# my horses front and back hooves collide sometimes



## diat150 (Dec 1, 2011)

Not sure what to think. His hooves seem to be in great shape and he had a a shoe job done I guess about 2 months ago( a month before I bought him). It seems to only happen when he trots. Ill get some pictures tomorrow. when I say colllide, I am probably overreacting a little. I hear them hit and can hear the shoes ping together.


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## I LIVE FOR HORSES (Sep 12, 2011)

You can buy some bell boots to keep him from pulling his shoe off.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Your horse is overreaching. He needs his shoes reset or reshod, 2 months is about all the life you can get. His toes need to be shortened or possibly rolled to allow a clean break over.


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## diat150 (Dec 1, 2011)

im gonna get a farrier to come check him out after the new year. I also wanted to ask, is it necessary for him to have shoes? I only ride him in a field and occasionally on about 2 blocks of a gravel road.


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

It's called over reaching, where when your horse is usually moving faster than a walk the back hoof will catch the back of the front hoof. Usually there isn't much you can do, that I know of, besides keeping bell boots on when you ride. I barrel race and my horses will over reach when running. I wear Justin bell boots with a rough back so that when the back hoof tries to connect with the front hoof it catches the boots instead of the soft skin there. Some horse will also over reach while turned out, if your horse does, there are certain types of bell boots that you can leave on your horse while s/he is out. You will just need to check them regularly and make sure they stay clean so the boots don't irritate your horse's skin and legs. Sometimes over reaching can happen if your horse's back hooves are too long, you would probably be best off to call your ferriar and have him come out and see what they think.

ETA - I didn't see waresbear's post before I hit submit. 

I would definitely keep shoes on your horse IF your going to be riding on gravel. Gravel isn't very good to ride on in the first place but it can lead to stone bruises and abscesses if you ride on the rocks without shoes on your horse. Stone bruises and abscesses can lead to no riding and possibly a lame horse. Never a good thing to have to deal with.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

he is way over due on seeing a farrier. That will probably fix him. No reason he cant go bare foot if that is all the gravel riding he is getting. several miles a week arnt gonna hurt him. His feet will toughen up. They will be a bit tender for awhile so build up to it.


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## Tnavas (Nov 29, 2011)

If you are hearing a clicking or clacking noise the horse is forging, not overreaching. This means that he is on his forehand and traveling too fast in the trot, the front foot can't get away in time and so the toe of the hind foot hits the toe of the front foot.

As soon as you hear him make the noise then ask him to slow with a half halt. He needs lots of transitions between paces and within paces to help him balance himself better.

When a horse *over reaches* he catches the heel of a front foot with the toe of the hind foot usually bruising or cutting the heel of the front foot

When the horse *forges* he hits the toe of the front foot with the toe of the hind foot, this makes a clacking sound.

Aim to have your horse reshod every 6 to 8 weeks. Once you get to know him yuo will be able to judge how long he can go between shoing.


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

^^^ i agree with thee above. 

I also have a horse who will clack clack clack on his front feet if he trots too fast and strung out. I just get him to come back down and collect. I also keep him in bell boots, have him trimmed and sport shoed every 8 weeks, and i have his back hooves filed straight across instead of rounded toe. Which has all helped a lot.


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## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

Agreed. My horse would forge as he got closer to time to trim and reset. The farrier set the back shoes back a hair to allow the hoof to break over a little earlier and moving the horse to a 5-6 week trim and reset schedule solved the problem.


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## diat150 (Dec 1, 2011)

yeah it sounds more like forging to me. I can hear the distinct ping of the shoes hitting each other.

I also noticed that he seems to drag his back feet alot while walking. not sure if that has something to do with it or not.


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## cmarie (Dec 19, 2011)

My Paint gelding does that, I use bell boots and have his back toes blunted off it seems to help him.


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