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| Author |
Message |
    
Michele Taipale (Imsmmt)
| | Posted on Thursday, Feb 28, 2002 - 5:34 pm: |   |
On a recent trail ride (one week ago), my horse pulled a shoe about two miles from home. We were trotting along and I felt him "go funny", got off shortly thereafter, checked his feet and noted he had pulled the right front shoe. The shoes had been put on about one week before so the nails were tight and it pulled some hoof along the side, though nothing dramatic. We turned around, walked home and stayed on the softest footing I could find. He was clearly taking frequent "ouchy" steps here and there along the way.
The farrier came out and replaced the shoe about one hour after our return from the trail ride (lucky me!). I hosed the foot a few times a day and put him on bute for three days. There was a little heat in the foot on and off, and he is still a little sore (will react to the hoof testers but is basically sound).
My question is this: is there anything one should/could take along on long trail rides in the event a horse pulls a shoe? I was wondering whether he would have been less sore if I had been able to tape the foot up or something? or what would have happened had we been even farther from home, or had the shoe pulled off more of the hoof...
Any suggestions? |
Elizabeth Donahue (Paul303)
| | Posted on Thursday, Feb 28, 2002 - 11:56 pm: | |
I'd say that pulling a shoe on a trail ride is a rare occurrence, but it's not a bad idea to have an Easy Boot or a Davis boot around the barn. There are many instances they are useful, and if you are uneasy about throwing a shoe while on a ride, you could carry one with you for peace of mind. Pick the type you like best from any catalogue or on line. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Friday, Mar 1, 2002 - 6:35 am: | |
Rare yes, but when it happens having a well fitted easy boot is invaluable, when we rode with shoes, everyone had one easy boot in the saddle bag. We now keep a spare in case we lose one, as we ride barefoot behind and with Easy Boots up front. We kept them very clean so that small items things could be packed into them and they would take up practically no room this way.
Before we started this practice I had a horse pull a shoe and at that time all I had was a pretty stout poncho and some medium lengths of raw hide strips, I cut squares, layered them, and tied them on, replacing them as he wore through them and limped home this way.
DrO
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Janet Schmidt (Sparky)
| | Posted on Friday, Mar 1, 2002 - 3:46 pm: | |
Michele - I have been saved by an easy boot on the trail also - just one piece of advice is to practice putting it on and off at home a few times - they can be tricky and frustrating and you don't need that at the point when you need it - i am thinking about trying the Old Macs but they are still pretty expensive - an easy boot is cheap insurance - Janet |
Michele Taipale (Imsmmt)
| | Posted on Thursday, Mar 7, 2002 - 11:05 pm: | |
Thank you all for the advice. I think I will soon invest in an easyboot for each of my horses (actually, my other horse is barefoot, but maybe an easyboot would be good just in case...)! Poor Austin, the recent shoe loser, is still sore on and off. I think he must have exacerbated the bruise playing on the frozen ground. I have stopped turning him out now, am hand-walking him half hour a day and longing him on the soft footing indoor arena twenty minutes a day. He is sound in the indoor but the foot still has heat on and off. Really strange. It will be warm in the morning when I feed, but cold two hours later or warm in the evening and cool in the morning...
but it does seem to be getting better. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Friday, Mar 8, 2002 - 7:32 am: | |
Sole bruises can be frustrating, when severe I have waited several months for them to clear.
DrO |
Holly Z.
Member
Username: Cowgrl
Post Number: 35
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, Mar 27, 2004 - 10:49 am: | |
An easyboot is fine for the short term but if you are a few miles from the trailhead, here's a suggestion that save you some wear and tear on your legs.
Only minimal shoeing skills are required to carry our the following. Carry a fencing tool and a film cannister with shoeing nails as well as one front shoe and one hind shoe in your saddlebags. When you lose a shoe out on the trail, four nails are more than adequate to hold the shoe on the hoof until you are back to your trailer or barn. In many cases, riders are able to complete the ride with just the four nails holding the shoe on. My husband has been called on numerous times to nail on a shoe lost on a ride. At least you have steel to protect the hoof for the rest of the ride. Easyboots are great but they come off and get lost more times than I can count. At $30 a pop they're pretty spendy to replace.
Your farrier, if you ask nicely, will be happy to show you how to tack on an emergency shoe. So with minimal tools to carry, you can enjoy your ride and not worry about losing shoes.
Happy trails.
Holly |
