Riding with missing shoe????

[Nik-n-Kia]

hi peeps!!

Kia cast a shoe whilst we were schooling tonight. He was fine and I got off and got a pair of pliers and pulled out the two nails left and just carried on.

He went barefoot for a while during the winter and I plan on doing that again this year as we dont do much in the winter that isnt in a school/paddock anyway.

Anyway back to the question. i finished my schooling and went out a wander and he was fine. We arent doing much trotting on the roads at the mo and he showed no discomfort at all.

So is it particularly bad to do what I did??

Nikki xxx

[MelanieD]

As long as he's comfortable without the shoe and doesn't wear or chip the foot so much its hard to get a shoe back on its fine.

[Wally]

Go you!!

[Nik-n-Kia]

Thanks wally!!!!!!

And here i felt like a bad mummy lol!!!!

Those nails were a bugger to get out!!!

Do you think I should file down the rough edges??? I have a farriers rasp somewhere.............need to rake through the loft methinks!!!

Nikki xxxx

[CurlyWurlyRach]

lo, you reminded me of my mates mum who brought her horse in telling us all about the big schooling plans she had for that day, two steps from the menage PING a shoe popped off - hysterical :D

she didnt ride him as there were nails sticking out and none of us could pull them out.

[Nik-n-Kia]

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Thanks CWR!!!

Nikki xxxxx

[marsden]

shocking Nikki haha just joking!

Kia is made of stronger stuff than that! hehe you'll need to box over sometime and we'll go a ride :D

[*Sez*]

I don't ride when my horse loses a shoe, but that's because he's a big fairy and gets incredibly footsore :rolleyes:. I imagine if he wasn't bothered, then no harm done.
However, a question for those in the know, what is the potential for damage to muscles, ligaments and tendons caused by working a horse that is uneven due to casting a shoe? :confused: And does it encourage one-sidedness? Our farrier can take up to a week to come out and refit a lost shoe, as he hs to squeeze you in when he's on the yard for an appointment, so there are two factions of people - one who think that you shouldn't ever ride after casting a shoe (and I suppose in cases of horses who are only shod in front, I can see their point), and those who just get on with it, but take things easier until the shoe is replaced.

(sorry to hi-jack thread! :o)

[Daffy Dilly]

Personally I don't. However last time I did, he ended up with an abcess, which I think was caused by him standing on the shoe rather than him being ridden, as farrier said it was ok to take him out. Neither myself, my instructor, the vet nor the farrier could diagnose the abcess, ended up finding it a couple of months later when it had grown down.

So that's my reason for not doing, but then he doesn't lose shoes any more, except once in an accident, and the farrier can always come out quickly. If it was going to be a while I may do some gentle work in the school, but it's quite heavy going so it would really depend how he felt.

I wouldn't do as someone on the yard did this morning with their horse that had one shoe missing, go straight in the school and trot (no warm up) then proceed to trot and canter until the other front shoe came loose. Especially not as a) it's a very unbalanced youngster, b) it's overweight and c) no warm up is a bad idea when you have four shoes on!

[Nik-n-Kia]

I wish that I had taken some picies tonight as I rasped the rough edes off the foot and I was quite proud of mysefl!!!

One question tho.........

is is illegal to do that to my horse??? I just did it to get rid of the rough bits where the nails come out.

Nikki xxxx

[MelanieD]

Totally legal to trim as long as you aren't preparing the foot for a shoe.

[Nik-n-Kia]

Thank you melanied!!!!

I hoped that that was the case!!!

I couldnt shoe a horse for peanuts anyway even if i was trained lol!!!

Nikki xxx

[Horsewoman]

I wish that I had taken some picies tonight as I rasped the rough edes off the foot and I was quite proud of mysefl!!!

One question tho.........

is is illegal to do that to my horse??? I just did it to get rid of the rough bits where the nails come out.

Nikki xxxx

Not illegal. It's shoeing that's illegal.

It's worth getting your farrier to show you how to take off a shoe in an emergency as there is potential do a fair bit of damage if you just pull the shoe off.

[Nik-n-Kia]

oooooh I might do that!!!

I have removed a hanging shoe just by puling the nails out with pliers before but never had to fully remove one from scratch!!!

Thanks horsewoman!!! I will have to pester Darren when he comes up next week!!!

Nikki xxxx

[courage_uk]

i wouldnt worry about a lose / cast shoe, i know some people *cringe* who only call the farrier out once all 4 shoes are cast LOL,
as long as there are no foot sore carry on lol

[Nik-n-Kia]

well he will be going barefoot at the back all this winter as of october if I can get away with it as it helped his back feet out the last time. I just can do too much road work but that's not a problem in the winter.

He wasnt foot sore, we were jumping the same week in the school :D

Nikki xxxxx

[SarahC]

I've always heard that you can ride with a back shoe missing but not a front. (Assuming your horse isn't footsore). Anyone heard of this and know why or if it has any different effect?

S

[cc rider]

my mare is only shod on front hooves and today lost a shoe which has been working loose for a week or so. i still dont know if i should ride her or not. most people at my yard say no. i wish i knew how to get the other one of safely as thats loose too! maybe we could ride without both shoes as we ride round woods on soft bridleways after all the rain we've had lately.

[carrimclaren]

I've always heard that you can ride with a back shoe missing but not a front. (Assuming your horse isn't footsore). Anyone heard of this and know why or if it has any different effect?

S
We usually work that way down our yard that if you lose a back it's not too bad. Whenever we lose a front none of us ride but that's because most of us own horses that go footsore on the fronts quickly.
I just sort of ignorantly assumed it was something to do with the weight distribution/on the forehand etc. I never really asked anyone so would be good to finally understand :)