Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

By the time you add up all the 2 cents
I am sure you will have a wealth of information.  Here's my 2 cents.

My horse started losing shoes early
in his career: 5 fronts in his 1st 50.  I tried to look at it less
form keeping shoes on, and more from what was the issue  with his
gaits.  A quick, but bad fix would be to short shoe him or crank the
heels way in.  I looked elsewhere for answers & I percieve you
are the long-term person, presently frustrated, not the just git-r-done
type.   Part of my horse's issue is very steep shoulder angle leaving
a long contact time & a big rear stride that would come up and clip
his heels.  Part of it was him needing to get stronger in his back
and rear end.  You said your horse  was heavier and coming off
a prolonged pasture potato period & likely like my guy, your horse
will carry himself much better as he gets back in shape.   I no longer
use any sort of wedge, but he is alot steeper in front than many horses,
as much as 56 degrees, but this matches his shoulder angle & I don't
go as steep with other horses I own.  I also have had great success
using a victory elite blunt rear shoe, set back about 1/8", which
also gives it some trailer, and he clears nicely now.   It took several
farriers to convince us that this might be a good trick in the hind end
for me to try it, but we do not hack the front of the toe off perpendicular
to the ground the way I 've seen some people "bull nose" hind
feet.  The steeper front angle and blunter rear shoe sped up his front
end & slowed his hind just enough & we've had 1 lost shoe all year.
 I did a 50 CTR in muck this weekend with no problems when I'd usually
expect at least 1 sprung or lost shoe in heavy muck.  I can't see
how  dropping the rear angle would help because the horse will rslide
up underneath themselves further.  We drop the angle on standardbred
race horse to get a longer hind stride.  On my daughters arab that
forged & clipped off shoes I used the NB aluminum in front and a heavier
steel shoe behind a size larger so it that after I shape it to fit it gives
some trailer & his front/rear gaits seem more balanced, he doesn't
forge, and hasn't lost or sprung  a shoe.  Similar idea, different
horse, somewhat different approach.  Okay maybe thats more like 8-10
cents......


Jon