Horseshoeing 2
What should I do for my horse?
There are many people that call us with a specific horse with a specific problem. Often times they have other horses, but they only want the problem horse worked on. Here is a guide for what schedule your horse should be on to PREVENT problems in his/her feet.
Another important note is that these schedules are very flexible. Several things such as diet, conformation, occupation of the horse, etc. will play a role in determining how often your horse should be visited by a farrier.
Pasture Horses- These are horses that are not ridden.
Normally every 6-8 weeks these horses should be trimmed to remove excess length and do an overall health evaluation of the feet. There are many things in the horses hoof that your farrier can find that you may not be able to see (thrush, white line disease, corns, bruises, abscesses, etc.).
Riding Horses- Any horse that is ridden for any reason is considered, in my opinion, to be a riding horse. This could be trails, barrels, roping, jumping, and anything else where the horse is bearing the weight of a rider. Pack mules are included in this group also.
These horses need shoes anytime they are ridden and should be shod every 6-8 weeks while they are being used.
Shoes should not be left on your horse for over 8 weeks.
The toe of a horse grows out and long, while the heel typically grows straight down. Over time, this causes the shoes to be pulled forward. Once this happens the shoe is not centered under your horses feet which puts pressure on the wrong places and could cause corns, bruises, or even abscesses.
When should I start trimming/shoeing my horse?
This is going to vary from horse to horse. Race horses are trimmed very soon after being born, but unless you are wanting to raise a race horse this is not necessary. I recommend that your horse be trimmed at one year old. Some horses will need attention before that, and some will wear their feet really well and look like they are fine. Trimming at one year old allows the farrier to make adjustments while the horse's body is still growing and changing. This also means you should have a very knowledgeable farrier that knows the consequences of his actions, good and bad.
As far as shoeing goes, it is the same as a riding horse. Anytime the horse is being ridden, it needs shoes.
These 2 pictures are of a one year old's feet that are in great need of a trim.
