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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
  
| Opinions? I don't run in the winter, just ride whenever I can without risking freezing to death. When I do ride in the winter, it's in an indoor arena with good ground.
Definition of my Winters: Frozen ground, under 31 degrees, snow, ice |
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Expert
Posts: 2531
Location: WI | I don't if I can help it. This year my gelding got really touchy on the frozen ground, so I put fronts back on. I ride all winter indoors. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| We started out pulling all, but they are such babies! You'd think they were walking on nails. We had to put fronts back on all 3 of my geldings, I think it is because it has thawed and frozen like 743 times this winter! |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | I have one that is shod year round no matter what, but he wears wedges yadda yadda. Otherwise I think barefoot is better. |
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 I don't want to screw up!
Posts: 3881
Location: North Dakota -> Colorado | If you don't run in the winter, I would say take them off, unless your horse gets ouchy. Personally, I keep them on my horses year round because we are running year round, or mostly year round. |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | Around here shoes are pulled basically at the end of the competing season, left off until the next summer. But my mare can run without shoes, so it isn't a big issue. My gelding I'm not sure on yet, but so far has had good feet so I'm thinking of trying him barefoot for a while, but he isn't being ridden steadily yet as he is just being started. But the winters get so cold around here, no farrier or horse owner wants to be out doing shoes on a -20 day in the middle of a blizzard. My horses just have to learn to toughen up, LOL. |
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| It all depends on the horse and it's situation. I have one I keep front shoes and snow pads on to keep from wearing heal off. I had one that we kept back shoes on because she would wear off funny with heal also. Then I have one that is barefoot. Do what is best for your horse. |
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Veteran
Posts: 197
| I pull shoes late into fall, like end of November or so and run barefoot all winter. They are usually ouchy the first coulple weeks, then toughen up and are good in the indoor arenas I run in all winter. Some winter rodeos barefoot is an advantage because the ground is deep and muddy. Their feet get so healthly by spring that I hate to put shoes back on. But I have tried running summer pens without shoes and it did not work.Too many rocks and demolition derby leftover. |
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| I pull 'em before the ground has frozen so they aren't so ouchy and gives them a few weeks to get used to it. If I don't get 'em pulled before then, I might leave shoes on all winter. If a horse is extra tender footed and just cannot take the frozen ground no matter how much time then they get shod again. |
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 Dr. Ruth
Posts: 9891
Location: Blissfully happy Giants fan!!! | I tried no shoes this winter as that is what I did growing up. My one mare didn't do well and will forever need shoes (she has multiple issues that we battle) and the other two did all right. Shoes just came back on this weekend (right in time for the ice storm!!!) for everyone and my farrier and I talked about what we would do different, largely being pulling sooner than we did. I like the concept and I feel like it was worth it for two but one stays barefoot and the other just can't do it. |
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 No Name Nancy
Posts: 2715
Location: never in the right place | I only pull mine if there is snow cover as my horse get ouchy on frozen ground. We didn't have snow until the end of Jan, so he has shoes on and I hate pulling out icepacks, so maybe next year I will pull before the ground freezes and see what happens or put pads on him so he doesn't pack up. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | no shoes in the winter for mine |
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | I try to keep mine barefoot all year long if possible but I do have one mare that needs shoes all year. I pulled her shoes last winter and it was not good. She tiptoed around the entire winter and when it came time to leg her back up she was so body sore especially her stifles because of how she would stand and walk. So this year she has a full set on all winter and is doing so much better! |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | We've done both....its usually pretty snowy and slow going anyways so we typically pull shoes. |
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 Regular
Posts: 97
Location: Tennessee | I wouldn't shoe during winter. There's a mare at my place owned buy someone else who is shoed currently & its a snowy ice mess. That poor mare has 3-4" ice packs on her feet causing her heels to come up sending her feet & legs totally out of wack. I pick them anytime I can but it collects again within minutes. I just really hope this doesn't damage her joints. |
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Expert
Posts: 2531
Location: WI | Kiowa14 - 2015-03-01 8:12 PM I wouldn't shoe during winter. There's a mare at my place owned buy someone else who is shoed currently & its a snowy ice mess. That poor mare has 3-4" ice packs on her feet causing her heels to come up sending her feet & legs totally out of wack. I pick them anytime I can but it collects again within minutes. I just really hope this doesn't damage her joints.
They make snow pads that you can use under the shoes to prevent snow from balling up. I always use them when shod in the winter. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | TurnNBurn-3Barrels - 2015-02-23 9:35 PM
If you don't run in the winter, I would say take them off, unless your horse gets ouchy. Personally, I keep them on my horses year round because we are running year round, or mostly year round.
This... |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Mine have shoes on year round. I have one that is retired and to keep him from foundering he has shoes on the front year round.
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 Living within my means
Posts: 5128
Location: Randolph, Utah | I pull all my shoes in the winter. Except 1 mare who paws at the snow & lick tubs. She wears front shoes, and the navicular horse. |
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