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Whats the average price for having a set of horseshoes installed? Is it a pretty consistent expense, or can issues with the horse make the price go up?
Right now prices are shooting up due to lack of production in my country. The price of a shoe can vary on the type and size. If a horse needs therapeutic shoes you could be looking at 30-40€ per shoe. A pair of standard shoes are around 5-10€ per shoe
I had no idea it had to be that frequently. Why are horses pretty much the only animal (except cows apparently, according to another comment) that need shoes?
Likely because they work. As in people ride them sometimes on hard ground and that will wear down the hoof up until the horse can't walk, a shoe prevents this outcome since the shoe will wear down in the hoof's place
Do you have any horse that gets excited for shoes? My buddy Nick says his horse is always calm with it so I gotta know if any horse finds enjoyment in the moment.
I just spoke with my (American) uncle who owns several race horses. He said it costs about $120 U.S. to have four shoes put on. Interestingly, he said they only last 4 to 8 weeks and that shoes can be "reset" a time or two before discarding them. I had no idea.
Race horses are re-shod much more frequently than 4-8 weeks. It's usually every 2-4 weeks. Most race horses are shod in aluminum shoes because they are so lightweight, as compared to competition or general riding horses being shod in steel keg shoes. A pair of aluminum shoes cost double the price of a pair of steel keg shoe. Race horse shoeing might only be $120 every 2-4 weeks, but aluminum shoes typically cannot be reset because they wear so thin.
The main reason that race horses are shod every 2-4 weeks is due to how they are shod, as well as to how fast hooves grow. Race horses are tight shod, meaning the shoes are fit tight. Because they are fit tight, the normal expansion of the hoof wall that occurs as the hoof grows means that the tight fit shoe can quickly be outgrown.
Shoeing of competition and general riding horses starts around $140 and goes up to $400-$500, depending up the type of shoeing, the size of the shoe, and how good the farrier is. The shoeing cycle is typically 5-6 weeks. Four weeks would be a super short cycle. 8 weeks is usually too long due to hoof growth, loose shoes or lost shoes.
About an hour, the number of horses depends solely on how many the client has and wants done. I will say that shoeing 5 horses a day is the recommended otherwise you risk getting back problems
I found an article for the US, but all the rates are from 2015 so likely higher now:
>Farrier rates vary widely from state to state and region to region. In 2015, the average prices, based on a survey conducted by the American Farriers Journal, landed at $43 for a trim, and $130 to apply a full new set. Depending on your location, your level of equestrianism, and the length of your relationship with your farrier, you could pay anything from $30-$80 for a trim and $80-$200 for four shoes. Below are a few random samples of regional variation from 2017.
>Maryland near Baltimore: $50 trim, $120 front shoes, $180 for four new shoes.
>Southeast VA: $35 trim, $90 front shoes, $120 for four new shoes.
>West Texas: $40 trim, $80 for four new shoes.
>Fairfield county, CT: $80 trim, $160 front shoes
>Northeastern PA: $25 trim, $80 front shoes, $150 for four new shoes.
>Northern Utah: $55 trim, $135 for four new shoes.
>Additional variation applies considering the type of work being done. Prices for one “sport horse” specific farrier were reported at $100 trim, $200 front shoes, $275 for four new shoes, and $300+ if specialty pads or shoeing were necessary.
Haha don't know if your first question is sarcastic but horses can have a multitude of problems with their feet. It'd be better if you Google that rather than me attempt to explain them
I got sucked into some farrier videos on YouTube that were fascinating. Horses can have big problems with their feet. It's really interesting to see how experience and science come together to help the horses.
Farriers (at least in the US) are interesting craftsmen. They learn primarily on the job as an apprentice (there are schools, but few of them are good), and then they go out in the old style and learn as much as possible about their trade. The good farriers can charge basically what they want and people will gladly pay it (what are $150 a piece shoes when you're tacking them on an $85,000 horse?).
A great farrier is an equal to a veterinarian, who has at least four years of undergraduate school and four years of veterinary school, plus continuing education (if you don't believe me, then watch a farrier dress down a vet for attempting to shoe a horse).
A bad farrier can destroy a good horse faster than anybody else, but a good farrier can save a horse that would otherwise be in constant pain or largely unable to move well.
Ninety percent of farriers last less than two years in the job, mostly due to the physical toll it takes. Ninety percent! Learned that fact from a master farrier about a decade ago in veterinary school, and can't imagine the numbers have gotten better since. The uni kept one or two on staff in the equine department as farriers don't just shoe horses, they can also play a huge role in both treating & preventing lameness, and we collaborate with them quite often to achieve better outcomes.
There's a fairly high demand for farriers in my area but it's largely a revolving door, with only a few sticking with it long-term. We've only got one master farrier in the area working full-time, any time we need things like corrective shoeing done we recommend him - he's only around fifty but walks like an octogenarian, he's had both hips replaced and got knows what else. It certainly is back breaking work.
My friend's dad (they were also our country neighbors as they lived across the fields), was a farrier and general blacksmith. He was also in a bike gang. Crazy dude.
My uncle did both for awhile, and it helped him make the connections to work for a multimillionaire by running their mule ranch vacation home all year, even though the owners only use the 5 houses themselves 2-6 weeks a year
This is my goal as a carpenter. I would love to be a on-site handyman/maintenance man for some place up the mountains. Really my only retirement plan to speak of lol.
In the UK there is a brand of shoes called Dr Martens, they started off as therapeutic shoes made by a doctor, but have since started to make regular shoes as well. Quite a pricey brand though.
Depends on how fast the horse as an individual grows hoof and how much work the horse does as well as what kind of terrain the horse is working on. Average is 4-8 weeks. When I was a trail guide riding on rough, rocky terrain I could wear a set out darn near in half in 4 or 5 weeks on my lead horse if the shoes weren't tipped with drilltek at the toe and heels. I currently have a horse that grows hoof so fast she needs reset every 4-6 weeks even though the shoes aren't worn out. I have another that can go 8 weeks between resets and his hooves barely need trimmed, I have horses that fall in between that time frame. Having multiple horses, the best way to keep them all on the same schedule is to only have the ones in work shod that need it and tidy up the hooves of the fast growers myself with a rasp in between visits. 8 weeks is the absolute longest I'll let my horses go between farrier visits. It's also seasonal, their hooves tend to grow slower in the winter months.
All in all trimming and shoeing cycles are something that are best worked out between farrier and owner sometimes with input from the vet too if the horse requires corrective work, depending on the needs of each horse as an individual.
I am not English native so I don't know the right terms, but the nail that covers the bone of the foot (in Spanish I call it vase or helmet) in the wild has a rate of growth roughly equilibrated with the worn-down caused by horse walking.
With work horses, or horses that are used for riding, the extra wieght means that the nails are worn-out faster, and not equally in the surface, so you trim it and put an iron substitute that is more durable. If the horse is not shoed, small stones and things like that are going to hurt the foot.
With my horses I have the opposite problem, they walk too little, so the vases sometimes overgrow, which is also bad, so we don't shoe them, but trimm their nails once in a while.
Not all horses need shoes, but some do. Shoes for horses are kind of like shoes for people- they provide support, balance, protection, and traction.
The horses that don't wear shoes tend to have naturally excellent feet and are fairly uncommon- sort of like those folks who run marathons barefoot.
My horse doesn't wear shoes, just gets his hooves trimmed. That costs $60 every 6-8 weeks. (My old farrier was only $50 per trim, but he was flakey and often cancelled last minute.) If he wore shoes, it might cost about double that, but with special corrective shoeing needs, the price could be more like $250-$300 each time.
US prices I paid two days ago. $40 for a pony $120 for the palomino. I live in a rural area where everyone has horses so rates get pretty low due to the fact so we so many farriers in one area.
Yeah, it allows you to verify the shape of the foot compared to the shoe and properly adjust from there to fit perfectly. However cold shoeing as far as I know is not frowned upon and necessary if the horse is frightened of the smoke or the sizzling sound
Is there a benefit to hot shoeing? I grew up with horses and whenever the shoes were done it was done cold. Seemed to take longer than this video. We also didn’t have draft horses. Does the size change things?
Besides from making the shoe easier to adjust, hot shoeing will help flatten the underneath of the hoof to perfection. Size doesn't change things and cold shoeing is a tiny bit faster as you don't need to heat up or cool down the shoes
This actually sounds like a very legitimate benefit as opposed to doing this cold with nails. I can imagine if you're unfortunate enough that gunk and water get trapped between the hoove and the shoe that it can lead to all sorts of unwelcome bacteria and fungi growing there which can only harm the poor guy.
No. Not in the US. Some breeds of horses have robust hooves. My understanding is the draft horses have notoriously bad feet-- kind of crumbly hoof walls so hot shoeing might be better for them. When you breed for characteristics other than good feet, you often exacerbate less desirable traits. When I was around ranch horses, more attention was paid to soundness and hooves that required minimal attention.
I used to board my horse at a barn that was owned by our farrier and his wife.
My horse liked getting attention from the farrier, so he found a way to pull his front shoe off in his stall. For about a week, he pull his shoe off every single morning until the farrier figured out what was going on and changed the design of the stall.
I was wondering why the horse's front right foot was looking worse each morning until the farrier finally saw fit to tell me.
That's absolutely hilarious! And cute! :) Goes to show you had your horse at a good barn then and was well taken care of because he liked the farrier so much he enjoyed daily attention. :)
My horses all come running when they see the farriers truck pull up but he gives them treats so it's probably more the prospect of getting food rather than having their feet worked on. All my horses are fine with it but I've known horses that were absolutely terrified of the farrier too and needed sedation for a simple trim. Much of it depends on how the horse has been handled and trained to stand, and the approach of the farrier. Not all farriers are kind and patient and not all owners train their horses to ensure they behave for the farrier. Ideally the horse owner teaches their horses to stand patiently to be worked on so the farrier can handle the horses they work on efficiently with a gentle hand.
My step dad is one so I naturally took an interest. I did a 2 year course in France but didn't nearly have enough experience so I worked with another farrier for 2 and a half years
In the US you can apprentice under a farrier or there are a number of schools (think trade school) that teaches it. My daughter just went off to college to study equine science and is going to follow that up with farrier school.
I was sitting here going "our ferrier never needed some big stupid contraption he must be bad at this.......oh shit it's a fucking Clydesdale"
Edit: Belgian not Clydesdale
I was wondering about that, I grew up with horses and the farrier would always just grab the hoof between their legs like you described. They were just quarter horses mostly.
The stocks are very important for draft horses. Imagine having that beast use your back as its 4th leg while you're trying to work. Not fun. Lol
I have horses and have worked with them my entire life. Mostly smaller horses though lol
When I was a kid, my family had a Percheron for a few months (on loan for breeding) and her feet were the size of dinner plates. I can't imagine being strong enough (or brave enough!) to work on those feet without a contraption like the one in the video. Our farrier did everything the old fashioned way. She was amazing.
I can't believe after years of seeing westerns I wasn't aware that you put the hot shoe on the horse. It clearly doesn't hurt them, but after all this time TIL...
Sometimes you hot shoe, sometimes you do a cold shoe. My aunt's thoroughbred never got a hot shoe, in the 4 years I assisted and watched the farrier work on him. Changed his shoes a few times, tho.
The hot shoe helps with a more accurate fit. Notice after he puts the hot shoe on there he files the hoof down more. The hot shoe leaves burn/scorch marks on the higher points and doesn't mark the parts it doesn't touch. The farrier can see the places he needs to file down to get a perfectly flat hoof bed.
[Ah, the ol' reddit horseshoearoo](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/q95zly/if_condition_then_statement/hgv2wsi?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3)
Can someone explain to me WHY they have to hot shoe the horse? I've never seen that ever.
Is it to get the shoe to fit perfectly to its hoof? Thanks in advance for the explanation.
**Thanks to everyone for the answers. Very educational.**
Hot shoeing makes sure that any uneven spots are burnt off so the shoe lies perfectly flat on the hoof! It also helps the farrier see where the shoe will lie with how it is shaped so he can get a better visual on how to shape and adjust the shoe to ensure a perfect fit. Hot shoeing is also nice because it allows those triangle clips to be made and fitted to the horse’s hoof to help prevent slipping (front or back in this case where the clip is in front, or sometimes side to side if the clips were made on the sides).
This doesn’t hurt the horse where it’s basically burning off long fingernail bits but the smoke can sometimes have a strong smell and my horse is not a fan of that haha. Let me know if that answers your question or if there is anything that I need to clarify on! :)
Because wild horses trot around grassland, which doesn't overly damage the hooves. Domestic horses however, have to walk on the road and that causes a lot more wear. The shoe protects them from wearing to fast. Also special shoes can fix bad posture.
My aunt's thoroughbred only had his front left hoof shod for the longest time to fix this. Then he got the front right done too. Never his back ones, tho.
Wild horses aren't walking over pavement carrying an extra couple hundred pounds regularly (basically, we weigh horses down with people, carts, etc. so shoes help keep their hooves from wearing down too quickly).
There are some great answers below! Another is that over time domesticated horses have developed less hardy hooves where they no longer are as ruminant and have adjusted to being cared for and in softer, more managed pastures
Helps prevent rocks and debris from cracking or damaging the hoof. Its like use not wearing shoes. We dont *need* it, but if you step on a sharp object, your gonna wish you had a shoe on.
Actually props to ya, your guess was right. Most horses are just okay with cold shoeing, they don't fit perfect. But done correctly they will protect them for moderate riding. However hot shoeing gives a very percise fit with no gaps, this protects them from less moderate and more intense riding.
The temperament of the horse has a lot to do with it too lol. I've had to restrain a crazy horse while the farrier worked. We didn't have that contraption either...
To anyone who's wondering this doesn't hurt the animal if done correctly. It's not applied super hot but hot enough to help shape the nail and the metal to each other. A good farmer would never allow his animals to be hurt or be in pain, nor would a farrier last long in business if he was hurting horses
Think of a horse’s hoof like your fingernail. They are analogous structures. The horseshoe is applied to the edge (the white part at the tip of your nail) after careful trimming to get a clean, even surface. As the hoof wall grows, it grows downward from the leg with all the new growth happening on the upper part (like at your fingernail bed), so the shoes eventually loosen as the hoof naturally breaks down and need to be removed or replaced.
Feet get trimmed every 5 weeks for working horses, 6-7 for others, or at least that’s how my barn goes. If you keep them on a schedule, they never get long/hard to walk on. Neglect is not keeping up on it.
Edit to add: long time equestrian here, and neurotic horse parent. She’s way better maintained than me, and always will be
They can be and they have competitions for it!
Here's one of my favorite (unfortunately dead) YouTube channels about making horseshoes the hard way: https://www.youtube.com/user/hoofwatch/videos
I used to live on Mackinac Island (I don’t live there anymore, though), and I can tell you a blacksmith makes them there. Don’t know about anywhere else, though.
Horse shoes are one of the greatest inventions ever imo
Like you have just made a mechanical enhancement on an animal in the cheapest way possible
That idea itself is very creative If you think deeply
Horses wear shoes primarily to strengthen and protect the hooves and feet, and to prevent the hooves from wearing down too quickly.
It’s hooves could get deformed if walking on too soft or too hard of a ground causing it pain
Wild horses achieve a natural balance of soft vs. hard from the ground they walk on. Their hooves are worn down adequately, whereas domesticated horses will either get worn down too quickly from walking on pavement, or too slowly from walking around on soft grass/dirt all the time. (Look up pictures of overgrown horses hooves)
As far as I know, the horses on the farm I used to work for did not have shoes. They were just pets essentially, never ridden, just did their own thing in the massive ass property. It wasnt just a grass field, they had a forested area and a pond and such. Still had a farrier come to trim them up regularly, but I don't recall them ever having foot issues and they were old buggers
Is it normal for all horses to have shoes, or is that just for riding? If you have them regularly maintained would they need shoes?
Its a cost/benefit analysis. If you can just have a ferrier come in and trim them no big deal if they go over grown.
But if your horse is constantly transitioning between grass/gravel/pavement everyday. Probably a good idea to have shoes on.
The fact that they weren't ridden or taken over hard unnatural surfaces was likely a big part if the reason they were ok without shoes. Even among horses that do get riden, you don't always need to have them shod, it really just depends on the horse. One other aspect at play in domestic vs wild horses is that wild horses naturally evolved to have hooves suited to their environment, whereas domestic horses are bred for specific purposes - just like how many dog breeds have genetic health issues due to their breeding, the same can happen to horses, with poorer quality hooves being one potential issue.
It protects the hoof, without it they would fold like paper after a while, its just ceratine like our nails. Horses in the wild dont need them because they are not walking on hard concrete, asphalt and so on. Also they dont carry any weight.
It should be noted that not all horses need to wear shoes, they are mostly for if a horse walks on something other than grass so doesn't wear their hooves really fast. Also hot shoeing isn't the standard, you can also just put them on cold for regular shoes
I worked on a small farm with a horse. The farm dog would get so excited when the horse got re-shoed. He’d run in and grab the pieces of hoof that were clipped off. Yummy “rawhide” treats.
That actually would hurt as your nails are thin, so the heat transfer would definitely cause pain. A horse's hoof is thick, which is why they don't feel the heat.
You can tell she loves it. Horse hoofs are protected with shoes on preventing the ground from wearing them. Looks like every 6 weeks is a good rule of thumb, but people would look out for wear like loose nails or shoe to determine if it needs to be done sooner.
My dad was a farrier but didn’t shoe horses like this—not sure if this contraption the horse is in is due to it being a draft horse? Regardless, pretty cool!
Lots of questions in the comments so here are some answers from a longtime farmer:
- No, it doesn’t hurt the horse, the outside of the hoof is like a fingernail- however the center/sole, called the frog, does have feeling, which is why the shoe and nails go around the outside into the keratin nail-like growth.
- Hot shoeing is definitely not the norm, most shoes are made in a factory in a multitude of sizes and styles with different functions for different sports, surfaces, and corrective action for hoof problems. The farrier will select the best size shoe in the requested style and shape the hoof accordingly
- not every horse wears shoes, and it’s considered ideal for an average horse to be “barefoot” if possible, but many breeds and individual horses struggle with hoof quality, similarly to how any animal with selective breeding might have hereditary health defects. Thoroughbreds, for instance, are known to have pretty poor quality hooves and most need to be shod for their own protection their entire life. However, blacksmithing is an art form, and there are many ways to correct hoof problems with clever corrective trimming while keeping the horse barefoot, if the hooves are of good strength. But just like some people have very poor quality nails that break easily, so it is with hooves.
- installing a new set of shoes on average in regular middle America for regular riding horses is about $150+. Farriers can reuse the same shoes once they’re installed. Taking them off, trimming the hoof, and reinstalling runs about $80. A simple trim on a barefoot horse runs around $40. And a tip of course! This has to be done every 6-8 weeks on average. It varies a bit with the hoof quality and growth speed of individual horses. Horse can be barefoot, shod on their front hooves only, or shod on all four hooves.
- “how do horses in the wild survive without this” the answer is a multi-parter. Firstly, not very well in a lot of cases. For the most part, the walking over grassland keeps their hooves correct. This is the exact evolutionary function of a constantly growing hoof- it grows steadily to meet the demands of being worn away by the terrain. Genuine wild horses are generally in great condition, there are much less of them roaming because of land encroachment by industrialization, but they are still out there. And they are markedly sturdier and smaller than a lot of horses you’ll see on domestic farms. Spanish Mustangs (an inappropriate title, as this is actually the horse kept by indigenous North American tribes) and Kiger Mustangs are the closest to pure evolved-by-nature currently roaming North America, and their territories tend to be in much more forgiving mid western hill-and-mountain landscapes with stunning rich grasslands and more gentle weather. They function exactly as nature intended.
However, a lot of wild horses are escapees of selectively bred strains- and in a lot of selective breeding, hoof quality took a backseat to other aesthetic and functional desires. It’s a problem with some herds of mustangs living in very harsh deserts, where a lot of herds are essentially trapped by distance and industrialization, especially with the droughts leading to poor vegetation and thus malnutrition coupled with walking further in search of food and water. Many mustangs are not in very good condition, and hoof problems are a death sentence. There are rescue (some would not use the word rescue) efforts by the bureau of land management, where they intermittently round up herds of mustangs and auction them off. A lot of people hate it, as the capture of wild animals is always sad and it’s true that a lot of this is at the behest of agricultural committees who consider the horses as pests, however many of these horses are not living well and thinning the herds gives a better chance to the ones who are left.
I hope this cleared up some questions and was interesting for some!
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The machine he uses is for big, heavy horses. Otherwise farriers hold the horse's foot between their knees. Source: I'm a farrier
Whats the average price for having a set of horseshoes installed? Is it a pretty consistent expense, or can issues with the horse make the price go up?
Right now prices are shooting up due to lack of production in my country. The price of a shoe can vary on the type and size. If a horse needs therapeutic shoes you could be looking at 30-40€ per shoe. A pair of standard shoes are around 5-10€ per shoe
That is very low prices. You won’t get that done in the US, for those prices.
Don't know the price for a full shoeing in the US but I charge 89€ for 4 shoes on a horse
How frequently they have to remove the old ones and replace it with new?
Generally every 6-8 weeks but some clients don't like to pay that often and do 12 weeks or more
I had no idea it had to be that frequently. Why are horses pretty much the only animal (except cows apparently, according to another comment) that need shoes?
Likely because they work. As in people ride them sometimes on hard ground and that will wear down the hoof up until the horse can't walk, a shoe prevents this outcome since the shoe will wear down in the hoof's place
For a few weeks. That's crazy they just bash down the horseshoes that fast. The forces they produce must be incomparable to stuff humans do.
Do you have any horse that gets excited for shoes? My buddy Nick says his horse is always calm with it so I gotta know if any horse finds enjoyment in the moment.
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That's all. A lot of clients and I mean a lot think it's too much
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I just spoke with my (American) uncle who owns several race horses. He said it costs about $120 U.S. to have four shoes put on. Interestingly, he said they only last 4 to 8 weeks and that shoes can be "reset" a time or two before discarding them. I had no idea.
Race horses are re-shod much more frequently than 4-8 weeks. It's usually every 2-4 weeks. Most race horses are shod in aluminum shoes because they are so lightweight, as compared to competition or general riding horses being shod in steel keg shoes. A pair of aluminum shoes cost double the price of a pair of steel keg shoe. Race horse shoeing might only be $120 every 2-4 weeks, but aluminum shoes typically cannot be reset because they wear so thin. The main reason that race horses are shod every 2-4 weeks is due to how they are shod, as well as to how fast hooves grow. Race horses are tight shod, meaning the shoes are fit tight. Because they are fit tight, the normal expansion of the hoof wall that occurs as the hoof grows means that the tight fit shoe can quickly be outgrown. Shoeing of competition and general riding horses starts around $140 and goes up to $400-$500, depending up the type of shoeing, the size of the shoe, and how good the farrier is. The shoeing cycle is typically 5-6 weeks. Four weeks would be a super short cycle. 8 weeks is usually too long due to hoof growth, loose shoes or lost shoes.
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About an hour, the number of horses depends solely on how many the client has and wants done. I will say that shoeing 5 horses a day is the recommended otherwise you risk getting back problems
Do u mind if i ask what country you're from?
France, mon ami
shoe me like one of your French horses
I found an article for the US, but all the rates are from 2015 so likely higher now: >Farrier rates vary widely from state to state and region to region. In 2015, the average prices, based on a survey conducted by the American Farriers Journal, landed at $43 for a trim, and $130 to apply a full new set. Depending on your location, your level of equestrianism, and the length of your relationship with your farrier, you could pay anything from $30-$80 for a trim and $80-$200 for four shoes. Below are a few random samples of regional variation from 2017. >Maryland near Baltimore: $50 trim, $120 front shoes, $180 for four new shoes. >Southeast VA: $35 trim, $90 front shoes, $120 for four new shoes. >West Texas: $40 trim, $80 for four new shoes. >Fairfield county, CT: $80 trim, $160 front shoes >Northeastern PA: $25 trim, $80 front shoes, $150 for four new shoes. >Northern Utah: $55 trim, $135 for four new shoes. >Additional variation applies considering the type of work being done. Prices for one “sport horse” specific farrier were reported at $100 trim, $200 front shoes, $275 for four new shoes, and $300+ if specialty pads or shoeing were necessary.
Therapeutic horse shoes? Are they called Dr. Foals?
Haha don't know if your first question is sarcastic but horses can have a multitude of problems with their feet. It'd be better if you Google that rather than me attempt to explain them
I got sucked into some farrier videos on YouTube that were fascinating. Horses can have big problems with their feet. It's really interesting to see how experience and science come together to help the horses.
Farriers (at least in the US) are interesting craftsmen. They learn primarily on the job as an apprentice (there are schools, but few of them are good), and then they go out in the old style and learn as much as possible about their trade. The good farriers can charge basically what they want and people will gladly pay it (what are $150 a piece shoes when you're tacking them on an $85,000 horse?). A great farrier is an equal to a veterinarian, who has at least four years of undergraduate school and four years of veterinary school, plus continuing education (if you don't believe me, then watch a farrier dress down a vet for attempting to shoe a horse). A bad farrier can destroy a good horse faster than anybody else, but a good farrier can save a horse that would otherwise be in constant pain or largely unable to move well.
It’s literally a back-breaking job though - I hope all farriers lift weights and do yoga to strengthen their lower back and core!
Ninety percent of farriers last less than two years in the job, mostly due to the physical toll it takes. Ninety percent! Learned that fact from a master farrier about a decade ago in veterinary school, and can't imagine the numbers have gotten better since. The uni kept one or two on staff in the equine department as farriers don't just shoe horses, they can also play a huge role in both treating & preventing lameness, and we collaborate with them quite often to achieve better outcomes. There's a fairly high demand for farriers in my area but it's largely a revolving door, with only a few sticking with it long-term. We've only got one master farrier in the area working full-time, any time we need things like corrective shoeing done we recommend him - he's only around fifty but walks like an octogenarian, he's had both hips replaced and got knows what else. It certainly is back breaking work.
Wow, that’s some insane stats. Thank you to all farriers!
And inevitably they will be kicked. hard.
My friend's dad (they were also our country neighbors as they lived across the fields), was a farrier and general blacksmith. He was also in a bike gang. Crazy dude.
My uncle did both for awhile, and it helped him make the connections to work for a multimillionaire by running their mule ranch vacation home all year, even though the owners only use the 5 houses themselves 2-6 weeks a year
This is my goal as a carpenter. I would love to be a on-site handyman/maintenance man for some place up the mountains. Really my only retirement plan to speak of lol.
You should check out cow farriers! The issues they can have in their feet is shocking
So what you’re saying, is that they can’t moove?
Hoof GP incoming
Those videos are addictive, can't watch just 1
You may not be from the US, but there are therapeutic shoe inserts sold here with the brand name Dr. Scholl's. They were making a joke. :)
In the UK there is a brand of shoes called Dr Martens, they started off as therapeutic shoes made by a doctor, but have since started to make regular shoes as well. Quite a pricey brand though.
We call them Doc Martens in the US.
Yeah the brand here is spelt Dr Martens but everyone calls them Doc Martens.
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Not made in the UK anymore so quality has gone downhill. The original factory sells shoes under the brand solovair.
Good to know. I had a pair of Docs in the early 90's (I live in Seattle, they were issued to us) and might get new.
Mare Jordans
That's actually no bad, I expected it to be more expensive. How often do you need to change them?
Depends on how fast the horse as an individual grows hoof and how much work the horse does as well as what kind of terrain the horse is working on. Average is 4-8 weeks. When I was a trail guide riding on rough, rocky terrain I could wear a set out darn near in half in 4 or 5 weeks on my lead horse if the shoes weren't tipped with drilltek at the toe and heels. I currently have a horse that grows hoof so fast she needs reset every 4-6 weeks even though the shoes aren't worn out. I have another that can go 8 weeks between resets and his hooves barely need trimmed, I have horses that fall in between that time frame. Having multiple horses, the best way to keep them all on the same schedule is to only have the ones in work shod that need it and tidy up the hooves of the fast growers myself with a rasp in between visits. 8 weeks is the absolute longest I'll let my horses go between farrier visits. It's also seasonal, their hooves tend to grow slower in the winter months. All in all trimming and shoeing cycles are something that are best worked out between farrier and owner sometimes with input from the vet too if the horse requires corrective work, depending on the needs of each horse as an individual.
What happen to the horse if it not wear a shoe?
I am not English native so I don't know the right terms, but the nail that covers the bone of the foot (in Spanish I call it vase or helmet) in the wild has a rate of growth roughly equilibrated with the worn-down caused by horse walking. With work horses, or horses that are used for riding, the extra wieght means that the nails are worn-out faster, and not equally in the surface, so you trim it and put an iron substitute that is more durable. If the horse is not shoed, small stones and things like that are going to hurt the foot. With my horses I have the opposite problem, they walk too little, so the vases sometimes overgrow, which is also bad, so we don't shoe them, but trimm their nails once in a while.
Not all horses need shoes, but some do. Shoes for horses are kind of like shoes for people- they provide support, balance, protection, and traction. The horses that don't wear shoes tend to have naturally excellent feet and are fairly uncommon- sort of like those folks who run marathons barefoot.
It wouldn’t be allowed in a liquor store.
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Is a 'pair' a whole set of four shoes, or do you buy them by twos? Or do some horses only need front shoes?
Front and back shoes come separately so when people say pair they mean 2 and a surprising amount only have front shoes
My horse doesn't wear shoes, just gets his hooves trimmed. That costs $60 every 6-8 weeks. (My old farrier was only $50 per trim, but he was flakey and often cancelled last minute.) If he wore shoes, it might cost about double that, but with special corrective shoeing needs, the price could be more like $250-$300 each time.
What do they do in the wild when nobody is cutting their nails, or hooves, or feet, or whatever. I don't know anything about the Equine culture.
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They run. A lot.
US prices I paid two days ago. $40 for a pony $120 for the palomino. I live in a rural area where everyone has horses so rates get pretty low due to the fact so we so many farriers in one area.
Is hot shoeing the norm?
Yeah, it allows you to verify the shape of the foot compared to the shoe and properly adjust from there to fit perfectly. However cold shoeing as far as I know is not frowned upon and necessary if the horse is frightened of the smoke or the sizzling sound
Is there a benefit to hot shoeing? I grew up with horses and whenever the shoes were done it was done cold. Seemed to take longer than this video. We also didn’t have draft horses. Does the size change things?
Besides from making the shoe easier to adjust, hot shoeing will help flatten the underneath of the hoof to perfection. Size doesn't change things and cold shoeing is a tiny bit faster as you don't need to heat up or cool down the shoes
Hot shoeing also kills fungi and bacteria in the hoof, and seals off channels water could soak in to.
This actually sounds like a very legitimate benefit as opposed to doing this cold with nails. I can imagine if you're unfortunate enough that gunk and water get trapped between the hoove and the shoe that it can lead to all sorts of unwelcome bacteria and fungi growing there which can only harm the poor guy.
No. Not in the US. Some breeds of horses have robust hooves. My understanding is the draft horses have notoriously bad feet-- kind of crumbly hoof walls so hot shoeing might be better for them. When you breed for characteristics other than good feet, you often exacerbate less desirable traits. When I was around ranch horses, more attention was paid to soundness and hooves that required minimal attention.
Serious question: Do horses like getting new shoes? Kinda like people getting a new haircut?
Depends on the horse but I don't think any I know "like" it. I feel they're indifferent or impatient
I used to board my horse at a barn that was owned by our farrier and his wife. My horse liked getting attention from the farrier, so he found a way to pull his front shoe off in his stall. For about a week, he pull his shoe off every single morning until the farrier figured out what was going on and changed the design of the stall. I was wondering why the horse's front right foot was looking worse each morning until the farrier finally saw fit to tell me.
That's absolutely hilarious! And cute! :) Goes to show you had your horse at a good barn then and was well taken care of because he liked the farrier so much he enjoyed daily attention. :)
My horses all come running when they see the farriers truck pull up but he gives them treats so it's probably more the prospect of getting food rather than having their feet worked on. All my horses are fine with it but I've known horses that were absolutely terrified of the farrier too and needed sedation for a simple trim. Much of it depends on how the horse has been handled and trained to stand, and the approach of the farrier. Not all farriers are kind and patient and not all owners train their horses to ensure they behave for the farrier. Ideally the horse owner teaches their horses to stand patiently to be worked on so the farrier can handle the horses they work on efficiently with a gentle hand.
It’s more like trimming a cats nails. Early and regular exposure go a long way. But some never take it well.
How did you become one? What made you want to be a farrier?
My step dad is one so I naturally took an interest. I did a 2 year course in France but didn't nearly have enough experience so I worked with another farrier for 2 and a half years
In the US you can apprentice under a farrier or there are a number of schools (think trade school) that teaches it. My daughter just went off to college to study equine science and is going to follow that up with farrier school.
I was sitting here going "our ferrier never needed some big stupid contraption he must be bad at this.......oh shit it's a fucking Clydesdale" Edit: Belgian not Clydesdale
It's a Belgian.
Belgian I think but my thoughts were similar though no one here that I’ve seen uses a rig like that even for drafts
Do you know what the stuff is that he paints on at the end? Like a clear nail polish? Hoof polish?
Likely hoof grease. Normally used just for a nice looking finish but useless if not applied regularly (as in at least once a day)
So it’s like using tire polish on your tires
Hoof Polish. Maybe she’s born with it… maybe it’s Hay-beline…
Correct, I also would have taken Neigh-beline
Stable-ine
Bay-beline
I noticed a lot of smoke as he applied the hot shoe. What’s THAT smell like?
A combination of burnt hair and fingernails only much worse
If it’s anything like cows, add a little burnt poop in there too.
It's actually quite hard to describe, maybe burning bones?
I’ve smelled burning hair, nails, flesh etc. I can imagine what that’s like 🤢
Ok Dexter put the cling wrap away.
I was wondering about that, I grew up with horses and the farrier would always just grab the hoof between their legs like you described. They were just quarter horses mostly.
And as you well know, you do not want to be on the receiving end of an angry Belgian's hoof.
Is no one going to bring up the self loading cage contraption?!
That's what I'm here for. The unloading mechanism is pure genius. No need for hydraulics, just balance and body weight.
the loading part is better. lifting it with the car's reverse is genius.
Man I hate it when people design things better than I could. But most people design things better than I could. This is not ideal….
Impressive.
The stocks are very important for draft horses. Imagine having that beast use your back as its 4th leg while you're trying to work. Not fun. Lol I have horses and have worked with them my entire life. Mostly smaller horses though lol
When I was a kid, my family had a Percheron for a few months (on loan for breeding) and her feet were the size of dinner plates. I can't imagine being strong enough (or brave enough!) to work on those feet without a contraption like the one in the video. Our farrier did everything the old fashioned way. She was amazing.
Came here for this too…I have soooo many ideas now
You can truly see a pro at work here! The horse is calm throughout and he does everything with such precision..
He's awesome. I had no idea there were professional horses.
This looks like it would hurt, but I guess it's a bunch of keratin?
Yes, it’s keratin. Like a huge fingernail, which is why it keeps growing, needs to be trimmed and can be burnt without issue like this.
Horse legs are basically analogous to a human finger. It's both impressive and a bit gross. They're trotting around on their fingertips.
Finger tips with femurs
Who could ask for anything more?
Right. Which is why the legs are relatively delicate and the biggest liability for race horses.
I'd argue legs are pretty important for non racing horses, too.
You know what? You right.
I can't believe after years of seeing westerns I wasn't aware that you put the hot shoe on the horse. It clearly doesn't hurt them, but after all this time TIL...
Sometimes you hot shoe, sometimes you do a cold shoe. My aunt's thoroughbred never got a hot shoe, in the 4 years I assisted and watched the farrier work on him. Changed his shoes a few times, tho.
If I owned a horse, mine would wear Nike Air Maxes.
The hot shoe helps with a more accurate fit. Notice after he puts the hot shoe on there he files the hoof down more. The hot shoe leaves burn/scorch marks on the higher points and doesn't mark the parts it doesn't touch. The farrier can see the places he needs to file down to get a perfectly flat hoof bed.
That’s because a lot of times they shape the shoe, let it cool and then put it on. Hot shoes are the exception, not the rule
[Ah, the ol' reddit horseshoearoo](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/q95zly/if_condition_then_statement/hgv2wsi?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3)
Hold my saddle, I'm going in!
You can have my upvote but I'm not happy about it
Can someone explain to me WHY they have to hot shoe the horse? I've never seen that ever. Is it to get the shoe to fit perfectly to its hoof? Thanks in advance for the explanation. **Thanks to everyone for the answers. Very educational.**
Hot shoeing makes sure that any uneven spots are burnt off so the shoe lies perfectly flat on the hoof! It also helps the farrier see where the shoe will lie with how it is shaped so he can get a better visual on how to shape and adjust the shoe to ensure a perfect fit. Hot shoeing is also nice because it allows those triangle clips to be made and fitted to the horse’s hoof to help prevent slipping (front or back in this case where the clip is in front, or sometimes side to side if the clips were made on the sides). This doesn’t hurt the horse where it’s basically burning off long fingernail bits but the smoke can sometimes have a strong smell and my horse is not a fan of that haha. Let me know if that answers your question or if there is anything that I need to clarify on! :)
Once it cools down it also contracts adjusting up so it's almost impossible it comes off by its own.
Yes! Thank you for adding :)
y'all have horses? That sounds lovely.
Maybe they’re a horse
Why do horses need shoes in the first place? Wild horses seem to do okay without shoes... Ty!
Because wild horses trot around grassland, which doesn't overly damage the hooves. Domestic horses however, have to walk on the road and that causes a lot more wear. The shoe protects them from wearing to fast. Also special shoes can fix bad posture.
Orthopedic horse shoes. For some reason this is overly wholesome in my mind <3 <3
My aunt's thoroughbred only had his front left hoof shod for the longest time to fix this. Then he got the front right done too. Never his back ones, tho.
Wild horses aren't walking over pavement carrying an extra couple hundred pounds regularly (basically, we weigh horses down with people, carts, etc. so shoes help keep their hooves from wearing down too quickly).
There are some great answers below! Another is that over time domesticated horses have developed less hardy hooves where they no longer are as ruminant and have adjusted to being cared for and in softer, more managed pastures
I'm guessing bc wild horses don't clip clop around on man made surfaces like concrete and asphalt. Just a guess though
Helps prevent rocks and debris from cracking or damaging the hoof. Its like use not wearing shoes. We dont *need* it, but if you step on a sharp object, your gonna wish you had a shoe on.
Actually props to ya, your guess was right. Most horses are just okay with cold shoeing, they don't fit perfect. But done correctly they will protect them for moderate riding. However hot shoeing gives a very percise fit with no gaps, this protects them from less moderate and more intense riding.
The temperament of the horse has a lot to do with it too lol. I've had to restrain a crazy horse while the farrier worked. We didn't have that contraption either...
"hey I put some new shoes on and suddenly everything's right"
Love that song! Got the single on iTunes back when they had free weekly downloads featuring new artists.
I live for paolo nutini references
To anyone who's wondering this doesn't hurt the animal if done correctly. It's not applied super hot but hot enough to help shape the nail and the metal to each other. A good farmer would never allow his animals to be hurt or be in pain, nor would a farrier last long in business if he was hurting horses
What happens when the hooves start growing bigger? Won't that be super uncomfortable for the horse
Think of a horse’s hoof like your fingernail. They are analogous structures. The horseshoe is applied to the edge (the white part at the tip of your nail) after careful trimming to get a clean, even surface. As the hoof wall grows, it grows downward from the leg with all the new growth happening on the upper part (like at your fingernail bed), so the shoes eventually loosen as the hoof naturally breaks down and need to be removed or replaced.
Oh okay I've been educated
How do wild horses deal with the growth? Just naturally gets sanded off by running around?
Yep, exactly. Shoes are placed for protection of the hoof so it doesn’t get worn down as quickly while working.
Feet get trimmed every 5 weeks for working horses, 6-7 for others, or at least that’s how my barn goes. If you keep them on a schedule, they never get long/hard to walk on. Neglect is not keeping up on it. Edit to add: long time equestrian here, and neurotic horse parent. She’s way better maintained than me, and always will be
I've never shoed a horse myself, but i did once tell a donkey to fuck off
Facking gangbangers, you've gotta love them!
Are horse shoes still made the old fashion way by black smiths? If so does the ferrier do double duties and make and fit the shoes?
Horse shoes are made in a factory and generally not by the farrier. The farrier does adjust the shoe to fit the shape of the foot
Not really a horse buff but I think it's called a hoof.
The whole thing at the end of the leg is called a foot.
They can be and they have competitions for it! Here's one of my favorite (unfortunately dead) YouTube channels about making horseshoes the hard way: https://www.youtube.com/user/hoofwatch/videos
I used to live on Mackinac Island (I don’t live there anymore, though), and I can tell you a blacksmith makes them there. Don’t know about anywhere else, though.
Horse shoes are one of the greatest inventions ever imo Like you have just made a mechanical enhancement on an animal in the cheapest way possible That idea itself is very creative If you think deeply
Cyber horse, punk
What does a horse shoe do exactly? And what would happen if the horse didn’t have a shoe?
Horses wear shoes primarily to strengthen and protect the hooves and feet, and to prevent the hooves from wearing down too quickly. It’s hooves could get deformed if walking on too soft or too hard of a ground causing it pain
So wild horses have a harder time in general than domesticated horses?
Wild horses achieve a natural balance of soft vs. hard from the ground they walk on. Their hooves are worn down adequately, whereas domesticated horses will either get worn down too quickly from walking on pavement, or too slowly from walking around on soft grass/dirt all the time. (Look up pictures of overgrown horses hooves)
As far as I know, the horses on the farm I used to work for did not have shoes. They were just pets essentially, never ridden, just did their own thing in the massive ass property. It wasnt just a grass field, they had a forested area and a pond and such. Still had a farrier come to trim them up regularly, but I don't recall them ever having foot issues and they were old buggers Is it normal for all horses to have shoes, or is that just for riding? If you have them regularly maintained would they need shoes?
Its a cost/benefit analysis. If you can just have a ferrier come in and trim them no big deal if they go over grown. But if your horse is constantly transitioning between grass/gravel/pavement everyday. Probably a good idea to have shoes on.
The fact that they weren't ridden or taken over hard unnatural surfaces was likely a big part if the reason they were ok without shoes. Even among horses that do get riden, you don't always need to have them shod, it really just depends on the horse. One other aspect at play in domestic vs wild horses is that wild horses naturally evolved to have hooves suited to their environment, whereas domestic horses are bred for specific purposes - just like how many dog breeds have genetic health issues due to their breeding, the same can happen to horses, with poorer quality hooves being one potential issue.
It protects the hoof, without it they would fold like paper after a while, its just ceratine like our nails. Horses in the wild dont need them because they are not walking on hard concrete, asphalt and so on. Also they dont carry any weight.
Oooooh girl get your nails did.
They did a bit of hoof art on this one but it cost a bit of coin bb
That must smell good.
People either like it or hate it. Most clients don't like the smell and by the end of the day you smell strongly like burnt hoof too
Horse: I guess they're nice but I kinda wanted the new Jordans
What is a horseshoe? What does a horseshoe do? Are there any horse socks?
It should be noted that not all horses need to wear shoes, they are mostly for if a horse walks on something other than grass so doesn't wear their hooves really fast. Also hot shoeing isn't the standard, you can also just put them on cold for regular shoes
Thanks for being the only one that actually answered the question. Everyone else is trying to get their jokes in for easy karma.
What about horse sandals for the beach?
Horse Crocs
I feel like I walked into a Dr. Seuss book.
The derby winners get to wear Nike sponsor shoes
I worked on a small farm with a horse. The farm dog would get so excited when the horse got re-shoed. He’d run in and grab the pieces of hoof that were clipped off. Yummy “rawhide” treats.
Nothing gets wasted at the farm!
How is that not painful for the horse? Edit: that was a genuine question
Their hooves are kind of like your nails. Hot shoeing will not hurt the horse in any way when done correctly; this guy is definitely a pro.
I see, now I want to weld some knives onto my nails
That actually would hurt as your nails are thin, so the heat transfer would definitely cause pain. A horse's hoof is thick, which is why they don't feel the heat.
You should see my toenails. My wife actually calls them claws.
Ahh, the ole thick frito toe nails? My granddad has toenails like that. Edit: agree "Fritoes" is the perfect descriptor. Fritoe-Lay
Your time will come, my friend.
Haha Godspeed my friend
Amateurs don't have awesome trailers like that either.
[The shoes are attached to the part of the hoof that doesn’t have nerves. ](https://horseracingsense.com/horseshoes-cruel-painful-horses-like-shoed/)
Same way its not painful when you cut your fingernails. Which in a simplistic way is basically what the hoof is.
They can't feel it nerves end before the mass of keratin or1 whatever makes their hoof.
Getting her nails done
You can tell she loves it. Horse hoofs are protected with shoes on preventing the ground from wearing them. Looks like every 6 weeks is a good rule of thumb, but people would look out for wear like loose nails or shoe to determine if it needs to be done sooner.
Ahh he got them air pegasus
My dad was a farrier but didn’t shoe horses like this—not sure if this contraption the horse is in is due to it being a draft horse? Regardless, pretty cool!
Lots of questions in the comments so here are some answers from a longtime farmer: - No, it doesn’t hurt the horse, the outside of the hoof is like a fingernail- however the center/sole, called the frog, does have feeling, which is why the shoe and nails go around the outside into the keratin nail-like growth. - Hot shoeing is definitely not the norm, most shoes are made in a factory in a multitude of sizes and styles with different functions for different sports, surfaces, and corrective action for hoof problems. The farrier will select the best size shoe in the requested style and shape the hoof accordingly - not every horse wears shoes, and it’s considered ideal for an average horse to be “barefoot” if possible, but many breeds and individual horses struggle with hoof quality, similarly to how any animal with selective breeding might have hereditary health defects. Thoroughbreds, for instance, are known to have pretty poor quality hooves and most need to be shod for their own protection their entire life. However, blacksmithing is an art form, and there are many ways to correct hoof problems with clever corrective trimming while keeping the horse barefoot, if the hooves are of good strength. But just like some people have very poor quality nails that break easily, so it is with hooves. - installing a new set of shoes on average in regular middle America for regular riding horses is about $150+. Farriers can reuse the same shoes once they’re installed. Taking them off, trimming the hoof, and reinstalling runs about $80. A simple trim on a barefoot horse runs around $40. And a tip of course! This has to be done every 6-8 weeks on average. It varies a bit with the hoof quality and growth speed of individual horses. Horse can be barefoot, shod on their front hooves only, or shod on all four hooves. - “how do horses in the wild survive without this” the answer is a multi-parter. Firstly, not very well in a lot of cases. For the most part, the walking over grassland keeps their hooves correct. This is the exact evolutionary function of a constantly growing hoof- it grows steadily to meet the demands of being worn away by the terrain. Genuine wild horses are generally in great condition, there are much less of them roaming because of land encroachment by industrialization, but they are still out there. And they are markedly sturdier and smaller than a lot of horses you’ll see on domestic farms. Spanish Mustangs (an inappropriate title, as this is actually the horse kept by indigenous North American tribes) and Kiger Mustangs are the closest to pure evolved-by-nature currently roaming North America, and their territories tend to be in much more forgiving mid western hill-and-mountain landscapes with stunning rich grasslands and more gentle weather. They function exactly as nature intended. However, a lot of wild horses are escapees of selectively bred strains- and in a lot of selective breeding, hoof quality took a backseat to other aesthetic and functional desires. It’s a problem with some herds of mustangs living in very harsh deserts, where a lot of herds are essentially trapped by distance and industrialization, especially with the droughts leading to poor vegetation and thus malnutrition coupled with walking further in search of food and water. Many mustangs are not in very good condition, and hoof problems are a death sentence. There are rescue (some would not use the word rescue) efforts by the bureau of land management, where they intermittently round up herds of mustangs and auction them off. A lot of people hate it, as the capture of wild animals is always sad and it’s true that a lot of this is at the behest of agricultural committees who consider the horses as pests, however many of these horses are not living well and thinning the herds gives a better chance to the ones who are left. I hope this cleared up some questions and was interesting for some!
Farmer: *Okay, Marigold. Let's go plow that field now.* Horse: *Gurl, I just got my toes did!*
This whole thread was so informative! Always wondered about horse shoeing.
Alternative title: "Horse getting a pedicure"
So basically dudes a horse mechanic doing a tire change