Posted by Patty Stiller on September 05, 2003 at 19:38:23:
In Reply to: Re: Keeping shoes on posted by Gary on September 05, 2003 at 17:33:07:
: : I have been shoeing horses for three years now and I have just run into a problem that I haven't seen before. I shoe a mare that I can't keep a right front shoe on. This is a recent problem I've been shoeing this particular horse for a little over a year and the last two times I've shod her she threw this same shoe within a week. Any ideas on what to do to keep a shoe on her?
: Do you watch this horse move? Also have the owner ride it for you and see what you see! Might just be the problem is the hind feet? Need to really watch them sometimes! Good Luck! Gary
I used to lose a disproportionate amount of right front shoes and finally found out why several years ago, I so I may be able to shed some light on it.
Club feet tend to be the ones that get pulled shoes the quickest, for several reasons.
If the heels are tall, the foot may be slower to get off the ground and out of the way of the hind foot,because the whole body and leg has to move farther forward over the foot to tighten the check ligament enough to lift the heels. Then, due to the taller angles of the bones and the delayed breakover, the foot does not reach out as far as the other one either. I have found that to facilitate easier and faster breakover on those feet it is important to set the breakover point at optimal place for that individual foot,(usualy a bit farther back toward the frog than the other foot) removing toe flare amd Eespecially not trying to make the foot look like the other. Leaving the toe longer or settign the shoe forward than it should be in an attempt to match the feet will almost guarantee pulled shoes. Somethimes the club foot even needs a smaller shoe than the other foot to shoe it as the individual that it is.
The heels of a club foot also naturally end way back at the widest part of the frog , even though they may be tall, so there is no need for added caudal support from the shoe heels, so you can fit the heels close and well boxed to help prevent pulling.
Hope this helps you some . Patty