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Discussion on Stepping on right front shoe and pulling it off with right hind--HELP!
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Member:
Nonie
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Posted on Saturday, Feb 4, 2006 - 3:51 pm:
For the third time in two months my mare has managed to catch the back of her right front shoe with her right hind and pull the shoe off. Once in the pasture, and twice while I was riding her. Both times riding we were going downhill and she slipped. At first I thought she slipped first, then caught her foot, but it might have been the other way round--that she caught her foot which MADE her slip. Is this something I should look into or just a nasty series of coincidences?
I have a GREAT farrier who has shod her for the past three years--he may have some insights. I am waiting to hear from him.
We had to walk three miles home today on a dirt road that had recently been re-gravelled and she was ouchy by the time we got home so I am PRAYING no stone bruise/abscesses.
Zoe
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Saturday, Feb 4, 2006 - 5:01 pm:
I had a polo horse that used to forge all the time, Zoe. We shortened his toes in front and rolled his shoes . . . also squared off his toes in the back and put heels on his hinds. When he was done with polo, he just went barefoot, but I always kept his toes cut short and rolled the front ones. Downhill is especially tough because a horse with the tendency to forge has even MORE reason to get those front feet up off the ground quickly. I found that giving my gelding well-times squeezes with my legs, to encourage him to step quicky, helped with going downhill . . . and whenever I felt him get lazy . . .
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Member:
Alden
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Posted on Saturday, Feb 4, 2006 - 5:22 pm:
Zoe,
I wouldn't do anything drastic unless this has been a problem in the past, and I'm assuming not because you didn't mention it.I'd wait an let your farrier do her again. He probably trimmed her just a little different this last time.
Some people may think it wouldn't matter how she was trimmed and for many horses that maybe true. Some horses on the other hand are real particular. One gelding I have will pull a front shoe before some farriers make it out the drive. But that was a couple farriers ago, this gelding never has a problem with the farrier I have now.
You might look for some soreness in the shoulders or neck. If she's a little sore from a slip or a little rough horse play in the pasture her timing maybe off a little.
Good day,
Alden
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Feb 5, 2006 - 8:39 am:
3 times in 2 months and no problems before does sound like something has changed and if you cannot figure out what, Holly's ideas are good. We also:
1) shoe a bit tighter with not as much sticking out behind and
2) with a grinder bevel the end and ground contact surface of the heel of the fronts so there is not as much shoe to catch with the toe.
DrO
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Member:
Nonie
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Posted on Sunday, Feb 5, 2006 - 9:37 am:
I will pass these ideas on to my farrier, Dr. O, thanks. In fact, what has changed is I have upped her training schedule, as we are hoping to do a 50 mile Endurance ride in early April, plus we are doing more dressage to get her straight and balanced, so her hind end has developed and the consensus of opinion is that she is overtracking more and has not yet learned to get her front legs out of the way. So my trainers have suggested overreach boots for the meantime.
Thanks for all the help and advice.
Zoe
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Sunday, Feb 5, 2006 - 12:17 pm:
Hi Zoe, Levi constantly yanked his shoe off just running in the pasture. It was always twisted indicating it was yanked off. The overreach boots saved me the farrier costs of re-setting.
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Monday, Feb 6, 2006 - 7:58 am:
Hi Zoe,
I've used bell boots (are they the same as overreach boots?) and that has helped a lot.
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Member:
Quatro
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Posted on Monday, Feb 6, 2006 - 11:26 am:
the difference I have noticed in the bell boot, is that the overreach boot has a padded heel, and it will not spin around. The padded I am sure helps with the concussion. It also is even with the very bottom of the heel, where the bell boot that I have used does not.
I went with the more spendy no turn over reach boots and they are great.
suz
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Member:
Warwick
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Posted on Monday, Feb 6, 2006 - 1:10 pm:
Hi Zoe
My big gelding is a very flamboyant mover and I have run into this same problem in the past with him. Barring that there is nothing else going on with your mare that would cause this problem, I strongly second Dr O's suggestion of the farrier using a grinder. My farrier always uses a grinder to "box" (as he calls it) Warwick's shoes. He grinds the entire shoe to eliminate any square edges. He told me that by doing this if Warwick should step on the edge of a shoe that has rounded edges, it will be easier for his foot to slide off and lessen the chance of pulling the shoe compared to if he stood on a shoe that had square edges. Hope that makes sense - I know what I mean to say but sometimes have trouble putting it into words!
Also second the bell boots. Warwick basically lives in them and the only time I don't use them is when I'm showing.
Cheers
Sue
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Member:
Angel77
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Posted on Thursday, Feb 23, 2006 - 2:42 am:
Dear Zoe,
To begin with I agree with Dr.O.
My horse used to forge until we started to square off the hind. We have not had a problem since.
I do use high end bell boots in front that do not roll around the feet but are stable.
I believe shoeing is everything but sometimes athletic or green horses can over reach to compensate their balance.
Therefore losing a shoe or two occasionally. But 3 times in 2 months sounds like something else maybe going on.
How old is your horse? Is it possible your horses feet are growing? What is your shoeing schedule? Mine get new shoes every 5 weeks like clockwork. Has the environment changed? Since it is winter, is it possible that your horses feet were already compromised by wet weather?
I hope you find out what is happening. I know how frustrating these mysteries can be.
Good Luck,
WTG
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Member:
Nonie
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Posted on Friday, Feb 24, 2006 - 1:28 pm:
Thanks, WTG.
The problem is pretty much solved. My farrier pointed out that with the borium on her front shos, they tended to "catch" a little on the roads, especially when we were trotting downhill. That combined with the hind-end energy she puts out when she is in her power trot was enough, he felt, to explain the catching. She has her regular shoes back on now, and I've had no further problems.
Next winter I'll be putting overreach boots on her when we work and taking it easy on the downhill stretches.
Thanks all for the advice. 
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