My horse is "hitting" (her shoes together) when she long-trots.  I can't figure out why??  Her feet aren't that long and her angles look good.  Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

I agree with everyone....talk to a good farrier, talk to a few to get different opinions...but for the meantime, put some bell boots on to keep from injuries. It could be that she just over reaches or over extends herself at a trot...some horses do that.  Try collecting her when you trot her.

Does she do this at a walk?  Walk her in a straight line and see if her back feet step into or over her front foot prints.  If it's way over, this might be the problem, but it might be natural for her to do that.  If she steps into her foot prints it's good and means that this might be a matter of collection.

Did she just start or has she always done this?

But really, I would keep a pair of bell boots on until you figure it out...no need for more problems or a thrown shoe....GOOD LUCK!!!

Originally written by Tx3turns on 2004-04-13 11:10 AM

Where is that Farrierlady? Just like a farrier, never around when ya need em!  Her opinion would be appreciated I'm sure.

LOL that's a good one!  I actually had to do some work lately...

The posters that stated that the fronts need to have the breakover addressed are correct.  You want the front feet to leave the ground fast and "get out of the way".  On the back feet your farrier would want to place the shoe slightly behind the toe and get more heel support behind and do not rasp the hoof wall to the shoe.  Instead of rasping it to the end of the shoe, he/she can dub it slightly downward to take off the sharp edge of the hoof wall.

Since I do not know what type of shoes your farrier uses, you might want to ask him/her if they have access and have used any NB shoes for the fronts.  This will address the breakover issue. 

Is this something new the horse is doing?  You should also find out if the horse is underrun with long toes, a second opinion is a smart thing to do.  Without seeing your horse in person it's hard to say what needs to be changed.

Debi

Thanks so much.  Let me explain this a little further.  My horse has about a 2 degree rotation on the front right.  Because of this she has had a history of over-reaching on the left, so basically she lives in bell boots when she's out in the pasture.

As far as her shoes go,  the ones on her fronts have what I am going to describe as a "wide" toe to protect her coffin bone. (Forgive my ignorance - I don't know what they are called.) My farrier has shortened her toes and rolled them slightly for quicker break-over.  We are not doing anything special to her back feet.  In fact, they don't grow that fast so they always are short.

She is only doing this when I really ask her to stride out and reach in a long trot.  If I let her do a little short "choppy" trot she doesn't do it.  Nor does she do it at a walk or lope.  I am trying to encourage her to reach as I don't feel like she extends herself like she "should/could" in the barrel pattern.

Just curious, how is your horse built? I mean long or short bodied, long or avg. legged? Sometimes just plain ol conformation has alot to do with it. Knowing that too might help for suggestions.

Ya ya, Farrierlady, where have we heard that one...had to work! LOL!!!(JK hope ya know)

If she is forging on her non-club foot...is your shoer trying to match her feet or is s/he leaving that one at a lower angle.  That may be the problem.

Tx3turns - To answer your question...she is very "race-horse-looking".  She is Easy Jet x (Zevi x Bugs Alive) if that helps.  She does have kind of long gangly legs.  She is just now 6.  Her momma grew a lot during her 6 year old year so I wonder if she is having a growth spurt.  She has always hit a little but here lately it seems worse.

OregonBR - Both of her front feet are set at 54 degrees.  She is hitting with both feet, but only at a long trot. 

I just rode her and she didn't hit one time at a lope or a sprint.  Even when she popped her leads to jump sideways at a dirt pile!

Ditto, she may need her fronts and/or rear squared-off.  Pretty common.

OK OK this time I was visiting with family as my 1 yr. old niece is going in for some minor surgery tomorrow. 

If I remember correctly the right front is clubbed and 2 degree rotation.  Then you stated that causes her to reach out with her left more.

Here is a test for you to try.  Walk your horse on concrete or asphalt and listen to her footfalls.  You will more than likely notice that the right hoof lands lighter than the left.  If you notice that the sound is different, like I said, then you have a stride issue that will show in the extended trot as you are pushing for more drive from the rear and asking for extension and she's not able to perform that function comfortably.  To try to correct it, you should have your farrier pad the right front foot ONLY to "balance out" the horse's footfalls.  A club footed horse is equivalent to a person having one leg shorter than the other (in theory) but, without a limp.  (Just giving you an exaggerated example of what I am trying to put across on paper.)   Once you achieve balanced footfalls, you can then work on stride lengthening issues with her that she should be able to perform.

You also stated in one post that your farrier is using a square toe shoe on the fronts...that's good.  I just hope he isn't squaring off the toes of the hoof too.  They should be undercut from the bottom and kept rounded.

Good Luck!

Debi   

As a shoer and a barrel racer, I disagree with anyone saying that forging and overreaching are "just the horse".  It's always a timing issue and I don't have a lot of respect for a shoer so lazy they don't want to address the issue.

At 54 degrees front and back, does she match her pastern angles both front and back?  If she has broken axis on either, then that is the problem.  Whichever pair of feet are at the wrong angle needs to be brought to the correct angle for her conformation.

Another thing that I do if I have correct angles and I still have a problem...I measure the toe length of the front feet...then I leave the hind toes 1/8-1/4" longer (keeping the same angle that is right for the horse) or I use a slightly bigger shoe behind so the branches of the shoes extend beyond the heel some, making the hind land a fraction sooner.  Either of these things allow the front to get out of the way before being hit. 

I don't like rolling or rockering toes because (as a barrel racer) I have noticed a lack of traction when these two things are done.  We sure don't need less traction leaving the corners.

Another thing that has to be checked is shoulders and ribs....if she has a chiropractic issue with her shoulders or ribs, she would be slow to bring that leg forward.