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 Expert
Posts: 1286
  
Location: Mississippi | So I posted the other day that my horse had lost both back shoes and whether or not I should run. I wound up running our fastest time in that particular arena and won the 1D! So with that being said, I know alot of people only shoe the front - what is the reason for this and what issues do you run into (if any)? When I bought this horse, he was only shod in the front but owner said the only reason was to save a little money. I have been having all 4 done each time the farrier comes out but if we don't need them then obviously it would be nice to save.
Just curious to hear others opinions/experiences. |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
 
Location: Bandera, TX | The horse bears the bulk of his weight on the forequarters and thus the breakdown of the hoof wall occurs quicker at that location. If the horse has "good" feet and no suspensory issues on the hindquarters just go with the front shoes and see what occurs. Some horses need the support and others can't stand the grab of a hind shoe. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1526
Location: Texas | I run most of mine with just front shoes. I'm not sure why I do it like this but lots of things I just follow my gut. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | I currently run my mare with just front shoes...she clocks just about the same either way, although it took a few runs for her to get used to not having anything back there. In her case I didn't have a choice, she already has thin walls and she ripped a huge chunk out. We left her barefoot for it to grow back, and what hoof wall was growing back was stronger than the previous so my farrier asked if it'd be okay to leave her like that. She's never been lame and isn't tender, I think it just felt weird for her to make a run without back shoes.
I did the same another horse, but it was to save money. I wasn't really competing with him and he probably doesn't need shoes at all. I ran him on a whim without back shoes and he clocked way, way faster than he ever had before, and continued to clock like that without them. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 762
Location: NC | My older gelding ran about 9 years with out back shoes. Mainly due to saving money. This year was the first year we put them on, only because he needed the support |
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| It's very common, I've run several horses that I only shod in the front. |
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Shoes on just the front?