I just put front shoes on my mare who used to be completely barefoot (good feet) and the only reason I did this was because I live on a gravel road and wanted to ride the back roads when I get her home next month (she is very sensitive to the gravel on her feet). BUT, I've had mixed reviews on whether or not I should keep the shoes on her through the winter. I know the threat of slipping and falling on the ice is higher with the shoes on, but I won't be able to take her on the road without them. What do you guys think I should do???

There are alternatives to shoes that you might want to try, especially in winter.  Here is one possibility:

http://www.horse.com/products/sku-BGA07__dept-4.html

I haven't tried this type of solution b/c I've always had a large indoor that I could use in bad weather, but w/o that option this winter, I will probably try them; my guys go barefootin' all the time, but we get a good amount of icy conditions and these look good - there are others out there.

Terry

Thanks for your reply, Terry (fence post thread, too)

Also check out www.easycareinc.com for a wide selection of hoof boots that may meet your needs.  This could allow you to keep your mare barefoot but still ride on the road whenever you want.

ETA -- I have an EasyBoot I use for foot wrapping and a "spare tire" on trails.  Fits wonderfully, no rubs, and well worth the price. 

This would solve your problem. She could go totally without shoes (healthier for her feet and possibly safer in the winter) AND you could still ride over the gravel :)

QHAllAround:

If she has good feet otherwise, may I ask why you didn't consider a quality rubber boot for her front feet for your rides over gravel?

Well, the really nice rubber boots are far more expensive than shoes. Now that I know a little more about rubber boots, this will be a purchase to save for. I don't want to keep shoes on her, truthfully, I just don't have the extra right now (especially since the equine dentist was just out and handed me a heafty $245 bill for just floating her teeth)...not that $$ should be an excuse for her health. I'll look more into the boots.

 I had my mares shoes removed last spring.  I use easy boots on her front hooves if I take her on the gravel roads.  I save a lot of money by doing this.  Money is not the reason I did it though...last winter she had shoes with pads to keep the snow from balling up in them.  I removed the pads in early spring not expecting to have a snowstorm the following week!  Her feet balled up with snow without the pads! She was miserable and so was I because I couldn't ride (no indoor arena).  Her hooves are changing shape without the shoes.  They look a lot healthier and they wear down nicely.   She needs only a little trimmed off when the farrier comes (approx. every six weeks). 

I don't know what kind of winters you get there, but if you decide to keep the shoes on she'll probably need studs or borium for traction.  Also, snow pads may be a good idea.  I find these ones to be excellent, and they can usually be reset many times so you're not paying for a new set with each shoeing.

http://www.centaurforge.com/prodinfo.asp?number=07501

Suzanne

Thanks a lot guys. Lots of very helpful information. I really appreciate it!!!

Easy Boots will pay for themselves over time because they last a loooong time. it's just the initial cost which kills the bank account!

Studs can be removed if you have a spell without snow. Borium creates excellent traction, expecially on ice but can cause jarring in the legs if you ride on paved surfaces with no snow or ice. It's ok though if you only need to cross roads and aren't riding on them for a long time.

 If you stay with shoes, pine tar in the feet helps a bit with snowballing on short rides.

Hoof boots cost approximately 2-3 times what one shoeing does and they last for years..  I have used the old fashioned easy boots, and still do actually. I've also used the Cavallo simple boot.. I love it but they run large so you have to buy small. They need to fix their sizing problem. I also have recently purchased a pair of Boa boots. They are made by easycare.  The cheapest boot is not always the best choice, neither is the most costly boot always the best for all horses.  I use them when I need them and leave them off when I don't.  I only boot the fronts as they seem to be the more tender tootsies.  In order to be gravel crunching barefoot the hooves must have time to adjust and a proper trim is paramount.  Boots help either way. ;)

Thanks for more boot information. I will definitely start saving for the purchase

Squeaksmom:

I don't know what kind of winters you get there, but if you decide to keep the shoes on she'll probably need studs or borium for traction.  Also, snow pads may be a good idea.  I find these ones to be excellent, and they can usually be reset many times so you're not paying for a new set with each shoeing.

http://www.centaurforge.com/prodinfo.asp?number=07501

Suzanne

Ditto that.  I never did ride when it was extremely icy, but nonetheless, in the old days I kept borium on the shoes for road riding.  These days, I use borium head nails and like them a ton better.  The borium is exact on each nail and my TWH hasn't stumbled a day since I changed from un-even glumps to the nails.  I live on a blacktop Deliverance road that is barely one lane and has a lot of steep ups and downs.  There are no edges to get off of and at some points in the road, I can almost reach in the passing vehicle and grab their Dr. Pepper out of their hand.

Point-being there is no such thing as riding completely barefoot for me and the borium head nails are like having 4-wheel drive, my horses never slip going down those hills (that I stay off of if they ice up really bad)

Now that I've said that, I will take the shoes off the horse that got stuck having to do the winter riding somewhere in late February or early March (depending on the mud), and leave them off until I get their shots in early May.

For the past few years, I have just been taking shoes off in the winter.  It's a lot cheaper than the alternative and my horses seem to do fine with them.  But if your mare has sensitive feet and you want to ride her on the roads, I would suggest putting shoes with studs on.  That will prevent her from slipping on the ice and snow and still allow you to ride the roads.  But they tend to be sort of expensive, so it's really your call.

Good luck!!

My first questions is why would you think only her front feet would be affected by the gravel and not the back feet? When we started riding our horses off the farm we went barefoot. The trails we ride on start out as heavy gravel and all feet were torn up. They have shoes all the way around now because of the gravel. Now will I pull them all in the winter? Guess it depends on how cold it gets and if we stop the weekly trail rides.

My partners have big ole TW's that they trailer up to their virginia mountain property every weekend. The trails up there are hardcore and they are also shoed all the way around with studs on the back, and they stay that way year round. The studs are not the added ones (that can be added to flat shoes for traction) but are actually part of the shoe. They give the horses great traction even in the winter, so icy conditions are not an issue.

So depending on how much you ride up and down that ride would dictate whether you pull her shoes or not; but I go back to my original question... If you're riding her on the gravel you need to shoe her all the way around....