Throwing shoes

Hi my name is Chanda and my horse overreaches. He has to wear bell boots at all times because I never know when he might trot or buck or whatever and rip his front shoes off. Apparently he has always done this but it is starting to drive me CRAZY. The problem is that he distroys his bell boots. I had the kind with velcro and he ripped the velcro off. I found the stretchy slip on kind and he ripped huge chunks out and pulled a shoe yesterday. So far the slip ons have lasted the longest and I never had any problems getting them on and off.

Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening ALL the time. His feet are in really good shape but I guess it is just his conformation that causes it. Is there any strengthening exercises that will help him? Are there any particular bell boots that stand up to wear and tear that can be left on all the time? Has anyone tried the two different kinds of slip on bell boots from the Dover catalog. They look identical but one pair is $10 and the Italian pair is $20+. Is there really a big difference?

Thanks

Well, it looks like we have done everything you mentioned. Hum, bummer.

Normally it does happen when he is getting long but this time he was only shod a week ago. I guess I am doing all I can. My farrier just told me that he has always been this way (now he tells me!). I wish my trainer would have told me this before I bought him. Not like that would have changed my mind or something but at least I wouldn’t have thought I was a bad Mom.

Would that Tuff STuff help by sealing the nails or anything?

Well, right now he is training 4 days a week (heavy flats and a little jumping) in a ring with no footing. It is just some dirt and a little sand that has been disced and dragged. There are tons of rocks in there that I am trying to get out. Basically the footing sucks but it is the best I can do.

We also ride in the vineyard quite a bit. The vineyard ground is hard packed like uneven concrete when it is dry (like now). There are also tons of rocks and other lumpy things out there. The grass that is dry now is very slippery and he almost needs caulks to go up or down any of the hills.

We also need to ride on our limestone gravel road. It is really hard packed and smooth with big chunks of stone on top.

We are about 6 months away from our first show together so we are in major jumper training mode right now. I am not so sure it would be wise to pull off his shoes. I don’t think it is a good idea to show jumpers with out any traction.

Leave him barefoot.

I didn’t think of them earlier. If not, they may provide just the extra hold that he needs. Of course, if he’s still going to rip shoes off, having clips is likely to take a bit more off his foot than not having them. My TB was having trouble holding shoes until we put clips. He’d still occasionally rip one off, but large bell boots fixed that.

Professional Choice makes a sturdy overreach boot that worked for my friends horse

~Christina~
“Chaos is what killed the dinosaurs, Darling!”
JD;Heathers
Nothing is foolproof to a talented fool.

My 18 y/o TB like to remove his shoes too. Clips on the front shoes were a very bad thing for him. Like someone else said, they tend to take the hoof with them. Mine got one of the clips into his frog in the process of removing the shoe and was lame for a day or so.

My solution (at the recomendation of my farrier) was to leave him barefoot except when he is going to show. He has great feet and only wears shoes about 12 weeks out of the year. This year, he is only wearing front shoes.

Besides everything else, it REALLY saves money!!

Even if he was barefoot he would still step on his heal. Ouch!

When Bud was young I had to resign myself to no uncontrollable turn out in a large area. Sad as it may have seemed, it was the only way I could keep shoes on him and keep him from coming back bleeding somewhere. He was quite the clutz. Not insinuating your horse is mind you…
(When Bud was 3 and turned out we used to say, "Run Forrest, run! You know from the Forrest Gump movie, Eww he was uncoordintated)

Free time was in a small turnout, about three jumps and he was at the other side. To burn off steam, the lunge line, very large circles mind you. And if he started to get too cute, he was reprimanded.

That was the last three years mind you. I can now turn him out and he has gotten a clue where his legs are and stays in control. Have not had to fix a “flat” in a long time. Knock on wood.

One tip when I used velcro bell boots I would put duck tape around them to keep them from flying off, but you have probably already tried that too.

Good luck

“The older I get, the better I used to be.”

Hi my name is Chanda and my horse overreaches. He has to wear bell boots at all times because I never know when he might trot or buck or whatever and rip his front shoes off. Apparently he has always done this but it is starting to drive me CRAZY. The problem is that he distroys his bell boots. I had the kind with velcro and he ripped the velcro off. I found the stretchy slip on kind and he ripped huge chunks out and pulled a shoe yesterday. So far the slip ons have lasted the longest and I never had any problems getting them on and off.

Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening ALL the time. His feet are in really good shape but I guess it is just his conformation that causes it. Is there any strengthening exercises that will help him? Are there any particular bell boots that stand up to wear and tear that can be left on all the time? Has anyone tried the two different kinds of slip on bell boots from the Dover catalog. They look identical but one pair is $10 and the Italian pair is $20+. Is there really a big difference?

Thanks

i feel your pain! My horse, who is strikingly similar to yours, had the same problem, but we may have finally solved it.
First, it took a long time, so be patient. Secondly, i am so lucky to have a farrier who works with me, and is patient with this process. i can’t say enough nice things about him.
We initially put clips on, and squared his toes. Nevertheless, he still managed to yank a shoe off on a weekly basis (this went on for months!). As he matured (he’s now seven), his way of movement changed, and that presented a newer challenge. For awhile, we seemed to have fixed it, but then soon enough he began ripping shoes off all the time. He’s still getting clips, and squared toes, but our amazing wonderful farrier has started shaving the heels off the shoes. Not much, mind you, but those millimeters make a difference. i may be wrong about this, but i think that’s called short shoeing. Some people may recoil in horror, but i trust the farrier completely-- he watches my horse move before he shoes him, and knows the slightest change in his feet.
Ask your farrier about shaving the heels off his shoes. In no way has it negatively affected my horses movement. This may or may not work for all horses, but it’s done wonders for mine (and my piece of mind!).
By the way, i am still keeping bell boots on him at all times, and am now only using the pull-on kind. He used to rip the velcro boots off, and otherwise mutilate them beyond belief. Oddly enough, his feet are wonderfully strong. i (on my farrier’s recommendation), put Rainmaker on his hooves everyday, taking care to go about an inch above the hoof onto and above the coronary band. The bell boots massage in the oil, and may be one reason his hooves are so strong.
Also, since it’s summertime and dry, he’s now on a Biotin supplement, as an additional measure. That will help strenghten strong hooves even more.
Believe me, i know what you’re going thru, and even if this solution doesn’t work for your horse, you’ll find something that will!
By the way… how often does your horse get shod? We’re on every four weeks. Painfully expensive, but i’ll forego things for me so my horse is happy.
Gotta run-- guess who’s getting new shoes today!

Proper trimming can go a long way towards fixing that awful grabbing. Conformation can contribute to this too, but I don’t think your guy fits the profile - really short back, long legs. Fitness won’t necessarily help him when he’s turned out, as he’s still going to be silly and do stupid things. Make sure his front toes are backed up appropriately to make sure he’s breaking over correctly. You can try squaring off his hind toes and you’d just have to see if/how that effects his movement. I would not go with what some people do and make the heels of the shoes short - he’s a big guy and he needs that support.

Well he might still hit his front heel, BUT if there is not a hunk on steel on his back foot how is he going to slice up his front heel???:cool:

Just what is this horse doing anyway???
As I understand your various posts, he is mainly hacking in your vinyard, and schooling in a sand ring. Sounds good to me. No rocks, volcanic grit, or other abrasive material to wear his tender little tootsies down to the coffin bone. Just pull the shoes and let his feet break up and chip and crack and look like heck. Haven’t yet heard of a horse dying from a chipped foot. If he has been shod short to keep those babies on, the circulation in his foot will be zip to nadda, thus poor quality hoof wall which wants to drop off his foot.

It might take a week or two or three for him to give up being a bit ouchy, but there is a very high probability he would survive.
If not deal him for something that will be a pleasure to get on and go for a ride without the fear of death by horse riding on your shoulder.

Life is too short. Treat him like a horse not a furry person with attitude.