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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 352
 
Location: Texas | My mare has decent feet. She doesn't need shoes in my opinion to run or for general riding. But she doesn't like walking across the bigger white rock at some barrel races. Gravel, no problem, concrete, no problem, river rock, no problem, white rock, oh, I don't want to go, but will. I put shoes on her and it's better, but she typically will throw a front shoe which is a pain. I'm really thinking I'll just pull her shoes.
Am I doing a huge disservice to her? What is your opinions? I prefer no shoes when I can, all my others are barefoot. It is just those stupid white rock areas.
edited because I can't spell
Edited by batkitty 2015-02-25 8:24 AM
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
  
Location: Kansas | maybe just put shoes on her fronts |
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | No shoes... best thing I ever did for my horses. Get you some easy on/off boots such as the Easyboot Trails to slip on to get across rocky areas, you can ride in them if there is no good place to warm up, and you can use them in the trailer for additional shock absorption. Don't put shoes on just for the occasional walk across a rocky parking lot. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | I have to shoe the front feet of my horse Red due to some heel pain he has.
As he was in training for barrels, as I picked up the speed I noticed he would slip alot in his back end. I tried shoes on his back feet and had them on all last year, and he only slipped ONCE. That for me is enough evidence to keep shoes on all 4 feet for him. He's much more confident if he knows he won't slip.
Right now my colt is barefoot and I"m going to keep him that way, unless he starts slipping when I pick up the pace. Then I'll also try shoes for traction and see how he does.
If I can make them more confident with shoes and run harder, then I will.
If your mare is prone to throwing shoes .... when it the last time you had a full lameness eval? Sometimes, if they are slightly "off" they can scramble more which causes them to grab a shoe.
When I figured out that Red's hocks were also fusing, I got him injected and he completely quit catching/bending shoes (was getting a shoe thrown or bent nearly once a week). So that's something to think about too.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 631
Location: Somewhere in N.C. | I starting pulling all of my shoes off my horses 2 years ago and now they are all shoe FREE. So far, so good. Their feet have never looked better and the relief of having to get a farrior last minute for a pulled shoe is worth it. I use easy boots when needed and always put different hoof dressings on the harden their feet. No more thrush etiher. |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | I have one with shoes and three without currently. I tried shoes on my mare to see if she had some better traction with them. But she had too much grip and would get stopped up behind barrels. She also pulled a front EVERY time we ran. She does better without shoes.
My 4 year old has shoes. He had shoes when we bought him, so haven't tried him without. May try it tho. He has nice, big, black feet.
Hubbys gelding is without currently. As is BILs horse who is being "Boarded" |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 352
Location: Texas | r_beau - 2015-02-25 9:19 AM
I have to shoe the front feet of my horse Red due to some heel pain he has.
As he was in training for barrels, as I picked up the speed I noticed he would slip alot in his back end. I tried shoes on his back feet and had them on all last year, and he only slipped ONCE. That for me is enough evidence to keep shoes on all 4 feet for him. He's much more confident if he knows he won't slip.
Right now my colt is barefoot and I"m going to keep him that way, unless he starts slipping when I pick up the pace. Then I'll also try shoes for traction and see how he does.
If I can make them more confident with shoes and run harder, then I will.
If your mare is prone to throwing shoes .... when it the last time you had a full lameness eval? Sometimes, if they are slightly "off" they can scramble more which causes them to grab a shoe.
When I figured out that Red's hocks were also fusing, I got him injected and he completely quit catching/bending shoes (was getting a shoe thrown or bent nearly once a week). So that's something to think about too.
She had a lameness exam about 3 weeks ago, that's why she's getting injected. Other than some hock soreness her x-rays were okay and my vet was pleased with her. She doesn't typically slip with or without shoes, or hasn't. The only reason I put shoes on her was because of the rocks at one place that I was running at most often. I'm not going there as much but still do some.
My main concern is am I really putting her in harms way walking her across the occasional white rock parking lot? I don't *think* so, as I would walk barefoot myself although tenderly across it. When gravel, etc, is not an issue for her. Neither is hard ground and her feet are pretty good, not perfect, but good.
I'm just torn. :) |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 352
Location: Texas | TBone - 2015-02-25 8:33 AM
No shoes... best thing I ever did for my horses. Get you some easy on/off boots such as the Easyboot Trails to slip on to get across rocky areas, you can ride in them if there is no good place to warm up, and you can use them in the trailer for additional shock absorption. Don't put shoes on just for the occasional walk across a rocky parking lot.
This is what I'm thinking. |
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | I'm all for staying barefoot if you can & I keep my horses that way. But if they need shoes, they need shoes. My dad's good mounted shooting horse is a wimp about rocks even though he has gorgeous hard feet. I convinced him to shoe him this last season as most places we compete have large amounts of gravel outside the arena & his horse would walk across that very cautious. Not only did it make him more comfortable but it also made a world of difference in his runs as the horse no longer goes into the arena thinking his feet hurt. I've used the boots before & found them to be a pain to deal with. If your tends to pull shoes regularily I'd suspect a balance issue in the trim job. |
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Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas |
She had a lameness exam about 3 weeks ago, that's why she's getting injected. Other than some hock soreness her x-rays were okay and my vet was pleased with her. She doesn't typically slip with or without shoes, or hasn't. The only reason I put shoes on her was because of the rocks at one place that I was running at most often. I'm not going there as much but still do some. My main concern is am I really putting her in harms way walking her across the occasional white rock parking lot? I don't *think* so, as I would walk barefoot myself although tenderly across it. When gravel, etc, is not an issue for her. Neither is hard ground and her feet are pretty good, not perfect, but good. I'm just torn. :)
Sounds to me like you answered your own question. Horse doesn't typically slip with or without shoes, not going to the rocky arena as much as you were, you are not doing major damage by walking across the occasional white rock parking lot (same as you walking across it barefoot), gravel is not an issue for her, feet are in good condition, etc. Get you some Easyboot Trails to have on hand when you feel like you need them. Or just go slow and lead her across the rocky part. She will be fine!
Edited by TBone 2015-02-25 2:26 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 352
Location: Texas | TBone - 2015-02-25 2:25 PM
She had a lameness exam about 3 weeks ago, that's why she's getting injected. Other than some hock soreness her x-rays were okay and my vet was pleased with her. She doesn't typically slip with or without shoes, or hasn't. The only reason I put shoes on her was because of the rocks at one place that I was running at most often. I'm not going there as much but still do some. My main concern is am I really putting her in harms way walking her across the occasional white rock parking lot? I don't *think* so, as I would walk barefoot myself although tenderly across it. When gravel, etc, is not an issue for her. Neither is hard ground and her feet are pretty good, not perfect, but good. I'm just torn. : )
Sounds to me like you answered your own question. Horse doesn't typically slip with or without shoes, not going to the rocky arena as much as you were, you are not doing major damage by walking across the occasional white rock parking lot (same as you walking across it barefoot), gravel is not an issue for her, feet are in good condition, etc. Get you some Easyboot Trails to have on hand when you feel like you need them. Or just go slow and lead her across the rocky part. She will be fine!
Yeah I just made the call to go ahead and pull her shoes instead of putting them back on when the farrier comes this week. Thanks for your opinions. I just needed a sounding board. |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | keep her barefoot and buy her some soft rides for when the parking lots are nasty. |
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