How to shoe a horse?

Every homesteader should know how to put horseshoes on a horse. Shoeing is an essential part of farm life, but it does require a bit of training before you are ready to attempt to fully attach a new shoe to your horse’s feet. The horse’s foot is extremely sensitive; you should learn from a farrier or professional first.

What is a farrier?

Professionals who deal with shoeing horses and treating horses’ feet in preparation for that shoeing are called farriers. These individuals are responsible for using equipment to clean and prepare a hoof, determine the size for a new shoe, and secure the hoof to the foot with sharp-tipped nails or glue.

A farrier needs special training as a blacksmith to be able to make the shoe. Not all blacksmiths are farriers, just as not all farriers are blacksmiths. A blacksmith is the one who is responsible for making sure the shoe has the right shape, but a farrier is the one who puts the shoe on.

Why horseshoes are important

Horseshoes (also written as “horseshoes”) are seen as: temporary protection for most horses to wear when working or being ridden. A farrier will put horseshoes on any domestic horse that will spend a good portion of its time on floors that are considered robust. This includes concrete (like the trails you can find at suburban stables), stone and gravel, and uneven or rocky terrain.

Shoes are especially important for horses used for field work, jumping and competition. Good shoes can help absorb the shocks of the grueling rides horses have to endure. You can even use corrective shoeing to help the animal when it has an uneven tread that may be the result of an injured foot.

Most farriers won’t just shoe your horse and be done with it. Sometimes adjustments need to be made after the animal has been shoed, and you’ll also need a farrier for that. A shoe schedule is important to stick to. The only time you don’t need a farrier is when you need a blacksmith or if you have completed professional farrier training yourself.

Why horses are fine to ride barefoot

Domestic horses that are barefoot can injure their feet. In an equestrian center made up of large grassy areas, these animals may not need shoes. However, a horse is likely to be shod if the school is in an urban or suburban location. Some rural schools and stables also shoe their horses. This is usually because the stables and schools are located near uneven terrain where it is not natural for animals to walk on.

If the animal you’ll be riding isn’t wearing shoes, it doesn’t hurt to ask your instructor why. Ask curiously, instead of demanding the answer. Your instructor will be happy to talk to you about why their horses don’t need shoes, and it can be a great learning experience for new riders. The horse’s foot is hardy and we’ll explain more about that below.

Why don’t wild horses need shoes?

Wild horses or horses that live in rural areas, away from rugged man-made terrain, don’t need shoes because horseshoes are a human construction. Horses have been around for about 50 million years. They have long developed the necessary protection they need to traverse the known world without our tiny human devices.

On average, a wild horse can run 30 to 40 miles in just one day. Horses that walk barefoot for long periods of time build their own protection as each foot develops a thicker sole and a stronger hoof wall. These wild horses don’t need to drive nails through their hoof wall and shoe edge that domestic horses wear, as they have their own natural defenses against the terrain of the earth.

How to put a shoe on your horse’s hoof: a step-by-step guide

A horse owner who has had his horses sheared by a professional should continue to go to that professional until he has had the training himself. Even then, it’s up to the owner who he wants to remove and replace shoes from his horses, but we recommend a professional farrier who knows the ins and outs of horses and their shoes. You don’t want a novice to make nail holes in your horse’s feet or misuse a hoof knife or hoof pick.

To give you an idea of ​​everything involved in removing and replacing horseshoes, here’s a helpful guide:

Step One: Remove Old Horseshoes

To start the herring process, you need to keep your animal relaxed and get its paw in position so that you can remove the old shoes. Give your horse some hay or other treats to nibble on while you get started, or have someone else calm the animal down.

The correct way to start this procedure is to make your horse aware of your presence. When working on their hind legs, gently pat them on the back and run your hand down their leg to ask them to lift it. Squeeze the tendon above their ankle and lift their hoof so you can see what you’re doing.

The animal will instinctively shift their weight to their other legs to restore their center of gravity. You don’t have to worry about your horse falling over unless you have an injured horse that can’t bear the weight.

Insert your hip right next to your boy’s or lady’s hocks — this is the large joint that makes up their hind leg in the back. Use the inside of your knee to prop the foot between your legs and lift the hoof to face you. Make sure to praise and calm the animal continuously after all movements and while working.

To remove existing shoes, straighten the clinch (the bent nail tip) of each nail with a clinch cutter or hammer. Use metal pull-offs to loosen and remove the shoe. It is best to work from the outside in to take the shoe off effectively.

Step Two: Cleaning the Hoof

Clean the underside of the hoof to ensure no dirt or environmental debris is trapped in the hoof wall when the new hoof is installed. Use a hoof pick with gentle downward strokes to remove the dirt. Note the triangular part of the hoof in the middle of the foot. This is the frog and he is very sensitive.

A hoof knife can then be used to remove the hard outer layer of the hoof sole. This dark layer is excess skin that needs to be removed. You will see a white line or surface under the harder areas of the skin. This white area is healthy.

Step Three: Trimming the Hoof Wall

Once the white portion of the hoof is visible again, you can proceed and begin trimming the hoof wall. When a horse has shoed, removing the excess sole and trimming the wall is the same as giving your horse a manicure.

The edge of the hoof should not extend to 3.75 inches from the hairline on the foot. A set of hoof clippers will help you trim the hoof to keep it straight and even. Hold the pliers firmly so that you do not accidentally cut the sole and injure your animal.

Flatten and level the sole with a rasp that will allow you to file the underside of the hoof as you would a nail.

Step Four: Size the Shoe

Never choose smaller shoes over slightly larger ones. Shoes that are too small cannot be adjusted to your horse’s foot, but shoes that are too large can still be cut and molded to the correct size for your horse’s foot.

Make any necessary adjustments with a blacksmith before fitting the shoes on your pet. A metalworker can shape the shoe with their tools, while a farrier can only sharpen the shoes until they have the right fit. Unless, of course, that farrier has forging tools and experience!

Step Five: Secure the Shoe

This bit may sound a bit hideous, but in order to attach the shoes to your horse, you need to secure it with nails. If this is your first time fitting shoes to your horse, don’t try to do it alone as you could injure your horse if you aren’t careful enough.

The nail should go through the top of the hoof wall at an outward angle, never inward. Going in is a safe way to stagger your animal, as you’re going to be stabbing the sensitive inner part of their hoof with something that has very sharp edges. They may not be able to stop the first nail going in, but rest assured they won’t be driven again.

Make sure the smooth side of the nail head is facing the outside of your horse’s hoof. When you drive the nail in, the tip of the nail will only tilt down toward the side the smooth part is facing.

The special nails made to attach horseshoes to horses must have a bevel on one side. Use these to guide the tip of the nail through the hoof wall.

Shoes that use nails are a bit old-fashioned now and you may find that your stable or horse school prefers to use glue to hold the shoe in place. If you are nervous about using the nails, use the glue on shoes instead.

Once the nails are in, bend and remove the nail tips from the top of your horse’s hooves. You can use the claw side of a hammer and pliers to complete this task.

Will the nail hurt my horse?

Think of your horse’s hooves as your own nails. If you trim your nails along the white area to make them shorter, it doesn’t hurt, does it? It only hurts when we tear a nail down to the nail bed or cut off the edges of our fingertips.

The hoof wall is similar to our own human fingernail and the tips of our fingers. You will only hurt your horse if you hit the nail heads in the wrong direction when attaching the shoe to the hoof wall of your horse’s feet.

Step Six: Finish

Rivet the nail by placing a clinch block under the nail on the outside of the hoof wall. Hit the nail with a hammer to drive it into the wall or use a clinch cutter and squeeze it firmly. Both will work for this process.

File off any rough spots on the wall. This is just a quick time to finish the hoof you’ve been working on. If you can’t get a cloth over the wall without it snagging, you have more work to do because the wall should be completely smooth at this point.

Repeat for the other three feet.

Ill-fitting shoes will affect your horse’s gait, cause discomfort to your horse, and even injure your animal if improperly fitted.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Are all horses’ hooves difficult to shoe?

AN: Some horses will be more sensitive than others, so it may seem like it takes a long time to complete that horse’s herd. What you need to remember is that there is a lot of sensitive tissue in a horse’s hoof, which means that not all horses’ hooves are equally easy to shoe. In fact, a single horse may have one shoe foot that they hate to maintain, while the other three go quite quickly.

Q: Do horse hooves grow?

AN: It’s best to have your horse’s feet trimmed about every six weeks because of hoof growth. Both the hind and front legs of a horse will grow, but some environmental factors can wear the hoof unevenly. Trimming ensures that your horse steps evenly on each hoof with its body weight.

Q: What should I do if my horse has lost shoes?

AN: Lost shoes can be replaced. Depending on the wear and tear of the remaining shoes, a farrier may decide to replace each hoof to keep each hoof in the same condition. If you keep losing shoes, consider traditional shoes instead of glued shoes and have the next set of shoes professionally fitted.