hot shoes vs cold shoes

[Mellifluous]

What are the pros and cons of each? I will probably get Phoebe shod this fall and I am trying to figure out which one would be best. My farrier can do a typical cold shoe job or make the shoes and hot shoe her. This would be Phoebe's first time being shod, so I wonder if hot shoeing her would be wise, even though it is very cool to watch him make the shoes.

Any and all advice is welcome. 8-)

[Terry Wallace]

To me..its a waste of money to hot shoe...unless it is a special needs horse. The hot shoes don't last any longer, they cost a lot more, and they have to come OFF in 6 to 8 weeks anyway!!

Keg shoes can be shaped just as easy if needed. ;-)

[motorgypsy]

Just out of curiousity Mel why does she need shoes? The few times we had one mare on deep rocky gravel we just used Easy Boots and if it's not muddy they work fine. If it's really muddy it's more difficult to keep them on. And yes we know horses who need shoes - just none of ours so far.

[Mellifluous]

Just out of curiousity Mel why does she need shoes? The few times we had one mare on deep rocky gravel we just used Easy Boots and if it's not muddy they work fine. If it's really muddy it's more difficult to keep them on. And yes we know horses who need shoes - just none of ours so far.


I am planning some activities this fall and winter that could include lots of rock and gravel. I would rather be successful in those endeavors and not end up bruising Phoebe or laming her just to prove that she has good strong feet. Easy boots might be fine for occasional use, but would become a royal pain in the rear for as much as I would have to use them. She does have dynamite hooves, nice thick walls and such. She will get tender on gravel if she stays on it for a distance and I don't see the point in putting her through that when a simple pair of shoes would alleviate the problem.

Another potential reason is that as I step up her riding program she will more than likely begin to wear more than she grows. She is wearing a pretty good bit now and my farrier barely took of anything the last time he trimmed her...and I have been riding her on forgiving surfaces.

She would not wear them all the time, just when they are needed. I hope that makes sense.?

[GeorgeGuns]

Easyboots have IMO become insufferable to use and I'm opersonally boycotting them.
Old Macs now come in 2 versions, are extremely easy to get on, and quite hardy - a few clients with rehab issues are keeping theirs booted 23 hours a day (with pads) so they can have full turnout, and the boots are holding up even better than easyboots (trouble with the gaters coming apart and they are a pain to replace).

Most pasos will go easily into Old Mac G2s, easy to follow sizing directions on the website, and you can get the Comfort Pads on the site too - the pads just basically give extra stimulation to the sole and while not totally necessary if jsut using for trail riding, its a bit of Nice you can do for your horse for only a few more dollars (they are cheap).
www.easycareinc.com

Personally I don't like the pastern wraps that come with the boots, but its pretty easy to use vet wrap instead - takes up less space, and if you put duct tape (just a few short pieces, not layers) on top of the vet wrap you practically eliminate any chance of rubbing.

Nice thing about boots is that they are a one time cost, years of use and they come off when you are done! Shoes you are stuck with for weeks, risk losing them (bummer in the middle of a trail ride!!!), and ya gotta pay for each new set many times more than what boots will cost in the long run. If a boot does come off in the middle of a ride, YOU can put it back on, shoes you can't really, they are usually mutilated if they have come off and ya might not even have access to a farrier right away.

If you only anticipate shoes for 1-2 mos and then no further need until next year, then shoes may be just as good an option for you. IMO to get the best job with shoes, reset or new set every 4-6 weeks, no longer. This also lowers the risk of losing htem as they are more prone (if done well) to come off the further out you are from having them put on.

[motorgypsy]

I'm sure I mentioned that we did shoes for at least a year and pulled them upon the advice of our farrier. We rode daily on asphalt and rocks probably no more than an hour but it was an hour at fast speed. We wore the shoes to razor blade thickness in 6 weeks. Funny thing though - their hooves somehow seemed to toughen up after we pulled the shoes. I think our farrier got tired of breaking nails when he would put shoes on them so he told us to leave them off. If she gets ouchy I'd surely do something to protect their feet. There is a liquid called nail hole disinfectant that we bought at Centaur Forge that helps prevent bacterial infections in the nail holes that we felt did a good job.

[GeorgeGuns]

Funny thing though - their hooves somehow seemed to toughen up after we pulled the shoes

Yeah, I'm having a wee giggle! Not because its funny, but because that is what is supposed to happen. I know you guys have terrain at home that is a good match for probably anywhere that you ride, and if your farrier started them bare with hooves that only needed to callous a little more (ie: no distortions, imbalances, and nice thick soles) then you weren't a far cry from having rock crushers anyway.

Horses are all individuals. One horse that likely won't ever toughen enough is a horse that has had perpetual or frequent low level sole bruising - that just plain damages the basement cells and they won't ever go 100%. Its like if you keep hittin your thumb with a hammer (don't know why one would, but...) you will eventually have a disfigured thumbnail. The irony in this is founder horses - I'm thinking of one Paige Poss did that was a 4 hoof slough - that come back and end up doing incredibly well bare and on rocks. I'm sure that horse took a lot more diligence than just seeing him through the acute phase!

[Mellifluous]

This is something I don't understand. If a horse has been barefoot its whole life, is ridden and has access to rocky terrain - it should in barefoot theory (as far as I understand) be a "rock crusher" I don't find this to be the case with my horse. I think she is fine barefoot for the majority of the time. But, if I spend money and time to take her somewhere that is really rocky, I would rather put shoes on her and enjoy my ride than risk having her bruise and potentially abscess and be out of comission for a while.

[GeorgeGuns]

"A horse's hooves are only as tough as the terrain it lives on" I forget who came up with that precise wording, but its true. If you want to take on super rocky rough ground, the best way to condition for it is to have it at home. Xenophon recommended stalling horses on .. cobblestone!! Modern day folks use various types of gravel, and pea gravel is supposed to be the best - non-bruising as its round.

As i've said before - I have 12 horses here, all bare, some can go anywhere, some can handle common mixed terrain, some would need boots for rocky stuff, and one doesn't even like to look at the driveway. They are all kept the same. Some factors in this I think are age, general hoof conformation (taller vs wider), and I'm sure genetics. Previous hoof history (laminitis, founder, thin soles for prolonged periods) plays a part too. Rider weight probably plays a part - the 25% rule may not apply to hooves - consider that a pregnant mare will gain over 125 pounds (bigger breed 175?) so they better be able to handle that weight. I would not be surprised to find that a 14 hh horse that is fine on all terrains with a 125 pound rider is not so great with another 75 pounds. The horses that I've noticed seem to do less well also have longer slopier pasterns - I'm sure this changes the dynamics of movement enough to affect overall hoof hardiness. These are just personal observations in one region of the world... it may be quite different else where.

Just putting or keeping a hoof bare isn't the whole picture. If you are going to venture out on terrain that you are not sure your horse is ready for, then its wise to have some form of hoof protection either on already or at least handy.

[hast]

I have Old Macs for Michico, but have found that they mess up his gait quite a bit. He does travel very close on his front feet, which might be why, but he hates his boots and can't get used to them. Now I only use them for a full day on asphalt with the posse, and other endeavours like that, when he's not gaiting per se, just moving back and forth for crowd/traffic control. If I were to take him to rocky terrain I'd definitely put shoes on.

[Terry Wallace]

Easy boots are my favorite. Easy to use, stays on, fits right & doesn't rub. Doesn't "mess up gait"...
If you get some...write on them which hoof they go on, and they will last & last, and wear correct to that hoof.

Be sure to get the newest design with the chamfered toe.

A horses hoof is as tough as the excercise the horse gets on whatever ground you ride...so if you are mostly a weekend rider...you may well find that horse needs PROTECTION.

I'm with you Mel..I will not let my horse get tender when I can prevent that. Big ravel on a dirt road or path can sure make them sore...and you will know it because they will seek softer ground, and possibly be swishing the tail with discomfort.

Once again...even BLM mustangs need hoof attention once they are confined by man. If their feet were "so tough" and wore so "right"...why would the BLM spend thousands tranquilizing & throwing them down every two months to trim off the flares, etc....

If your horse spend most of its time standing around in a grassy pasture, and you take that horse to the rocks once or twice a week to ride...how tough do you think those feet are going to be?

[motorgypsy]

So true Terry. Our Florida Cracker gelding has amazing feet but when he gets lazy I do have to trim them and that's why I bought a lithium ion battery powered dremel. Can't wait to see how he reacts to it???

[Terry Wallace]

A "wireless" dremel !! COOL... Mine has a long cord, power supply box and a "driveshaft".....

I don't use it for hooves....but I do use it for art!

[jodiTowne]

To answer your original question....hot shoe vs. cold........my farrier told me cold shoeing is just as good as long as the farrier takes the time to get the hoof flat. Thats my 2 cents for the day. Whatever you do....ENJOY THE RIDING!

[motorgypsy]

A farrier friend told me that another farrier who does nothing but hot shoeing says he loves it because it's the smell of money. The hot shoes just shows exactly where the shoe is and if it is flat. A good farrier doesn't need a hot shoe to know that.

[cowboy ed]

hi mel, shoe your horse. i know what kind of riding you will be doing. hot shoe or cold shoe? doesnt really matter. there is no huge advantage to hotshoeing. he can put a keg shoe on hot though, it doesnt have to be a handmade shoe. or, you can hand make a shoe, cool it down and put it on cold. all of that is stuff is fun to watch, like you said, but that's just a blacksmith doing his thing. these guys like to play with steel.
knowing feebee like i do, i would say cold shoeing would work just fine.

[Mellifluous]

I am going to start discussing Phoebe's shoes with my farrier the next time he comes out. He will be thrilled with me! He will finally get a chance to make some money when he comes out to my place. ;-)

I think I will go with the cold, even though I do really enjoy watching him work steel. I think I am going to commission a knife from him.

[TrueStepPaso]

Mel.....I also don't think it matters whether you choose hot or cold.

Also, I know you've got your heart set on shoeing, but I just wanted to throw this out there again ;-) :
Nice thing about boots is that they are a one time cost, years of use and they come off when you are done! Shoes you are stuck with for weeks, risk losing them (bummer in the middle of a trail ride!!!), and ya gotta pay for each new set many times more than what boots will cost in the long run. If a boot does come off in the middle of a ride, YOU can put it back on, shoes you can't really, they are usually mutilated if they have come off and ya might not even have access to a farrier right away.
(thanks, Coreen)

Shoes aren't the ONLY option, and I know you already know this....I just wanted to chime in on this. Phoebe hooves are only conditioned to the terrain they are consistently exposed to, so if you're going to be riding in rockier terrain, then yes...offer some protection.
There's a QH at my farm that a woman rides...he's got shoes on, but he's still a bit tender on rocky stuff. Why? Because the rocks can still contact his soles & (under-developed) frogs....the shoe only covers so much, ya know. Boots cover the entire hoof capsule. Just some food for thought.

Also, I just have to respond to the BLM thing, Terry.....I know a few ppl that go out to see these horses in Nevada & Cali, and some family friends that have relatives that live in Nevada (and own some BLM horses).....the horses come in to the holding facilities with healthy hooves, however; within a matter of weeks the hooves start to overgrow, the teeth wear unevenly, and their coats become dull. Even though these horses are (for the most part) kept in fairly LARGE holding pens, they only stand around in certain areas...mainly, where the hay is thrown out. These horses are stagnant......and their hooves' stimulation/wear comes to an abrupt halt, hence the flaring hooves. This has been discussed in front of me many times - even when I was young & had no interest in hooves - and these are very advanced and experienced horsepeople whom I DEEPLY respect......they taught me the "Parelli" stuff before it was "cool" ;-). Ha!
So thats my story and I'm stickin' to it, woman! ;-) :D Now, about that trip to Mexico.....

[Terry Wallace]

Yes Truestep... that is what captive BLM horses have in common with domestic horses. You take that wild, ranging horse, where it travels miles & miles a day...off its range...stick it in a 40 X 40 pen...and what happens? The same exact thing that happens to stalled horses, horses who spend their time on grassy pastures, and horses who spend their time in dry lots.....They NEED trimmed, and if ridden....many will need shoes for protection.

My whole point being...that unless your horse travels miles a day, gets regular riding and exercise...don't expect its feet to be as tough as a BLM mustang...just because its a HORSE.

Now...how many people here actually ride their horses across all types of terrain...more than 2 or 3 times a week??? How many horses spend the majority of thier time either grazing, standing around, or stalled?

BTW...I'll be shoeing my horse for protection for the New Mexico trip...lets go ride up around the cliff dwellings on the decomposed granite of the good ole' Rocky Mountains !!

[GeorgeGuns]

I gotta throw in here.

Going barefoot is NOT just about avoiding steel, its about having healthy hooves. A horse has five hearts, one in his chest and one on the end of each leg. The function of the lateral cartilages is exactly (and I know both cardiac and hooves) like the valves in the chambers of the heart and have measurable impact on blood flow. Its impossible to shoe a horse without SOME degree of hoof contraction, which means we alter the circulatory mechanism on two to four of the fine "hearts". Now like some humans with a little bit of mitral valve stenosis, (me for instance) a little bit of hoof contraction is barely noticed by a fit athelete, but can take its toll in time. Its been proven that horses with hooves that are as close to what mother nature gave them as possible, move better, improve stamina, improve overall health, even arthritis can get somewhat better if its not too far gone because a lot of that arthritis may well be imposed by unatural concussive forces on the joints. I know a percheron that is no longer lame from LOW ringbone after a few months of natural type trimming, hows that? A 20 year old quarter horse that was dead lame from "navicular" is now pasture sound in boots and frog pads - the farriers were unable to give him comfort, but he's now growing frog (YES!!!) and no longer thrushy and tends to cavort around like a 2 year old. Steel is not always the answer, and neither is totolly 100% bare nekkid.

As to cold vs hot, to anyone that is going to have a horse hotshod for hte first time, you might want to get htem desensatized to the smell. Most horses can handle it, but i had a horse totally freak on on me, took out a big iron post, when he got wind of the smell of burning hoof and it wasn't even his own. I agree with MGs - a good farrier doesn't need to put it on hot, only uses heat to make shaping easier if he really has to alter the factory shoe or to bend a rod of iron for a custom shoe.

[TrueStepPaso]

Woo Hoooooo!! Lets do it!! Me likey that idea.......oooohhh, maybe they'll have those hot cliff jumper guys in little tighty bathing suits....nice. Oh, our trip is gonna be sweeeet......

Uh, what were we talking about again...?? Um.... Oh yeah, hooves.....

I like your response....we both have the same point ;-) . Its too bad that ppl can't ride their horses the required miles a day... so, we do our best with different styles of hoofcare instead. So long as ppl educate themselves on what the horse's natural needs are, and do their best to try and offer that...they do right by the horse, and that is all that matters to me. Unfortunately, alot of people don't.....and instead just look at horses as their personal vehicles to success/ribbons/trophies :roll: .....

Now, back to that trip to Mexico.....so, do you know a little Spanish, because if not we are so gonna be up shhh creek without a paddle, sister.....

[TrueStepPaso]

Going barefoot is NOT just about avoiding steel, its about having healthy hooves.

I like that..its true.

Also, I'm not against what Mel is going to do for Phoebe either.....she's just going to put her in shoes for a few months while working her on more challenging terrain, and then go barefoot again. Now, what I would be against, is a farrier that thins the sole, doesn't pay attention to natural angles, and resets every eight weeks. I personally feel they should be done every 4-5 weeks....I know, I know, its more expensive, but its healthier for the hooves. They are growing above that shoe......

Me...I'd use boots in place of protection. But that's me, and Mel can do whatever she wants....she's a smart gal ;-) .....

[Hacienda Del Sol]

Georgeguns,

Are you saying that a 20 yr old QH, diagnosed with Navicular disease--that is, radiographed and properly imaged, with visable decalcification (the telltale lollipops, etc.) to the navicular bone, is now sound. Are you saying that the restored blood flow was able to reverse the damage to the bearing surface of the navicular? So there is no navicular pain, or associated synovitis since the shoes have been pulled? Or are you just saying it was a 20 yr old QH with some undiagnosed navicular area pain ,which could've been any one of many things, had the shoes pulled and now the pain is gone and no real diagnosis ever occured? Just trying to get the facts.

[motorgypsy]

Well if Phoebe is like our guys and she waits 8 weeks she'll have two shoes on each foot with a bare center front. Our guys wore them to a razor in 4 to 6 weeks. The farrier couldn't believe it.

[Cindy]

You know, I never saw anywhere where Mel asked should she shoe her horse or not. Why is it that one cannot come on here and mention ANYTHING about shoes without getting the barefoot "treatment". I have no doubt that Mel has read all of your opinions before about the "dangers" of shoeing horses as she is a regular on this board. But even if she had not, your bombardment of anyone who mentions shoes on this BB is quite frankly a bit rude. You don't see anyone bombard those who talk about leaving their horse barefooot. Leave it alone. You guys are begining to sound a bit like a cult.

[Terry Wallace]

Oh Si..yo tengo siete anos de Espanol..para "my grade school years".

BUT..always a but.... I didn't USE it...so I lost a lot of it...

However..... since I grew up in New Mexico, I don't think we will have any problemos there!

On the subject of HOOVES...some will ALWAYS...yes, always needs shoes.
I don't care what you do, where you keep the horse, what you feed the horse, or how much exercise it gets...there will always be genetically poor hooves that wil not stand up to the use of man...without shoes....on SOME horses.

Just as...there will always be hooves that need no shoes...no matter what the horse is fed or not...where it lives, and how much exercise it gets...
There is no one answer for every horse.

Yes...of course they come into this world barefoot... BUT..did they plan on being stalled and unable to move about freely in their first year? or did they get real lucky and have all the room in the world, the wind at their back, and good health & genetics on their side?

Kinda like people...all come into this world barefoot..but how many can hack it going barefoot? See...it depends...did they grow up in the middle of the jungle..or on concrete?? Did they suffer from rickets? :D

Yeah ...YEAH Truestep!! Chew on that !!!! :D :shock: :D

[TrueStepPaso]

HAAAA!!! Oh boy, I am so eating your dust right now! But at least I won't be lost in Mexico with ya! Your Spanish is bueno enough for me :D

And, you're right...some horses have all the luck ;-) ....and some fell out of the "ugly/crappy genetics tree" and hit every branch on the way down :twisted: :shock:




**Oh, and Cindy......

You don't see anyone bombard those who talk about leaving their horse barefoot.

You're totally right as far as I've ever seen. I was not trying to make Mel feel uncomfortable, and I apologize if I have, Mel. I was just offering my opinions that are hoof -related at least, but if I ever sound cultish.....please shoot me. I DESPISE that crap. I stick up for what I believe in, but I don't shun others for having a different opinion.**

[Blameitonbrio]

Well, all I have to say is at first I thought, "$%^& another shoe/barefoot thread going ugly." Guess what...it hasn't. :yay

You all are doing a great job respecting each others' opinions and trying so hard to be understanding even when you don't agree. I am so proud of you all, and I am not even your mama! :rofl

OK, that's all I have to say.....just wanted to send a hug to all of you. :hug

Oh and if a dog fight breaks out down the line, I am taking my hug back!!!!!

[Barbwire]

Speaking of dogs, I just can't stand pit bulls, they should be banned from the planet. :twisted:

[Blameitonbrio]

OK...just for that...Barb, I am not going to tell you how nice my farrier looked trimming my horses' feet today. He not only has a nice can, he was wearing a tank top!

[Barbwire]

Please tell me you're not withholding pics!

[motorgypsy]

CATS RULE DOGS DROOL!! YA WANNA FIGHT ABOUT IT?????

[Blameitonbrio]

CATS RULE DOGS DROOL!! YA WANNA FIGHT ABOUT IT?????

Them's fightin' words MG's! :rofl

We have a saying at our house:
Labs Rule and Labs Drool!

Our cat is conflicted on the subject.

[cowboy ed]

well, i thought the same thing cindy did. all mel did was ask a simple question, to hot shoe, or cold shoe? then out comes all this barefoot stuff again. i thought it was just off topic and unnecessary. but then again, getting off topic is a frequent occurence on this BB! see, i'm doing it too.

[Blameitonbrio]

Please tell me you're not withholding pics!

I need tutoring in this Barb. I am not quite nervy enough to ask a man if I can take a picture of his can. And I was wrestling a 15-month-old colt who thought the raspy thing was going to eat him (he is getting much better at this though). How do I work up the nerve?

And the very scary thing is that ever since you posted your "issue" on this board, I have found myself noticing man cans. Of course, I am only noticing them in the context of wondering what you might think of it. Today, I didn't start out can oogling, and I have never noticed it before. But once I did notice it, it was like trying to get the song "Feliz Navidad" out of my head!

[cowboy ed]

www.easywalkershoes.com

[Blameitonbrio]

[quote="cowboy ed" but then again, getting off topic is a frequent occurence on this BB! see, i'm doing it too.[/quote]

Oops...guilty! :oops:

[Blameitonbrio]

OK...I am going to ask a question on topic to redeem myself and learn something: for what reasons would one hot shoe a horse? That seems like a lot more trouble than fitting a keg shoe. Is this done much anymore? I always think of it as something done in the old days.

[Mellifluous]

Well guys, since I started this thread I will give you my two cents.

Before posting, I had already decided that I would be shoeing Phoebe. I have thought long and hard about booting her instead, but they are not a viable option in my situation. I do have the hot or cold option so I wanted to hear from the farrier types and folks who get their horse's shod.

I knew that the barefoot gurus would come out, kinda SOP. I think that everyone handled themselves well and got their points across. I could have cried "hijack" at the first barefoot post but chose not to. I never explained that I had investigated and deliberated over the boot option and chose not to go that route.

I figured that shoeing vs barefoot had been discussed in this forum Ad Nauseum and would not be so much of an issue in this thread. It did come out a bit, as you barefoot folks can be a bit fanatical at times *no offense* 8-) I am a xeriscaping fanatic and can get very passionate about that so I understand.

Overall, I got the information that I needed and smiled and nodded at what I didn't. ;-) Maybe someone else will get something out of this thread too.

[motorgypsy]

It's been very interesting. We always learn a lot in these threads.

[Hacienda Del Sol]

Here's some more info Mel. Hot shoeing is not necessarily a waste of time. Some feel that by using a hot shoe you can truly fit a shoe to the foot, taking up any small differences in level of the shoe to the hoof. Some also feel that by cauterizing he hoof tubules you can help retain moisture in the hoof, although I don't know about that. I would say that hot shoeing definitely helps in fiiting a shoe, especially when using clips.

[Mellifluous]

Here's some more info Mel. Hot shoeing is not necessarily a waste of time. Some feel that by using a hot shoe you can truly fit a shoe to the foot, taking up any small differences in level of the shoe to the hoof. Some also feel that by cauterizing he hoof tubules you can help retain moisture in the hoof, although I don't know about that. I would say that hot shoeing definitely helps in fiiting a shoe, especially when using clips.

Thanks, that makes sense. The time that my farrier made shoes and hot shoed one of my horses, he had made shoes with clips.

I don't think he has hot shoes as an option because he is somehow deficient in his ability to get the hoof level as some had stated earlier as a general comment. I would not be using him if he was. ;-)

Now, how do you guys feel about the easywalker shoes that Ed posted? They look interesting to me.

[GeorgeGuns]

Several months ago I pulled easywalkers off a mare that had been shod with them for navicular. The farrier did a great job getting this mare somewhat decontracted, but they had hit a wall and were not progressing so the owner found me. What i liked about this farrier's work is that she did not take sole, and while that raises the frog up, that is not a bad thing in this area - most terrain is soft enough that packed dirt will be quite effective to maintain some heel function - but not quite all. I think this farrier could have done a equally good job with full rim shoes, and I wish she had:

The toe clips on this mare caused trouble (they often do, I hate clips - yes I WILL call clips evil and heathen, LOL!!!!) by distoriting the whilteline and starting a probably keratoma on one hoof. The mare had been in the easywalkers for only a year. IMO if the clips are removed, its a great shoe. The clips really ruin it for me. I need to add that there are farriers that actually know how to MAKE a good clip that does NOT restrict hoof wall or require that the wall be cut into to accept the clip. The inside edge of the clip should never be inside the outer edge of the shoe and this is where a lot of farriers mess it up...

[Jaci]

I guess I only have one question about these shoes... how to you shape them? They look like what you see is what you get. If that is the case then are you left with shaping the horses hoof to fit the shoe?

Jaci

[Jaci]

When I first was introduced to horses, many years ago, we had something called "Horse Shoers." It was pretty simple back then... you called them and they came and took care of your horses feet.

Their goal was to have a sound horse for the owner because they knew that if the horse wasn't sound then the owner of the horse had no use for a shoer. Back then we were referred to as owners not clients...

If the horse had a funky foot that didn't quite work with keg shoes the shoer would either hot shoe it or they would take plain bar stock and make a shoe to fit. If the horse didn't need shoes they would tell you that they didn't want to put shoes on the horse. They asked you what sort of riding you were doing and where you would be riding and how often etc.
If you had a problem you told them and they fixed it. If they found a problem they just fixed it.

Many horses went many years sound and hoof healthy... but something happened to the Horse Shoers. I think that they are extinct now because now all I see and hear about are farriers. I also see lots of horses with hoof problems and people trying all sorts of theories and shoeing techniques and I hear lots of arguing about all of it...

I miss Horse Shoers...

Jaci

[Pasogirlz]

When I first was introduced to horses, many years ago, we had something called "Horse Shoers." It was pretty simple back then... you called them and they came and took care of your horses feet.

Their goal was to have a sound horse for the owner because they knew that if the horse wasn't sound then the owner of the horse had no use for a shoer. Back then we were referred to as owners not clients...

If the horse had a funky foot that didn't quite work with keg shoes the shoer would either hot shoe it or they would take plain bar stock and make a shoe to fit. If the horse didn't need shoes they would tell you that they didn't want to put shoes on the horse. They asked you what sort of riding you were doing and where you would be riding and how often etc.
If you had a problem you told them and they fixed it. If they found a problem they just fixed it.

Many horses went many years sound and hoof healthy... but something happened to the Horse Shoers. I think that they are extinct now because now all I see and hear about are farriers. I also see lots of horses with hoof problems and people trying all sorts of theories and shoeing techniques and I hear lots of arguing about all of it...

I miss Horse Shoers...

Jaci

We used to have those too....I also miss them. ;-)

[motorgypsy]

My grandfather was a blacksmith in the 1870s before cars My aunt who was an artist painted a picture of him in his barn under the spreading Chestnut tree. How I'd love to be able to ask him what things were like for him.

I did read that the city of London had something like one million horses in it before the advent of the automobile. They were used hard all day to haul people or stuff and thrown in a stall a night with some oats and hay. The streets were cobblestone so you can imagine the wear and tear on the hooves and the lack of proper nutrients to grow good hooves. Can you imagine the manure they had to deal with also. The smell must have been something else between the chamber pots and the horses and dogs and cats and homeless people.

[Barbwire]

Great post Jaci. :D

[ASB.Immortality]

Its been proven that horses with hooves that are as close to what mother nature gave them as possible, move better, improve stamina, improve overall health, even arthritis can get somewhat better if its not too far gone because a lot of that arthritis may well be imposed by unatural concussive forces on the joints.


If that has been proved, what explains the 27 year old still sound (no real signs of arthritis also) Saddlebred at my barn that was shown all of his life? He still gets out (still wear shoes, just not his shoe shoes anymore) and tries to keep up with the colts that run around, wallow in the dirt, then buck & fart off when he gets up.

I still think it all just depends on the horse. Not just one thing is going to work for everything.

On the hot vs. cold... I prefer cold. I have noticed that alot of farriers that do hot aren't as attentive to your horses feet and their needs.

[motorgypsy]

Saddlebreds are bound to be related to paso finos which means they are just plain tough!!! Like grandma who smoked 4 packs a day and drank a six pack and lived to 100!! Some just have great genes! Actually I would guess he has a good farrier and a good owner!!

[ASB.Immortality]

Actually I would guess he has a good farrier and a good owner!!

The farrier is questionable... my husband & the barn owner reset him whenever he needs it. LOL!!! But as for owner, he couldn't have a better one. She got him for her grandson & he only stop showing him about three years ago. She loves that old man to death. He is just the sweetest thing but can definately be a goober! LOL!!

[motorgypsy]

We have one of those "goobers" and he's priceless!!