Hind hooves - sliders better than bare foot?

[Bopper]

This is a western question but I am putting it here to get a more varied input. I ride my horse in stock horse type competitions. I had a trainer tell me that putting sliders on his hind feet is better than having him barefoot. He is barefoot in back now. The trainer said it puts less stress on the hocks and stifles to have sliders.

Does anyone have any input on this?

I will talk to the farrier next week but I was just looking for any experience with this. Previously, the farrier had told me to leave him barefoot instead of regular shoes but we never discussed sliders.

[Bluey]

@Bopper

This is a western question but I am putting it here to get a more varied input. I ride my horse in stock horse type competitions. I had a trainer tell me that putting sliders on his hind feet is better than having him barefoot. He is barefoot in back now. The trainer said it puts less stress on the hocks and stifles to have sliders.

Does anyone have any input on this?

I will talk to the farrier next week but I was just looking for any experience with this. Previously, the farrier had told me to leave him barefoot instead of regular shoes but we never discussed sliders.

With reiners, you don’t want to push a horse into stops without sliders.
If you do, regular shoes or barefoot, hooves will dig in and hocks and the whole hind end will get stuck at speed and can damage structures.
Many reiners are barefoot in front, as so much they do they are so light in front, their front feet don’t hardly get much wear, but sliders are necessary once they are working harder and faster.

[Bopper]

I can understand your point. But if I am showing in ranch cutting and working cow then it seems like barefooted may be better for these classes. If I don’t ask for a ‘big’ stop and sliding is not required in ranch reining why would I need sliders?

I just trying to get my thoughts in order before I talk to my farrier. He and I have a lot to discuss the cycle since I will not be showing for several weeks and he has indicated this is when he wants to make any changes to the shoes.

[JB]

If you aren’t sliding, don’t put sliders on. They are slick for a reason. Cutting and working cows means feet need to have traction.

Leave him barefoot behind for this work unless/until he tells you his feet or body need help, and then use regular shoes (of whatever makeup he needs), not sliders.

[lorilu]

I cannot imagine why sliders would be needed on a cow horse. They need to STOP and TURN quickly off their hind end - not have it somewhat slippery on the footing!

[Bopper]

Thank you for the input. It gives me more to think about when I talk to the farrier. I have a feeling he is going to say no to sliders.

I did not think that I was putting more stress on my horses hindend without them but I wanted other insight.

[Janet]

Showing my ignorance.
What are sliders?

[Bluey]

@Janet

Showing my ignorance.
What are sliders?

Special hind shoes that can be wider and maybe a bit longer and super smooth.
Reining horses are supposed to stop deep and walk with their front feet into the stop as the hind feet slide some feet.

It takes long to teach and longer to practice to be correct and talent to do it.
Not every horse can bend down quite like that, legs straight forward, not doing the splits behind and be loose enough in front to smoothly walk into the stop.

It is one more show movement, an exaggeration of what horses will do at certain times naturally, like here:

[cnd8]

As someone who rides in the same disciplines,… NO sliders!

[joiedevie99]

Is it possible to turn reiners out with sliders on? I would think they’d be dangerous.

[Bluey]

@joiedevie99

Is it possible to turn reiners out with sliders on? I would think they’d be dangerous.

Never had any problem, even riding them after cattle.
Those shoes are not that slick, they help when you want to stop and slide.
The other side, if you don’t have sliders, it can hurt to try to stop and slide.

In working cow horse shows, the more competitive levels have very good reining runs where they may slide and stop as a reiner do and those show all thru the show with smaller sliders.
Their reining part of the show doesn’t require the same stops as reiners, you can get by bouncing and stopping without sliding, some just do that, rather lose some points there than have a horse that slides in the stops.
Many horses know the difference, will slide and stop when on a reining pattern, but not when not prepared and asked for that.

It depends on your horse, some balance well anyway, some better with some or other shoeing.
Best to go by what your horse needs.