Shoes - 2 or 4 ?

[Jerry Kopp <jkopp@ohio.net>]

Just had my farrier out for new shoes.  Here in Northeast Ohio I pay $60 for
new keg shoes, cold worked and trim.   I was telling my farrier, who I've
had for ten years, about the discussions recently on Ridecamp re: price.  My
question to him was how often does he only shoe the front feet vs all four.
On the trail horses he does it is very common, one reason being price and
the other being the front feet are the ones to develop more problems.  I had
never even thought that you could mix bare feet and shod feet. ( Much like
the mixing of tire types on a truck).  My horse is barefoot during the
winter and shod late spring thru fall.  Are there any advantages to just
having shoes on the front feet?  I'm conditioning a soon to be five year old
and we are in the LSD phase.  I have no problem with four shoes, he has good
feet with no problems.  Other than the obvious - two fewer shoes to lose and
two less shoes to pay for, are there reasons I should consider shod in
front, and barefoot behind?  Thanks.

Roxanne and Boomer


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