Not a pleasant experience!

[LauraGeeGee]

Rosie was shod with previous owner but her feet had been left a bit too long. Someone else was going to buy her then didn't so she went 9 weeks.

She wouldn't have passed the vetting with over grown feet and a loose shoe. The guy selling her had her shoes removed only. He had trouble getting hold of his farrier and when he did, he didn't have all his equipment, just tools for removing and trimming. Apparently.

Well today I think I may have discovered why she didn't have shoes put back on!! She's a NIGHTMARE!

Rosie is not the best at standing still anyway, I have been working on this and we have been getting somewhere. I have been able to pick her feet up ok. I don't raise them very high to do this, nothing like a farrier does as I feel she loses her balance.

Anyway, she had the farrier today, for the first time with me. I was hoping I wouldn't have to have shoes back on. She's been with me for 5 weeks now and has been perfectly sound without them. The farrier looked at her feet and said she does really need shoes back on at the moment. He showed me how they are wearing unevenly, a lot of weight is on the hoof walls and there are small stones getting into the white line. I've not been doing an awful lot with her as have been concerned about her feet until we've seen the farrier though she's not been at all footy and also passed a 5 stage vetting without shoes.

She was a nightmare to shoe! She seemed to not really know what it was all about, kept faffing about and trying to kick the farrier! She wasn't distressed or angry to me, just confused. The farrier said he has had worse. In the end, to do her back feet she had to be twitched!.

I was so upset, I know this hardly helps! I feel that in the 5 short weeks we've been together, we've really bonded. I've been using clicker training and she's been doing really well. Today, not even that would settle her.

Maybe I'm being a bit hard on myself. The horses I've loaned before haven't had shoes so this is relatively new to me.

Anyone else have a nightmare to shoe horse? Any ideas? I'm dreading the next time!:cry:

She's perfect in every way and we've been having such fun, I've been waiting for a less than perfect moment and here it was!:redface:

 

[scotnut]

It's not easy when they are a nightmare to shoe. I had a similar problem with my boy. I can only say time patience and not letting it upset you when they are getting shod is the best way. Can she not just do with the fronts on? At least until you have established boundaries and gotten her settled? Just to cheer you up by the end of it my farrier loved my boy so much she would just go up and see to him herself! No mummy required! Good luck and don't stress x

 

[popularfurball]

Yeah or leave her barefoot? I dont see why she cant go barefoot if she is sound barefoot... bad trimming can be corrected gradually and although that might make her a bit footy, barefoot trim is different to how the hoof grows with a shoe on (or rather how it is trimmed for a shoe)

Bet he wished he had left her barefoot :giggle:

 

[Flipo's Mum]

Oh dear, well at least your farrier persevered! I've had a similar problem with my boy for a year now, wouldn't lift his feet when I got him so our farrier visits were an occasion of utter panic for me. I ended up paying £140 each time for the vet to sedate - to get a trim - not even filed, just literally cut. The farrier just didn't want to help me work on the problem. I've changed farriers three times and now using a very sympathetic barefoot trimmer who does some very simple groundwork to get my boy to comply. He was out today in fact, can't believe its only our second trim sans sedation and he was practically a wee gem.
Good luck with her, shame if you can't keep her barefoot.

 

[eml]

We have a mare who cannot be shod. She can be trimmed and fitted but when the farrier tries to nail on she panics. The only way shoes could be put on was under vet supervised sedation and then only if the farrier worked quickly.

After the second farrier had to be taken to hospital with a nail in his hand and no one would do our yard and less we said she was not included we took the decision that she had to to without shoes. As however she was competing in affiliated WHP (1.2m) we were very wary about this. However we had many sucessful seasons with her and even hunted and she was one of the most surefooted horses we had. Her feet actually improved and the only concession we made was to withdraw if we found the ground too hard or slippery.

If the feet are bad at the moment possibly think about hoof boots ..We thought about the glue ons but were talked out of them by our farrier.

 

[LauraGeeGee]

Bet he wished he had left her barefoot :giggle:

I think he did!! :giggle:

Blimey, some horror stories on here. Thanks guys, you have made me feel better.

My friend has got a barefoot trimmer coming to look at her horses in a couple of weeks. I may get him to look at her.

I don't want to go against the farrier though! I need to do some serious thinking.

 

[bitsnpieces]

I've had this problem too!!!

Unfortunately it's just lots of practice and a flipping good farrier that will be the remedy!

I used to practice tapping the hoof with plastic end of the hoof pick to get them used to the vibrations (this is commonly what upsets them as its very loud and there is a real impact on the leg), it took a good year or so to get Puz to settle but she did get there!

 

[me_n_super_abby]

i think i may also have a paddy at the thought of a big hard heavy shoe being nailed into my little feet! Its a shame you could not have give barefoot a try full time but its whatever is best for you and your situation. Sorry to sound negative but i dont understand shoes when the foot can develop to cope with any walk of life, its an amazing thing the hoof :wink:

 

[Pigletsmum]

My cob really struggles to balance when having his feet done if he has had too much grass and is footy, I don't know if that might be an issue for your mare?

Last time the trimmer came (5 weeks ago) he was dreadful - bargy, fidgetty and couldn't bare to have his front feet lifted.

As she was coming back today I made sure that he was muzzled for a few days before and slightly increased his magnesium in his feed and he was a complete star today - no fidgetting at all.

I always used to have a (lovely) farrier trim him however have noticed an improvement since having a (highly qualified and experienced) trimmer out.

 

[Roxy's Mum]

I've had issues, and still have some ongoing issues, with Roxy and her beloved feet being picked up.

We've made a lot of progress with the fronts but I'm still a bit anxious around the back end as if she's in a strop, lo betide ANYBODY who pi$$es her off further!

We went back to square one almost and RI worked using parelli type western ropes that has just a simple metal ring at the end, threading the rope through the ring at the bottom of the leg - nowhere specifically. And then asking her to left by applying pressure lifting up the rope. If she complied, immediate release and reward. And so on. If pressure was applied and she didn't left, the pressure was kept on until she lifted - only the smallest amount to start with. We did this is the menage and she was allowed to walk around if she wanted - but the pressure was ALWAYS left on if she walked off when asked to lift.

And so we progressed from there and it's worked wonders. Plus it means it's all very safe as it reduces the liklihood of being kicked, while also being gentle and taking it slow with the horse.

Good luck, I appreciate it's not easy!