Dot Morgan

Lead Lines – Handy Retraining

Shoeing For Soundness
by Dot Morgan, Director of New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program

Simple shoeing techniques will often eliminate stumbling and ease the discomfort of arthritis and old injuries. Squaring the toes, raising the angle, and removing grabs can all help a horse cover the ground easier.

Squaring the toes allows the foot to break over quicker and leave the ground with less friction.

The blacksmith merely hammers the toe of the shoe flat across the front leaving a boxed appearance instead of rounded. After the shoe is secured the blacksmith will file the hoof wall flush with the squared shoe. This isn’t harmful nor does it compromise the integrity of the foot. It’s like cutting your fingernails back so your hands are more efficient. Squaring a horse’s toes eases the pain of arthritic knees and ankles, sore feet and stifles.

Raising the angle of the foot 2 or 3 degrees enhances the effect of the squared toe. Many horses have a naturally low angle. They grow more toe than heel. On these horses squaring the toes and raising the heel takes pressure off bowed tendons, pulled suspensories, and sore stifles, as well as giving relief to the navicular area. Some navicular horses return to functional soundness simply by raising the angle excessively, even to the point of double heel calks on the front shoes. This appears unnatural, like a woman in high heels, but when it works, the relief is so obvious; appearances are cast aside.

Most Standardbreds horses leaving the track are wearing steel shoes, commonly either half or full swedges. These shoes tend to… However, many wear aluminum shoes with toe grabs, which causes more stress on the legs than the steel shoes with swedges. They give greater traction and thus more impulsion, resulting in a faster horse. Once the horse comes off the track, some farriers recommend having the hrose go barefoot for several weeks and just rounding the toe, in order to allow the hoof to become more naturally shaped. This make may them sounder in the long run. If shoes are needed, and they often are for horses doing more than light riding, regular keg or steel shoes are on front often enough for riding a couple times per week. Horses in higher performance activities, like jumping, barrel racing, or trail rides over rough terrain, may need shoes on the hind feet, too.

Be sure to check with your farrier about any questions or concerns specific to your horse. If you’d like more information on shoeing, contact the following groups:

American Farrier’s Association
4059 Iron Works Pky, # 2
Lexington, KY 40511
859-233-7411 f Fax 859-231-7862,
farriers@americanfarriers.org
www.americanfarriers.org

Brotherhood of Working Farriers
14013 East Hwy 136
LaFayette, Georgia 30728
706-397-8047 voicemail
farrierhdq@aol.com
www.bwfa.net

Dot Morgan founded New Vocations in 1994 to help retiring racehorses recuperate and transition to pleasure horses in a safe environment and place them in experienced, loving homes, as well as to use the horses to help at-risk youth develop life skills.

After operating as a personal mission for seven years, placing over 600 horses during that time, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program is now a incorporated nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 status as a public charity. Located northwest of Dayton, Ohio, the program takes in both Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds.

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program
3293 Wright Road, Laura, Ohio 45337
937-947-4020, info@horseadoption.com, www.horseadoption.com
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This advice should not replace that of a good riding instructor or other equestrian professional, and should be used as part of a complete riding program.