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Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Brenda Imus Questions and Answers > Hoof Talk > Do horse shoes have to be heated to fit the hoof ? |
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Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Brenda Imus Questions and Answers > Hoof Talk > Do horse shoes have to be heated to fit the hoof ? |
| Moderated by: Ladyfarrier1 | Page: 1 2   |
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| Do horse shoes have to be heated to fit the hoof ? | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15th, 2010 08:32 pm |
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1st Post |
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Mountainhorse G.O.G Community Member 
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Really stupid question. I have kept my Rocky barefoot but now I want to try the Natraul Balance horseshoes. My farrier does not heat up the shoes and shape them, she just kind of hammers them a bit and then shapes the hoof to fit it. Is that ok ?? Thanks, Anne-Marie
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15th, 2010 08:54 pm |
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2nd Post |
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fireandice G.O.G Community Member 
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Shoes should always be shaped to fit the hoof, not the other way around. Using a forge allows the farrier to custom-fit the shoe more precisely, as well as allow corrective type shoeing. It is another tool for the farrier, but not necessarily always essential. Your farrier should be able to guide you though your various choices as well as his/her abilities. I strongly encourage you to research, research, research! T.
____________________ My pony knows all my secrets. I braid my tears in his mane and whisper my dreams in his ears. |
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| Posted: Mon Feb 15th, 2010 08:58 pm |
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3rd Post |
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GypsySusan G.O.G Community Member 
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My question is if you are not having any problems, why are you planning to shoe at all?
____________________ Susan http://www.gypsytrotters.com Phil 4:11-13, 19 Missouri Fox Trotters: To Ride One... Is to Own One. |
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| Posted: Tue Feb 16th, 2010 02:06 am |
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4th Post |
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TN Trailrider G.O.G Community Member 
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Absolutely do not trim the hoof to fit the shoe. That will give you problems down the road. She should heat the shoe and shape it to the foot.
____________________ Lynne |
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| Posted: Tue Feb 16th, 2010 03:17 am |
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5th Post |
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whattarack Pasture Boss 
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FireandIce gave an excellent answer. Do your research and I'll add to be sure you understand exactly what your farrier is doing. I think you misunderstand her technique. Don't be shy to ask her about it. Your horse will appreciate it. Here's a good article on Natural Balance Shoes: http://www.foxtrotters.org/natural_balance_shoeing.htm
____________________ Being Offended is Optional. |
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| Posted: Tue Feb 16th, 2010 12:28 pm |
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6th Post |
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MTRA872 G.O.G Community Member
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For a regular "keg" shoe, it is not necessary to heat the shoe in order to shape it to the foot. It sometimes takes more and/or harder pounding to shape it while its cold, which is why some farriers prefer to heat it up. Some types of corrective shoes are heated so that additions can be welded on. In any case, the shoe is always shaped to fit the hoof. Some horses have feet that are nearly the same shape as the shoe, and so the farrier has very little more shaping to do; other horses have very round or very narrow hooves which require a lot of shaping of the shoe to get it to fit. The pre-made Natural Blance Shoes are a different story. They are not shaped (except perhaps for a very slight widening or narrowing of the branches.) The size and postition of the shoe and break over point are determined by heel placement. Farriers that use pre-made Natural Balance Shoes should be knowledgeable in their use and application. In both cases, once the shoe is fit to the foot, the farrier may need to go back and rasp away the flares that extend beyond the outer rim of the shoe. Do not mistake this for "fitting the foot to shoe." If you are not sure why your farrier is doing what she is doing, ask her!
____________________ "And on the Seventh Day...we went trail riding!" |
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| Posted: Tue Feb 16th, 2010 04:08 pm |
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7th Post |
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TN Trailrider G.O.G Community Member
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All good answers. My farrier hand makes the shoes. He'd rather make a shoe from a piece of bar then use a keg shoe. He just likes to do it. He measure the circumference of the hoof, the cuts the bar to that length, then heats it in his forge and shapes the shoe. He's constantly going back between the forge, anvil, and hoof to get it to fit the hoof. He also likes to pound clips in the side or the front to help stabilize the shoe so he can use lighter nails. Guess I've gotten used to that and forgot that you can just pound a shoe to fit (my former farrier used to do that). But in either case, I've never had one that shaped the hoof to the shoe.
____________________ Lynne |
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| Posted: Tue Feb 16th, 2010 09:10 pm |
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8th Post |
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SunnysMum G.O.G Community Member 
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ok, the big problem I see with those Natural Balance Shoes, they talk about "Squaring" the toe/hoof. Horses/Ponies hooves are not square, they are round and it's bad to square their hooves, they should be trimed to the natural shape of the foot and the angles inline with their over all confirmation and way of going.
____________________ Chi ha tegoli di vetro, non tiri sassi al vicino |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 17th, 2010 12:32 am |
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9th Post |
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fireandice G.O.G Community Member
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^^ true..to a certain extent. You will NEVER know the TRUE shape of a horses' foot (P-3), without a set of x-rays. You must combine x-rays with the horses' conformation along with each individual leg/hoof and their way of going to get a TRUE picture of the way each hoof needs to be trimmed/shod accordingly. No two hooves should be trimmed and/or shod the same way just because they are a certain breed/conformation/ size/gait. I see x-ray pics of my pony every 3 months...and the wealth of information gathered from immediate, on-site pics of his p-3 + is amazing! You THINK you know your horses' feet...'till you see proper radio graphs of them coupled with their individual conformation and way of going. It's a real wake-up call. T.
____________________ My pony knows all my secrets. I braid my tears in his mane and whisper my dreams in his ears. |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 17th, 2010 02:38 pm |
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10th Post |
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kvhranch G.O.G Community Member 
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It's really hard to find a hot shoer anymore. Good luck finding one.
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| Posted: Wed Feb 17th, 2010 02:46 pm |
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11th Post |
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SunnysMum G.O.G Community Member
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The last guy that messed my pony's feet up is a hot shoer...long story, but there are good and bad farriers.. the hot shoers are rare and it's an old way of doing things but does assure greater accuracy for fit.
____________________ Chi ha tegoli di vetro, non tiri sassi al vicino |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 17th, 2010 03:25 pm |
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12th Post |
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MTRA872 G.O.G Community Member
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I'm afraid I have to disagreed that hot shoeing assures greater accuracy of fit. What assures the accuracy of the fit is the skill of the farrier. Before the availability of keg shoes (commercially pre-made shoes) all horses were shoed hot because all shoes had to be handmade. Taking a cold piece of bar stock and pounding it into the shape of a shoe is a very hard thing to do; heating the stock to form it into a shoe was a necessity and that's why everybody did it. When pre-made shoes that can be shaped cold became readily available, many farriers went to cold shoeing because it is less time consuming. Someone who shoes for a living can fit an extra couple horses into a day if they are not waiting for shoes to heat up and cool off. These farriers tend to only pull out their forge when they need to make a corrective shoe. On the other hand, some farriers will heat the keg shoes in order to shape them because they don't have to pound as hard on the shoe, which can make the job a lot more bearable for farriers suffering from things like carpal tunnel syndrome or elbow tendonitis. And then there are the traditionalists, who just enjoy the whole process of handmaking shoes. But hot or cold, it is about time and effort rather than accuracy of fit.
____________________ "And on the Seventh Day...we went trail riding!" |
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| Posted: Thu Feb 18th, 2010 02:49 pm |
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13th Post |
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SunnysMum G.O.G Community Member
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The Burning though does show a more accurate fit as it allows more accuracy and assurance in checking for any potential places where the shoe might cause sole pressure which is something that is extreamly important to prevent.
____________________ Chi ha tegoli di vetro, non tiri sassi al vicino |
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| Posted: Thu Feb 18th, 2010 06:37 pm |
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14th Post |
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MTRA872 G.O.G Community Member
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Touching a hot shoe to the foot will show the potential for sole pressure if the foot and/or the shoe are not level, which then can be corrected before the shoe is nailed on. However, there are farriers out there who know how to level a foot and level a cold shoe for a good fit. Actually burning the shoe into the foot in order to remove pressure points is an absolute no-no, and I have seen a farrier who used this short-cut method. I am not trying to imply that cold shoeing is better than hot shoeing, it really is a matter of personal preference to the individual farrier. When it comes to shoeing, there is more than one way to do it right; it is the end result that matters and the skill of the farrier that counts. I've seen good and bad from both hot shoeing and cold shoeing. I personally don't care whether my farrier heats the shoe up to shape it or not, as long as the result is a good fit.
____________________ "And on the Seventh Day...we went trail riding!" |
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| Posted: Fri Feb 19th, 2010 02:36 pm |
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15th Post |
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abbypeaches G.O.G Community Member
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Does your state have a Farrier association? Contact it and get a directory of names to contact. Marilyn
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| Posted: Sat Feb 20th, 2010 03:38 am |
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16th Post |
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Painted Horse G.O.G Community Member 
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You have recieved some good advice. I'll second the comments that shoes do not have to heated to get a proper fit. My horses have been barefoot the last 3 years. But in all the years prior, I've never had a hot shoe and I've rarely ever lost a shoe. And when I did loose a shoe, It was because it was 7-8 weeks old and the nail heads had worn off.
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| Posted: Wed Feb 24th, 2010 01:36 am |
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17th Post |
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Rockin H Transport G.O.G Community Member 
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A LOT of good info in this thread. Cold Forming a shoe is perfectly acceptable. It's admirable to watch a blacksmith make a shoe. However, as a business, cold shoeing with bought shoes, a good hammer and an anvil is way more efficient. Last edited on Wed Feb 24th, 2010 01:38 am by Rockin H Transport |
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| Posted: Sat Feb 27th, 2010 02:12 am |
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18th Post |
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kopterdoctor G.O.G Community Member 
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I shoe my own horse and I do not hot shoe. I do not lose shoes (prematurely) and I do not have issues with their feet. My shoes stay tight for 6-8 weeks (during lazy times even a little longer) You NEVER fit a foot to a shoe. I rarely ever have to file anything after I nail the shoe on. I spend a lot of time cold forging the shoe on the anvil for a perfect fit. Most farriers will not spend that much time as they need to make money and time is money. Please make sure you get a good farier and one that understands a gaited horse. I used a fellow that shod quarter horses only and he always stood my horse up too much. Great farrier but not the right one for my horses.
____________________ Rack on Drifter... |
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| Posted: Sat Feb 27th, 2010 04:21 pm |
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19th Post |
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fireandice G.O.G Community Member
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SunnysMum wrote: .. the hot shoers are rare and it's an old way of doing things I disagree, hot shoeing is not rare; maybe not as common as cold-shoeing, but not rare...perhaps in your area? Of course it's old, it was the only way to shoe ions ago. But I agree it can allow for a better fit. Although it is unfortunately not utilized enough by farriers today, many, many farriers drive around with a forge in their trucks and know how to use them. Like anything else, the more you do something correctly, the more proficient you get at it. I disagree also with the assumption that if a shoe stays on 6,8, or more weeks, that it was a well-done job. It could be, but I don't believe that it is a tell-all of a proper shod pony. There are many ways to properly shoe and trim a horse. You just have to search for a farrier who uses a method that best works for your pony. I know though that it can be so tough to find one, particularly when you're in a more remote area. T.
____________________ My pony knows all my secrets. I braid my tears in his mane and whisper my dreams in his ears. |
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| Posted: Sun Feb 28th, 2010 12:12 am |
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20th Post |
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Rockin H Transport G.O.G Community Member
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You don't need to hot shoe to get a "better fit", that's just wrong. It takes a little more effort to form a cold shoe, but if your farrier is competent, the fit will be the same.
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