Hooves to hard to shoe - Q for peeps in hot count

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Subject : hooves to hard to shoe - qu for peeps in hot countries
From : susan - greece
Date : 8/4/2005 6:54:00 PM

well, having been (semi) down the barefoot route and then deciding to shoe, Gina was to have her first re-shoeing today. But her feet are so hard that the only thing the farrier could do was to remove the shoes. He told me to keep her stabled and put grease on for a week but this has just got me thinking.

she's been living out 24/7 in a hard dry paddock since being shod.

for those who shoe horses and live in hard dry country - do you have to soften up your horses hooves for the farrier or is this an indication that my horse should be or could be barefoot now she's out 24/7?

btw , having taken off the shoes she was not at all sore to walk over sharp stones on the way back to the paddock. but yes, the hooves are a mess.

the dilemma seems to have risen again - i'm all a quandry.

s



Subject : re:- hooves to hard to shoe - qu for peeps in hot countries
From :
Date : 8/4/2005 7:04:00 PM

I'd say its a good indication that she doesn't need shoes. Get someone out to do a good trim or learn yourself and eventually her hooves won't be a "mess".



Subject : re:- hooves to hard to shoe - qu for peeps in hot countries
From : K
Date : 8/4/2005 7:12:00 PM

When I lived down under we had to put the sprinkler on in a yard and leave the horses in there for a day before the farrier came.
Most of the horses were just trimmed anyway, only a few that =needed= shoes had them put on. Ones with broken hooves missing chunks or tending to go footsore.





Subject : re:- hooves to hard to shoe - qu for peeps in hot countries
From : susan - greece
Date : 8/4/2005 7:52:00 PM

really i can't believe how stupid i am. when she's not got shoes on i have her stabled and am suprised she can't manage. shoe her and put her out on hard ground and low and behold she's got soles of iron. shall i shut her in stable again till her soles are soft enough trim and hammer nails in again. ? DER, think we'll try barefoot again. can't wait to see how she is tomorrow now. thanks for replies.

any others? nikki italy?? you there?




Subject : re:- hooves to hard to shoe - qu for peeps in hot countries
From : Ted
Date : 8/4/2005 8:37:00 PM

Not really a problem that we have had . Our farrier hasn't mentioned the hooves being too hard to shoe .

However we do use water / hoofmoist to avoid cracking with the horses - especially so with Francesca's Camargue mare who came from the swamps and rice paddies . The donkeys feet have never been so good , and they are like iron !!!!

Ted




Subject : re:- hooves to hard to shoe - qu for peeps in hot countries
From : susan - greece
Date : 8/5/2005 7:26:00 AM

hi Ted, you're in France non?

standing gina in water every day is an option of course but really i am just suprised that they are sooooo hard - indicating she would manage easily barefoot. ?? if she had a sensible owner who gave her the chance i guesss!

any barefooters who look at this - do you soak before trimming if the hoof is too hard? (i seem to remember something on Peter Laidley's cd about this.)


Subject : re:- hooves to hard to shoe - qu for peeps in hot countries
From : Wendy
Date : 8/5/2005 9:37:00 AM

Yep, I soak before trimming if the hooves are too hard though I can't do this with the ponies. I guess that soaking would also allow the nails in - but it does seem rather bizarre to be shoeing when the hooves are too hard to get the nails in. I guess your farrier is experienced with shoeing hard hooves anyway.

Susan, my email is info(AT)marengoconsulting.com if you're not coming over to the new IH board. Otherwise I'll see you there when the DG shuts down later today. )



Subject : re:- hooves to hard to shoe - qu for peeps in hot countries
From : Wendy
Date : 8/5/2005 9:41:00 AM

BTW stabling 24/7 will also encourage the hoof to soften and slow down its growth as it adapts to the softer environment and receives the effect of the urine/poo. Keeping her out in your hot climate 24/7 will produce iron hard hooves, as it does with my horses. I did a 15k hack with Crystal the other day and her hooves showed hardly any wear whatsover when we got back. The hot climate is simply wonderful for producing rock crushing hooves.

Her feet won't start cracking unless they're too long or they're been damaged by water/infection.

[susan in greece]

hi wendy,

oooh its a bit weird on here. i'm holding judgement for the time being!

it seems like i've gone full circle with the barefoot/ shoeing issue! yes, bizzare advice indeed, my thoughts exactly. now i guess i am in a worse situation than before when gina was footsore. now i have hooves that really need trimming and are iron hard. I do have tools now and will be looking at Peter's cd and will take pictures to post on here. your final comment on cracking only occuring if hooves too long certainly applies.

thanks for the input. talk soon.

[Nikki Italy]

Hi Susan, only just found this. I 'water' the horses feet just before the farrier comes, from the hose for about an hour before he comes. My new farrier, (and that's another story!) said what the others have said, that when water is applied, the nails come out easier, and also in, with less risk of cracking etc. My horses hooves are in good condition at the moment, and Sabina's the hardest of them all. When I suggested she perhaps could go 'barefoot' (something I've been longing for my horses for a long time.) the farrier explained that she would be fine, except that for the length of time I go riding in Autumn, Winter and Spring, she couldn't hack it, (s'cuse the pun) she would become too sore....so, shod they all are, and for the time being, remain so, and well-watered before each shoeing. Oh, yes, and over-flow their water trough when filling every morning, so there's a nice muddy patch they stand in when they have a drink, which admittedly dries out in a couple of hours or less, but they do benefiit a bit I think...'bye!

[susan in greece]

hi there all,

thanks for your input nikki. i think we are in similar situations re the climate in that the summer in ideal for barefoot but the other months more hard. i however do not go far and can choose between soft going through the forest and more rugged terrain. and i don't have a nice farrier! (still can't find that thread btw) .

the situation with Gina is that i have still not trimmed her feet. Tried to tidy up yesterday and used the nipper on the biggest chipped quarter but was feeling really nervous about the whole thing...when the farrier calls. So the long and short of it is he's coming tomorrow and i've told him i don't want to shoe but only for him to tidy up. my thinking is that i'lll then have neat feet to begin learning with. i know he's going to give me a hard time about going back to the barefoot 'madness' but there we go,. i'll just have to be assertive. ha ha! i am going to tell him not to take anything off the sole but just get rid of the flares.

any barefoot trimmers out there > do you manage without a stand? i have seen Pete Laidley's washing machine drum thingy but was wondering how many manage without and by what means. ie do you rest on your knee or brace against your thigh?

[wendyihts]

I managed without a stand for ages, even when I had a bad back (I used a back brace at the time). It does wonders for your thighs! I either do things farrier-style or rest the hoof on my knee depending on what the horse seems to prefer.

[justine]

Some people use bollards, like they use on the motorway to block off lanes. They need to by sturdy ones though.