Farrier 4 U]

where to start shoes vs. barefoot . I have no problem trimming horses and leaving them barefoot it does have its perks. As far as my personal horses that work all week and on the weekend and make two to three runs i want their feet protected as much as possible. I will in fact watch horses work if they are having any problem at all getting in the ground and turning a barrel i want a shoe on them to give them a grip. some horses can handle it and some cant not a big deal at all . as dry as it is if your horses can handle being barefoot its not a bad idea it will actually help your horses hoofs with growth.

[Farrier 4 U]

horses that are clicking their shoes or clipping the back of the hoof . That probably means the hind toes are too long or the front shoe is too big and the heel of the shoe is showing ( I call it tailing the hoof). I don't mean have the farrier square the hind toes off but they could be brought back a little.

[HaleyT]

Well I have to put in my two bits in.  OK put your self in the horses postion,  is the ground is harder, med, he can't grab it like he should. You tire to run those barrels at some of these jackpots or specially rodeos, there is some rocks or ground you  can slip on. They need that little production, its like tennis shoes, I know some of you go barefooted but you don't for long.  Nothing is worse a bused hoof that can become a abses.

Sorry, but you are making a generalization, and it is wrong. My 4 year old, Secretary Perks, has won over $12,000
in 1D money.... (and thats only since december) and she has been barefoot her whole life. My paint mare, Shesararetreasure has won well over $120,000... and she only has front shoes. She has never had a day off in 9 years, and she is 11. Ceaser (was 24th out of 1200 entries last weekend) is 8 years old and still doesn't need shoes. I also think Jordon and Kristie Peterson may disagree, Jordon is making the NFR and they don't put shoes on their horses. I have had more abscesses due to HOT NAILS, than anything else.

[josies jockey]

Well I have to put in my two bits in.  OK put your self in the horses postion,  is the ground is harder, med, he can't grab it like he should. You tire to run those barrels at some of these jackpots or specially rodeos, there is some rocks or ground you  can slip on. They need that little production, its like tennis shoes, I know some of you go barefooted but you don't for long.  Nothing is worse a bused hoof that can become a abses.

Sorry, but you are making a generalization, and it is wrong. My 4 year old, Secretary Perks, has won over $12,000
in 1D money.... (and thats only since december) and she has been barefoot her whole life. My paint mare, Shesararetreasure has won well over $120,000... and she only has front shoes. She has never had a day off in 9 years, and she is 11. Ceaser (was 24th out of 1200 entries last weekend) is 8 years old and still doesn't need shoes. I also think Jordon and Kristie Peterson may disagree, Jordon is making the NFR and they don't put shoes on their horses. I have had more abscesses due to HOT NAILS, than anything else.

Good Point Haley... hot nails will cost way more in the long run... I had a shoe replaced by a friend many years ago.. I couldn't find the shoe so he used one of his (not a big selection) should have known better... anyway,  the shoe was too small which caused corns on his heels AND a hot nail... I was off this gelding almost 4 months!  Didnt think he was ever going to get over it.. Needless to say He (the shoer) hasn't touched one of mine in many, many, many years.. Not quite sure how his stay sound..

[Farrier 4 U]

I understand a hot nail can cost u a run or ten runs. But u have to be the one under the horse usually when a horse pulls a shoe u don't have alot to work with . I mean that in a way of the horse might move just enough to cause it to go hot every farrier is going to drive hot nails thats part of it . I personally have been very fortunate to have all horses with alot of hoof wall so its never a problem. If the shoe is too small I cant comment on that sizing the shoe to the hoof is pretty easy and hard to mess up. Just trying to put in perspective how hard it is to go from horse to horse . Alot farriers wont take on shoes to horses they don't do in a normal basis. It can be nerve racking tacking a shoe on a horse that u dont normally do .

[lauraSchumann]

And I want to add here that to shoe or not shoe a horse means you know your horses feet well enough to make that decision. In other words, I can't wear a pair of NINE WEST heels I'd do better in my bare feet but I bet posh spice could outrun me in a set of heels in hers. What's right for one horse may not be right for another.

[dkatrip]

My daughter's 22 year old barrel horse is now barefoot.  He has actually done so much better since we pulled his off and trimmed him.  She has gone from running 18's at Rendon, and 19's at the Cleburne outdoor to now 16's at Rendon and 17's at Cleburne outdoor.  So, she has actually gained over a full second by barefoot trimming him.  He hasn't taken a gimpy step since.  Even right after we pulled the shoes off he still didn't limp on the hard/rocky/etc. ground.

He won't ever have shoes on again unless something horrible happens and he has to have them.

[josies jockey]

Alot farriers wont take on shoes to horses they don't do in a normal basis. It can be nerve racking tacking a shoe on a horse that u dont normally do .

This is a phenomenon I have never understood...  How do you know the person who calls to have a "shoe tacked back on" isnt testing the water for a new shoer? You never know this person could have a stable/barn full of horses and a shoer could pick up a new client or barn.. I have called several shoers (over the years) to come trim a few, or fix a sprung shoe.. most of them (not a bash on all shoers) will either never call you back  to even see what you want/need  or stand you up.. my time is just as important to me as it is to you isnt it? 

I sold a horse last thursday and he was scheduled to see Kermit on Monday.. I called to make sure it was ok for the new owner to keep the appointment (this horse requires some TLC on his feet and Kermit is the ONLY one I have found who can keep him sound)  He said it was fine for her to keep it.. Last night he calls me to get the girls phone number he had a colt trip/stumble/fall and he was unable to work today... Thats why I have been driving 4 hours round trip for the last 12 yrs... good public relations go a long way...

And WELCOME to the NUT HOUSE Farrier 4 U...

[HaleyT]

My daughter's 22 year old barrel horse is now barefoot.  He has actually done so much better since we pulled his off and trimmed him.  She has gone from running 18's at Rendon, and 19's at the Cleburne outdoor to now 16's at Rendon and 17's at Cleburne outdoor.  So, she has actually gained over a full second by barefoot trimming him.  He hasn't taken a gimpy step since.  Even right after we pulled the shoes off he still didn't limp on the hard/rocky/etc. ground.

He won't ever have shoes on again unless something horrible happens and he has to have them.

He and Dara sure looked good at Rendon Sat night!!!!

[Gabe's Babe]

Some how I took this thread down the barefoot course!! LOL But let me say why. Gabe was chronic with abscess when he was 2/3. I had to find a farrier to put shoes on him because he was LAME more than he was sound. No one wanted to do it because it was obvious that he was gonna be a big boy and he was not through growing hooves....Anyhow, he is 8 now and we are having issues with no heel growth, contracted heels and other issues. Oh and he has arthritis in his front ankles..at age 8....Anyhow, he kept pulling hind shoes and so we were running barefoot on the rear already. he seemed to do just fine. So we decided (my farrier and I) to give barefoot a go since we were taking a vacation anyhow. Well that was in May. He is still a wussy on any hard ground, but man....when he ran in Marshall.....wow.....he had a whole new grip on the ground. Of course the first 6 weeks, he was kinda sore and pretty much laid up....I started using Dodie's PHT magnetic bell boots on the front and his hooves are growing GOOD and my new farrier has good angles going......We have foot now!! Gabe is doing good. But of course we have to Think when we go places. But all in all, we are 4,5 and 6D barrel racers. We are not rodeoing...we know that when we go to a barrel race the ground is going to be good and so on.....So we are going to give this a go for a while.

[Farrier 4 U]

Thank you for the welcoming .I honestly cant answer why some farriers do that. I go to alot of shows and do lots of tack on's . To me I have no problem putting a shoe on that was lost. When I get calls like that I will usually put them in my books and Yes alot of the time it is to c how dependable you are on showing and do a good job.When i first started shoeing I never thought to myself I want to be farrier but it got to the point of always waiting around to get a horse reset or a shoe tacked on to go to a roping and it is very aggravating. Believe me i understand. As time went on I enjoyed shoeing my own horses and people were asking do you mind tacking on this shoe . I soon learned that it would be a great deal to learn . being a horseman and a farrier is great you get to see the importance of taking care of your horses hoofs . I have been also very fortunate to be invited to laura's clinic as the farrier because each horse i get to see and go over their hoofs i get a different view each time of a different foot and learn a little more. Every horse is different and thats what makes my job so interesting and fun.

[horselady]

Farrier
What would you do in this case.....
Mare has Navicular Syndrome in both front feet, more so in left front foot. She is long toed and short heeled, or was, that has now been corrected. She will most probably forever be very tender footed in the  back area of her front feet. She has had bar shoes on since January, was running really well until May. I think along with more running than I should have done in May (some of the ground was not good--will not do that again) and a farrier boo boo (The bar shoe seemed to have been put on where it pinched the frog on the last shoe job). Anyway, what procedure do you normally follow on Naviculars? If you did a bar shoe how much space do you leave between the bar and the frog? Thanks!

[t_orchosky]

horses that are clicking their shoes or clipping the back of the hoof . That probably means the hind toes are too long or the front shoe is too big and the heel of the shoe is showing ( I call it tailing the hoof). I don't mean have the farrier square the hind toes off but they could be brought back a little.

My farrier has been standing him up more in the front over time, eventually had to square off the toes, the clicking has gotten better but it's still there from time to time. He does tail the hoof just a little, is that the problem?

I went through 3 farriers before I found one to start working with me on this, so this farrier certainly didn't cause the problem, it started the day I put shoes on him.