# riding after a horse loses a shoe



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

X lost one of his front shoes over the weekend. I rode him anyway , today, on the trails. only a lot of walking, some easy trots. I figure that isn't an issue, but then, I wondered . . . . is it? Is it 'wrong' to ride a horse with only one shoe on the front?


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

Imo, yes. Their legs are now uneven and their balance altered. A light ride probably isn't going to hurt, but it will increase the chance of them stepping wrong, twisting, over extending, ect.


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

You got a boot? Boot him up!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I was told you never ride a horse who has lost a front shoe....
Hind shoe if you must but never a front.
In fact, we were to stall the horse till the farrier got their to replace the shoe...our farrier was to us within hours of a phone call.
Now these were _not_ trail horses {not that that should make a difference} but top show jumping and equitation horses.
On these horses the loss of a shoe indeed changed their way of travel, their balance, stride and traction when ridden.
Some of the reasoning is legs are now not only unbalanced in length {yes the height of the shoe throws off the entire body alignment}. 
They are now weighted differently...again, yes that small amount can make a big difference in travel.
Those small differences though can make a huge impact on the horses body, their balance, their strain to tendon and ligaments...
So much of the horses weight is on the forehand _naturally_, when they move..
Aside from bruising a sole/foot not used to touching the ground, you can bust up the hoof and now how do you secure the replacement shoe?
Better to me to keep them in and restricted in what they get into till fixed.

To this day, my trail horses for the most part are just trimmed...
My one guy does wear front shoes though.
If he loses one or it is loose, my farrier is called and either he or his partner are to me by days end or next morning to fix the shoe woe...
Till the farrier fixes it though he _*is*_ confined to the barn area and fed all the hay he can eat with a buddy for company.
Horse has great feet. 
I want to keep them that way...not busted up, cracked or chipped from losing a shoe.:frown_color:
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo..._


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Ditto no riding if the horse loses a shoe, especially a front shoe.

If the horse loses a shoe out on the trail, turn around and head back to the trailer, unless you're closer to the trailer by moving forward. We have also got off the trail and took the road back because it was a much shorter route


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Pfft. If you're riding high end, precision dressage on a hard surface(& who does that?) maybe, but I don't get how people think 1/4" difference in hoof height, on a trail, let alone just at home in a paddock or on yielding ground is going to make a difference. Assuming the horse wasn't shod to make him 'sound' & had normal shoes, not needing padding to prevent damage to already weak feet or some such. I wouldn't stress Tiny.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I've had a horse loose a shoe and I still leave the horse out on pasture as it might be a few days before the farrier can come and there has been no problem.
If a horse has a lameness problem and can't manage without a shoe that's a different story.

I probably wouldn't ride the horse much until the shoe is replaced as I wouldn't want the foot to get chipped and loose some of the hoof from riding on rough ground. A light, careful ride on good footing wouldn't be too much of a problem.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I was always told the same as @horselovinguy.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

In most cases, I would usually not ride a horse that is missing a front shoe if I didn't have to .... *but it depends. *

With my horse Red, he will absolutely not be ridden without a front shoe. But he has special corrective shoeing in front with wedge pads to deal with a lameness issue. I am also getting him to the farrier as soon as I can to get it put back on. But of course, he's got issues. 

With Shotgun ..... I only had him shoe'ed in front because he was a little bit tender on gravel at the suggestion of the vet. I didn't "really" need them but I didn't mind the extra protection for barrel racing. 

One day last summer, I got out to the horses to load up for a barrel race and Shotgun was missing a shoe in front. Ironically, we were schedule for the farrier anyway in a couple days. Eh, so I ran him anyway a the barrel race that day and he actually had his best run yet and won a check. And he was fine.

I probably should have pulled the other shoe so he was at least level ... but I suck at it. If it would have been longer to our farrier appointment, I would have. But our appt was in 2 days so I didn't worry too much about it.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

See? I knew there was a variety of opinions on this. 
It just doesn't seem like such a small difference could be a big issue, but I wanted to know what you guys would advise. 

X just had the fronts put on, after a two month barefoot break. He is a 24/7 out in large pasture horse, but he NEVER wastes energy cavorting in the pasture. There was no chipping as a result of yesterday's ride, but I guess I'll wait fir farrier. It's just so frustrating when a person has to find riding time out of the few good weather days we might have this time of year


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

As someone else said, "Get a boot"....
Use a boot on the hoof shoe-lost and go ride and enjoy. 
:runninghorse2:....


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

If there aren't any chips in the hoof (like the horse might have hooked the shoe on something and ripped it off the hoof), the blame is generally on the farrier who didn't clinch the shoes down tight enough.

In which case, any farrier that I have ever had, made it a point to be "Johnny-on-the-spot" and either be out the next day or within three days maximum to reset the shoe or put a new one on <----- at no charge, I might add annnnd they would come to the farm after I got home from work, while their family was eating supper

If the horse keeps losing shoes, it's time to re-evaluate hoof health and/or the quality of the farrier.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

yes, I am sure he will not charge for replacing. I think it got sucked off in the mud. I had noticed that the nail pattern was odd; not a single nail placed back toward the heel end of the shoe. I think he is trying to allow the heels to open as much as possible. (I am not a hoof knowledgeable person). I have to say that this farrier has done a wonderful job of getting X's feet to open and recover what was a squished into non-existence central sulcus groove.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

So why is he shod? Why not just pull the other shoe if you're still worried? & if he needs protection, as someone said, boot him.

Ed: just read your last. I wouldn't generally suggest nailing back past about mid quarters anyway. And with a horse that had any hoof probs such as contracted weak heels, I wouldn't advise rigid rim shoes either. I'd want to makeo be protecting & supporting under his frogs. I'd opt for boots or flexible, protective shoes such as Easys or Eponas.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

On soft ground like a sand/fibre arena I wouldn't worry at all. 
I wouldn't go out on the trails or roads with a missing shoe because horses that are used to having shoes on take a little while for their feet to harden up and not feel sore on hard ground.
We have some hoof shaped pads that you can fasten over the foot with duct or silage tape that we take with us on long trail rides in case a horse gets a sore foot for some reason or looses a shoe. 
So saying, I've ridden for long distances out hunting over muddy fields in the UK and only realized that the horse has a shoe missing when we get back on the roads - I've never had one be any the worse for it


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Oh dear, I am so bad!

Many the time when a horse has pulled a shoe out hunting and I have continued to follow hounds! Certainly of I am out on a ride and a shoe is lost if the horse is sound I am not going to walk home!


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