Good point. My guess is it really might be something above the foot - like an arthritic hip, hock, stiffle etc.
This has been since I've gotten her at 3.5 years old. It could be short back/long stride. Yes, it could be her anatomy. I just wonder how any of you deal with it, like, how do you try to prevent it? I would really hate to keep calling farrier back. Chris, I am pretty sure it's the LH hitting the back of the LF because even barefoot, you can hear the "click" every 10-20 steps-barefoot. Not hard enough to do damage, but still there. Mr. Perry, Since she came that way, and needed corrective shoeing the first 4 cycles, I'm thinking more conformational. She never forges when ridden. My thoughts are that I can't correct her confirmation, but I'm thinking of shoeing her, and would hate to have to call the farrier back every shoeing cycle. Maybe it won't happen now since she's 7 years older.
What is your fencing like? Most shoes over here are lost because the horses turn out is over-horsed and the fencing is crap. If neither are the case a good pair of over reach boots will prevent any shoe loss.
If it's her anatomy you might consider sending her off for research. Her anatomy really should be the same as every other horse. Is she an arabian?
Eric, always joking around! (confirmation, not anatomy. She is a Tennessee Walker, known for their hind end reach. I guess my concern is that she pulled off a few shoes 7 years ago when I got her, and I wonder if this will happen again. At the time I got her she was so badly unbalanced that my farrier had to wedge up one foot while he kept bringing her heel further back each time, and one hoof had a very high angle that had alot of room for correction. Yes, it could have been fencing, Marc, you never know. Over reach boots may be needed. Mr. Perry, Mr. Medial High farrier is history. Gone. I'm going to try shoes because I've had to push her at times in the last 2 years, when normally she goes with no leg at all. Tender feet never crossed my mind. So I think it's a matter of ruling out reasons, and if shoes don't make a difference, then it's not tender feet. I was just wondering what farriers may do differently if a horse is pulling a shoe often.
If you're hearing her "click" when she's walking then she's either over-reaching or she's forging. The former means he's striking into his front heel bulb or coronary band with his hind toe. Forging is when they strike into the bottom of the front foot with the hind toe. If he's striking in high up above the mid cannon area then here that would be called "speedy-cutting".... Though I've a feeling I recall that in the USA it's called something different?? Could be a host of reasons why from poor conformation to poor hoof care. She's not got some weird long toe weighted shoeing package has she like some of the so called "gaited breeds" have over there?? You need to get the horse walking and trotting up and observe very carefully what it actually is and where the horse is striking in to itself. What I don't understand though is how comes the farrier isn't looking at the horse trotting up prior and post trimming and shoeing and telling you what that click is and how to manage it? I know that isn't what this is about, but to me I'm just not quite getting that the horse has always been this way but you're not sure what it is or if it's significant in relation to shoes always being pulled off. But no matter you need to know why the shoe is being pulled off repeatedly because, whilst the conformation, trimming and shoeing can indeed be the root cause, that might just be coincidental. Now in truth its VERY rare for any of mine to lose shoes, but of course it happens and whilst I've got a lot of horses, if one of my staff comes and says a horse has lost a shoe, I know which one (down to 4 out of 68 horses) its going to be and if its not one of those 4 then its in the category of "well, knock me down with a feather!" And I know fine and well that NOTHING the farrier could possibly do to the trim or shoeing would make a difference with those 4. I'm sure if you're struggling for solution if you get photos of his feet and also side on conformation and short video of movement you'd get a raft of suggestions here which could help you rule in or rule out factors.
Thanks for the nice reply, Thomas. She has good hoof care, and it doesn't happen when ridden. Just lead, and maybe once out of every 10 steps. I'm probably jumping the gun here, trying to correct something that hasn't happened yet, just when she was 3.5 years old. Since then she's been barefoot. Absolutely no gaited package. Never. I can get shots of her whole body and feet, and with some help, as she gaits. With a tripod, LOL
If she's forging or over-reaching even if it's just every 10 steps then it's still an indication the horse is out of balance in some way. Either because of something specific with the feet or something to do with something else with the body. Might be built downhill. Might be fat or lazy. We're just guessing here till we see movement. But you need to know it's not "normal" or "right and proper" for a horse to be striking into itself every 10 steps or so.
Less known fact: TWH are more prone to the Big Navicular Syndrome than the QRT horse. Coffin joint issues are issues with alot of TWHs. At "7" u say! Call a vet get a lameness exam and some rads. "Tender feet never crossed ur mind"? My philosophy is not to speculate; there is cause and causation, there are facts and fiction. Here , as in other forums, speculation never solved an issue when it comes/came to horse owner(s) trying to resolve problems....................JME
Thanks, Mr. Perry. I can understand the navicular thing, long toes and underrun heals are not kind to this bone. That's why I like to keep my horse at proper angles. Okay, I'll get some help this weekend with someone objective, and go from there.
The TWH's I work on seem to have there own rules. I've tried making all sorts of things on them. I found a good trim with a little extra heel left on with a good shoe fit works well.
