# No hind shoes allowed at boarding facility?



## Fort fireman (Mar 5, 2011)

The hunter jumper barn I worked at for years didn't allow hind shoes. The reason being that kicks can do alot more damage than a bare hind foot. I wouldn't really worry about it killing a horse but cuts and deep tissue injury can deffinately be a bigger problem. I would guess that incident was a fluke. I don't keep hind shoes on my horse either. Really don't have a need for them as of now.


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

Interesting. I wasn't sure if she was just being overly jaded/protective or if it's indeed common practice.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I have always felt all shoes should be off when horses are at pasture. Most definitely the back ones as shoes amplify the 'punch' of a kick. 

One time, neighbours put front shoes on one of their horses (didn't really need it - I think it was more of a fashion statement) and put it back in the pasture. Sure enough the next morning one of the horses had a perfect upside down shoe shaped tear on his front face where the shod horse had struck him - it required a number of stitches.


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

Chevaux said:


> I have always felt all shoes should be off when horses are at pasture. Most definitely the back ones as shoes amplify the 'punch' of a kick.
> 
> One time, neighbours put front shoes on one of their horses (didn't really need it - I think it was more of a fashion statement) and put it back in the pasture. Sure enough the next morning one of the horses had a perfect upside down shoe shaped tear on his front face where the shod horse had struck him - it required a number of stitches.


Ouch. Must be quite a skill to leave such a mark using front hooves.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

In an established herd, I don't worry about hind shoes being a problem. My TB needs them because of thin soles and walls, and he's turned out with four horses he's been with for 3+ years. 

It's not all that uncommon for boarding barns to not allow more than private turnout for full-shod horses. I have two horses boarded at a facility that allows them on a case-by-case basis. My Reiner has sliders in the summer and is allowed because she's not aggressive in the pasture (alpha mare, no one questions her, and pinned ears would stop any horse in her field). However, there are a few very playful colts in a separate herd that would probably not be allowed to have hind shoes.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Hmm, I personally have never heard of a boarding barn with that rule. While shoes will do more flesh damage than bare feet, if a kick is hard enough in the right spot on the head, it's going to die whether there are shoes on or not. 

But each boarding barn has the right to set the rules as they please. If you don't like the rules, then don't board there. 



Chevaux said:


> I have always felt all shoes should be off when horses are at pasture.


That would pose a problem for me then, because I don't stall my horses. They live in the pasture 24/7/365. 

I have front shoes on my gelding for soundness issues, and back shoes on for better traction on the barrel pattern. I usually pull the shoes during the winter off-season.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

I also agree, unless it is an established herd, no hind shoes! 
It's the same reason we use safe fencing, don't put just in pasties etc..
Horses wake up with two thoughts in the morning - what to eat and how to kill myself!?
If you can reduce or eliminate one injury, JMO it's worth it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

Chevaux said:


> I have always felt all shoes should be off when horses are at pasture. Most definitely the back ones as shoes amplify the 'punch' of a kick.
> 
> One time, neighbours put front shoes on one of their horses (didn't really need it - I think it was more of a fashion statement) and put it back in the pasture. Sure enough the next morning one of the horses had a perfect upside down shoe shaped tear on his front face where the shod horse had struck him - it required a number of stitches.


What about horses that need shoes for soundness purposes? It's not like you can take the shoes off every evening when you turn them out 

I've never heard of a barn around here (though I've never looked into it) that has this rule. I have heard others mention it, so it seems to be more common than I thought. I guess a kick can be a good deal more damaging if there's a shoe involved, but a kick in the face from a horse is still a kick in the face!


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## Inga (Sep 11, 2012)

Think Brass knuckles vs. bare fist. Which would hurt more? No hind shoes in the pasture unless as others mentioned it is an established herd without any issues.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

DuckDodgers said:


> What about horses that need shoes for soundness purposes? It's not like you can take the shoes off every evening when you turn them out
> ...


Very true - unless your using hoof boots. However, if it's your own horses in the pasture, then you can take a chance - my horses are all barefoot and, because it's an established group that I know well, I would do that if I had to. Now, if there are horses belonging to different owners in a pasture, then (if I was a barn owner/manager) I would likely air on the side of caution and not allow it; Mr. Shoes would need to go in a turn out pen.


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## Kayella (Feb 11, 2012)

My boy was kicked in the head when he was 7 months old and nearly died of brain damage. If the assaulting horse would have been shod, he would have died. If he gets kicked in the head again, he will die. This is the exact reason I don't turn my boy out in the back pasture. The two main(dominant) horses are shod all around and have no hesitance in kicking. I just don't want to take that chance. I would love it if my barn had a "no hind shoes in the back field" rule. But unfortunately not.


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

I've never boarded anywhere with that rule, though I have heard of it before. I think it's kind of silly myself, simply because if a horse is determined enough to kill himself, he'll find a way, and taking shoes off is going make a difference in such an infinitesimally small number of cases that it's like putting a lottery ticket in your will on the off chance it's the winner. That said, their barn, their rules. Like it or board elsewhere.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

My boy pilgrim is a very nasty kicker when he first meets a new horse. Every time I add a new pasture mate, I pull his shoes for the initial "Meet and Greet".
After things settle down, about 3 weeks, and he has established his dominance, I have them put back on. He also has borium on his shoes which can tear another horse up.


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## plomme (Feb 7, 2013)

It was for sure a concern when my horse went out with a friend and, while there was no rule, we had to decide whether it was worth the risk. We decided it was during the summer, but when they got winterized shoes they were turned out individually.


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

I've never seen a BO in my area smart enough to make a rule like that but I think it's a decent idea. The alternative would be that horses with hind shoes have to be turned out alone. We have many horse owners at the barn I board that lack common sense and would never understand the dangers until someone's horse had it's leg broken or worse.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

My horse is boarded in a barn with such a rule and I'm so glad! I don't want to have horses with shod hind feet in the same herd as mine - and I don't find that being overprotective. In one of the previous barns I used to board at, a horse was killed by being struck with a shod hoof in the head, and my gelding was lame for a while because of being kicked by a horse, shod on all fours. It's just not safe.


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## SullysRider (Feb 11, 2012)

I've never heard of that rule, but I've only been at English show barns so that may be why. My warmblood gelding is shod all around, but he only goes out with my TB gelding since they're both on night turnout and they're the only ones who use that pasture that are. I think the rule is a little ridiculous, and all the people I've known that had horses die from it the horse that kicked wasn't shod. Horses will be horses. What if the horse absolutely needs to be shod on the back? Are they gonna kick that person out?


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

In the case of our barn then - yes, there are no separate paddocking options, so, if the horse absolutely needs the shoes or the owner does not want the shoes to go, then they have to look for a different boarding place.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

Most horses in my area have shoes front and back. when they are turned out they are only in an arena. when i turn my mare out with a new horse i will stay in the arena with a whip and monitor them. Shoes or no shoes I keep an eye on new horses with my mare. She is a 960lb arab being turned out with 1200lb tbs or qhs. She won't win lol.


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