Posted by Jack Evers on March 24, 2004 at 21:32:12:
In Reply to: Re: Shoes posted by Gary on March 24, 2004 at 16:17:48:
: : I have looked all over. Exactly how long do the horses need shoes. I have heard every 6 weeks to 8 weeks. Who is right? I can't find a drfinite answer!!!
: If your horse needs to wear shoes, then they should be reset in that 6 to 8 week window. A healthy foot will usually grow at least 1/4 inch of new growth in that period of time. So the shoes need to be removed and the new growth of hoof trimmed and the shoes reset or new applied. Hope this helps you, Good Luck! Gary
Amy
That's kind of like asking how often a man should get a haircut. Hair grows at different rates and the demands of the job are different. A public relations type who has to make a good impression on new people every day may get a haircut every week while someone with a rural job may go two or three months.
Same with horses. Besides the fact that growth rates are different, both for different horses and for the same horse at different seasons and different ages, the job demands can be different. A competition horse may see performance drop off with a small change in hoof length and need to be reshod on a four or five week schedule while a trail riding horse that isn't asked to do anything particularly athletic can handle more growth and go seven or eight weeks until the hoof starts to grow wider than the shoes. I had a friend who was campaining for the National Competetive Trail Riding Championship shoe his horse on a three week schedule so that nothing much changed. He used clips and only four nails per shoe so he could alternate nail holes and he did win the National Championship.
There is no definate interval. Use what your horse needs for his growth rate and his job. Your farrier can help you.
Jack