Front shoes after being barefoot for years

Huggy

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Nov 11, 2018
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Does anyone have experience of effects of horse being shod after a long spell without shoes? Hogan has been barefoot for at least 4 years. My farrier is going to put front shoes on, as his front hooves are curving downwards. Should I be aware of any possible changes in his behaviour, or ride him differently initially? Farrier tapped his feet with the hammer this visit, and said he's definitely been shod at some point. Thing is, Hogan reacts badly to change - any change - and I'd like to pre-empt any bad reaction.
 
No only the opposite - Zi had been shod for years but has successfully transitioned to barefoot. Same with Storm. Chloe came without shoes anyway. I'm sure there are lots of people on here that will offer up some advice. I think you are right to be cautious and understanding of any behavioural changes though.
 
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Done it the other way with Buddy, shod till19 then went barefoot, but couldn't cope, so ridden in boots. Could you use boots instead of shoeing?
 
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Having had Jim and Little Un from 2 year olds then yes, and neither had been shod before. I'd say you're unlikely to notice any difference other than him being more comfortable, though I wouldn't ride immediately afterwards. Carry on as normal, if you're careful or unsure then you'll probably find he has fun at your expense!
 
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I had Jess shod when she was 5 for a few cycles and again when she was 11 for a long ride, I didn’t do anything differently, other than didn’t do any big rides (20 mile +) in the first week just to give her muscles a chance to adapt to the additional weight.

How can he tell if he’s been shod before by tapping the foot? Horses grow a whole new foot every 9-12 months so they’d be no physical indication left from 4+ years ago.
 
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Farrier said I might find him more "forward" with shoes lol. Jessey - he picked up and hammered like he was putting on a shoe - Hogan, being Hogan, would have reacted with a vengeance if it had been a new experience! My farrier knows his quirks now ;). Maybe "tapped" was the wrong word!
 
Done it the other way with Buddy, shod till19 then went barefoot, but couldn't cope, so ridden in boots. Could you use boots instead of shoeing?
I think he's recommending shoeing as a remedial option, as well as protective (Hogan has been a bit tender footed this year)
 
Farrier said I might find him more "forward" with shoes lol. Jessey - he picked up and hammered like he was putting on a shoe - Hogan, being Hogan, would have reacted with a vengeance if it had been a new experience! My farrier knows his quirks now ;). Maybe "tapped" was the wrong word!
Ah I see what you mean now, not tapping to check the foot, tapping to check if he’s used to it being done ??
Yes if they’ve been a bit tentative it can make them much more forward straight away.
 
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Ah I see what you mean now, not tapping to check the foot, tapping to check if he’s used to it being done ??
Yes if they’ve been a bit tentative it can make them much more forward straight away.
I'm not sure whether forward is good or bad with Hogan. Had him 2 years and haven't had a "forward" ride yet! Only slow, naughty, or more naughty :rolleyes:
 
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Yes i was with jessey on that one, no way you could tell after that long if hed been shod, but as you've rephrased it then i suspect the farrier is right.
I think if he was to tap Billys feet hed soon find out my horse has never been trimmed let alone shod.

Chunky was barefoot when i had him but his front shoes were put on when he was out of action due to the pedal bone fracture. So i didnt ride him for 4 months and he was on box/yard rest. He had plenty of time to adjust. Id only owned and ridden him for two month before his injury. So i couldnt say whether he walked out differently.

I would make sure you ride up to the shoes going on then just give it a couple of days, maybe even a week before you ride for the first couple of shoeing. He might get a bit of bruising which would probably take a few days to come out.
Hogan might not be too bad for bruising as you do have him trimmed already.

I know i when i talked with my farrier in the summer about putting shoes on Billy he said he would have to take a fair bit off to shape the foot to prep it for the shoe. Which could make him footy. But billy hasnt been been trimmed in 4 years so thats understandable.

Dont forget to take some pictures of his feet now and then once he has shoes on for your records.
 
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Not quite the same as Raf was already shod (with standard shoes) but I've just had eggbars put on Raf (on vet advice) and he is now very 'forward', in fact you could say he is being a t*t, if that helps ?

Actually I don't think its just the shoes, he seems to be feeling very well in general, but I do think the shoes are making him more comfortable.
 
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Thats interesting @Bodshi. The only thing with the bar shoe is they are alot heavier than a normal shoe. Which youd think would make them lift the legs less due to the extra weight. Although i seem to recall someone saying that to make the horse lift there legs higher for showing they use to put weights or bells on the feet. Which made them lift higher.

There should be alot less foot movement wearing a bar shoe.

Chunky had one bar shoe, one normal shoe for the first year after his fracture. I never noticed him lifting his feet and differently. I cant remember which leg his frature was as it was 14 years ago. However you made me wonder now if that is why chunky has soreness/lameness through one shoulder. Should he have had two matching bar shoes. I will never know, but its something id never thought about till now.
 
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I wonder if it is @chunky monkey. I've never heard of a horse only having one bar shoe before but I know very little about them. Raf has them because he has mild navicular changes, common in a horse his age. The vet said some horses have symptoms and some don't. Raf was just landing heavily on a foreleg every now and then. Not often (not often enough for me to be able to catch it on video for the vet!) but enough for me to mention it to the farrier. Farrier said it could be navicular and recommended a vet investigation so that's where we are.

To be honest I wouldn't have thought they'd be a lot heavier than his normal shoes as there's only a small amount of extra metal going over the back of the frog. I thought he'd pull them off but so far so good (touch wood).
 
I have gone the other way round. Ben had front shoes but I had them taken off almost 3 years ago and they haven’t been touched since. He doesn’t see a farrier or a trimmer, although my vet does monitor them. For Ben, letting his feet grow in the way that he needs them to be has definitely helped him and I think contributed towards his improving soundness.

I always like to think of myself as open minded, but I must admit my first thought when I read this post was ‘don’t put shoes on him’! What has happened to me? I am now one of these crazy barefoot people who think that their way is the only way!

I know you will do the best for Hogan and I hope that the shoes work out for him.
 
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I think he's recommending shoeing as a remedial option, as well as protective (Hogan has been a bit tender footed this year)
I'd perhaps consult a different farrier or even a trimmer for a second opinion first? Up to you he's yours ☺️ shoes were far more hassle than they were worth for Ale, ruined his feet, his frogs were tiny and he lost them all the time. Especially at this time of year! If it was me I'd look at diet and gradually increasing some road work (if you don't) first as well as a second opinion to see if the footyness could be resolved without shoes. Maybe it can't I'm not qualified. Hope you don't take offense I just found shoeing an absolute misery!
 
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Im a bit with you @Ale. Dont put shoes on, but then again, even with cows they sometimes put shoes or wedge supports on to help rectify issues. Even my farrier said billy might need shoes and support to help with the hock issue, but vet said he didnt think so currently.
The big question will be can you go back barefoot. I guess it couple be a couple of years shod before you know if it works.
 
Ours is probably one of the best in the area, does a lot of remedial work. The little Welsh A in the next field was recommended to be pts because of problems with his feet (he was a rescue) and this guy has kept him going for 6 years with corrective trimming. (Little fella still has problems now and then, but is generally quite comfy) I'm very unknowledgable about feet and shoes, and have held off for a while, but farrier says it's Hogans way of placing his front feet that is causing the curving and shoes should help. I'm leaning towards trying it, but if there's any real problems, taking them off, and giving him the time to go back to barefoot. I know hes tried trimming a certain way to correct this, but feels shoes are the way forward. Very difficult.?‍♀️
 
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I'm like you @Huggy, very unknowledgable :rolleyes: Before I got my first horse (my only horse unless you include OH's horse!) I read loads in preparation and was convinced that barefoot was the way to go. It didn't work out for me and I've ended up with a shod horse. I still think barefoot is the ideal scenario but it doesn't work for some horses, just as shoeing doesn't work for others.

Your farrier sounds good, if you trust him I'd go with what he advises.
 
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