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Shoeing The Horse

Every horseman should have some understanding of the care of a horses feet and of shoeing. `NO FOOT - NO HORSE & acute; is an old and very true saying. Any horse being ridden regularly on a hard surface, such as a road, must be shod, or the wall of the hoof will be worn down quicker than it can grow. This will cause friction, soreness and lameness. Hardy ponies, working lightly and solely on grass, can do without shoes, but their hooves should still be looked at regularly by a blacksmith

The structure of the foot

Inspections

Inspections should take place at regular four to six week intervals. The signs that a horse needs to be reshod are a loose shoe; one that has been "cast" (lost); a shoe wearing thin; one in which the clenches (securing nails) have risen and stand out from the wall; and if the foot is overlong and out of shape.

Correct Shoeing

Make sure that the shoe has been made to fit the foot - not vice versa.

Check that the shoe is suitable for the work you want the horse to do, and that the weight of the shoes is in the right proportion to the horse's size. As a rough guide, a set of shoes for a horse should usually weigh around 2kg(4.5lb).

Look at the heel and toe of the foot to make sure that its length has been reduced evenly. See that the foot is in contact with the ground.

Check that the right size and number of nails have been used and the clenches are correctly formed, in line and the right distance up the wall.

Finally, make sure the clip fits securely and that there is no gap showing between the newly fitted shoe and the hoof.