I'm having shoe-pulling troubles today,
too. One of our geldings is short-backed and long-legged. He
over-reaches and steps on the inside branch of the near front shoe. I
was using over-reach boots today, too. I'm about to try EZ boots over the
shoes. In the first place, an EZ boot over a shoe is very hard to pull
off; in the second place, attach a strap of some sort, or a piece of soft thong
(like shoelace) to the back of the corrugated heel strap, creating a loop.
Then place a strap (I use nylon web dog collars) around the pastern,
running it through the loop. Then, if the horse DOES pull it off, at least
it is still attached to the horse. This only works on a horse that won't
blow up if the EZ boot is dangling around his ankle.
I need some suggestions. I have owned my mare for 51/2 years
and up until last month she has never lost a shoe. Now in a three week period
she has thrown three shoes. It has been rainy here in San Diego(I know, hard
to beleive, huh?) and lots of mud. Fortunately her corral is kept very
clean and dry and her hooves look great according to my farrier, who has been
her farrier all of her life. I finally felt her pull the last shoe and it was
when crossing a deep and very sticky mudhole. She is only shod in the front
and she has pulled shoes from both hooves. I am now riding looking at her feet
constantly, my friends think I am paranoid. But the truth is, I can't afford
to keep having the farrier out every week!! I started using bell boots
at first, but they obviously don't help when it comes to mud. I am afraid to
try my easyboots, because they are even more expensive to lose! Plaese help
with any suggestions!!
