Disney my clydesdale horse?

Question

Thank you for replying to my situation i have with her shoeing she will have them trimmed ok she will even be hot shod ok but as soon as he starts banging the nails in she dont like it at all i have only had her since March this year and the times before she has been trimmed only but they are cracking bad and i feel the only way i can stop this is to have shoes put on wich i want her to have anyway cause i want to start hacking her more on the roads.
The owner before told me to use bute from the vets to give her but i dont see what that would do as it's a pain killer more that anything i have just bought some sedation paste so see what happens Monday i suppose.

i have started to tap her hooves and she doesn't seem to mind it when im doing it.

Anyway will keep everyone updated and should post again on Monday to let you know the result.

Thanks xx

Answer 1

You are definitely on the right track by tapping on the bottoms of her hooves. Start by doing it lightly, at the point that she is accepting it...then do it a little harder, then a little harder...do it with a light hammer and only do it on the hoof, where the nails are going to go in. If you do it as often as you can to desensitize her to the process, you just might get her over it before the farrier comes again...also, the bute will do a couple of things...firstly, if there is some over sensitivity present, it will dull it somewhat, and of course, if there is pain, likewise, it will also dull it ...it won't eliminate it to the point of allowing real harm that might come from the nail, so don't worry about giving it to her. Make sure that when you do give it to her, get it way back on the back of her tongue and hold her mouth shut and raise it up higher than she would usually hold it. Wait until you know that she has swallowed it before you let her go...now, make sure that you give it a minimum of an hr before you expect your farrier..and after you have give her the bute, and you know that it is down, you can give her a couple of handfuls of hay to get the taste out of her mouth, it does have quite a yucky taste. It doesn't sound like she has a problem at all giving up her feet, just the sensation of the hammer...good luck and don't give up.

Answer 2

I'd be very worried if someone told me to use Bute to get my horse shod - this suggests the horse is in pain because bute isn't a sedative. If your horse needs pain relief to be shod, then should you be riding her at all? Mybe you should have her feet x -rayed to find out if she really is in pain before forcing her into stocks or anything else like that.

If her problem is purely behavioural, then try using Darren The Horse Wizards methods. He is a farrier and has trained with some truly amazing and well respected horsemen in the USA and world wide. You can buy a down-loadable E book for very little money. I have used it myself and the rewards are fantastic. Why use force if you don't need to? Remember; your horse could be in pain - how else can she communicate that to you, other than moving around and objecting to having the nails driven in her hoofs?

You could also use Old Mac style boots - they are great!

Answer 3

Hi

A horse of this size shouldn't need to be shod. I have a cob and ponies and none of them wear shoes.
The reason your horse's feet are cracking is because of the dry weather. All of mine have cracks too.

Leave the hooves to grow and trim as normal. You could try some hoof supplements etc to minimise dryness.

I'm sure that once the weather is not so dry, the cracks will stop.

Answer 4

you might talk to your vet about her, if she hasn't worn shoes in quite a while, her hooves may be cracking too far already. You should check for swelling above her hooves as that's a sure sign of infection along w/ the tenderness. a experienced ferrier should be able to shoe her. Not liking the pounding of the nails is normal if she hasn't worn shoes in a long time. But you should talk to your vet about her, you don't want to let a hoof problem go, especially on an animal as large as a clydesdale.

Answer 5

Do you or your farrier have access to shoeing stocks?

I would definately call around and see if anyone your farrier can recommend would let you use them even for a rental fee etc. If you have the means to haul there.

All the drafts I have been around were just put into shoeing stocks. When they get into the habit of knowing they can win, there is absolutely nothing you can do. You can try a scotch hobble, but these guys are so big that if they do hop around, your farrier is in a dangerous position.

I highly , HIGHLY recommend shoeing stocks for your guy. You can make them also, there are plans out there.

Answer 6

if her feet were always bare then its a trimming issue. i recommend talking with a natural trimmer (and yes bare horses can go on pavement. they even have more traction than horses with shoes and studs) and get their opinion. you dont have to agree with it but they know so much about hooves that they can help fix most feet (clubs excluded)

Answer 7

You might also consider asking your farrier for plans for some stocks - made from 6X6's or telephone poles - where she can be led and tied for shoeing.

Stocks are great for bathing, clipping and other activities that annoy horses - so they're really a pretty good investment.

Yes, they're humane and can really ease the stress and such for both farrier and horse.

Answer 8

Please give that poor baby a hoof suppliment. That helps strengthen the outer hoof as well as the inner hoof. I treat my two horses with this because of cracking. And it has done them such a world of good!!!

Answer 9

Please read my answer to your last post.... Things to eliminate.. Good luck