Shoes

[erinspaintedacres]

Hi,

I was wondering how many people across this forum put shoes on their minis. And if you do, does your farrier build the shoes, or buy them?

Does anyone shoe their horses to correct confo issues intheir halter horses? or just int he performance to prevent too much wear or traction?

Thanks

 

[sfmini]

We have done it in the past. Our farrier made the shoes, put them on, and the horse went sore after a few days even though they were very light.

Problem is, you cannot show a mini in shoes, so would have to take them off for shows.

Honestly, we have no need for shoes, have never had any issues that required them.

A friend did shoe a rescue horse who endlessly stallwalked and wore out his one front foot to the point of doing damage to himself.

 

[disneyhorse]

Barely, barely anyone shoes minis. I would venture a guess that maybe a handful of minis out there are shod due to excessive wear such as driving, or maybe even the stallwalking mentioned above.

Minis don't have the weight to make shoes do much good in corrective terms. Their feet grow fast enough and without much wear, that to correct any issues a good farrier would only need to trim more often.

Shoes are more or less unnecessary in the vast majority of cases.

As already stated, they are illegal on the show grounds (with the exception of draft harness, and I haven't ever seen anyone shoe for that) so most people don't bother anyway.

My farriers do show my Shetland ponies, it is very difficult work because they have to cut down the shoe so much to make it fit (my two year old mare has VERY tiny feet, she's maybe 40ish" tall at the withers I would guess) and then the nails are SO tiny and the white line is SO thin that it's hard to gently tap the nails in! Those little nails bend so easy.

Most people that have wear issues seem to go for the easy-boot type shoes, due to the difficulty with the metal horseshoes.

Andrea

 

[Jill]

None of my minis have ever had shoes. In fact, we have been trimming our own horses for years now

Also, if you have a halter prospect who you think needs that much correction, he/she may not really be cut out for halter (but may excel in other disciplines)

 

[Black Magic]

Have you ever notived that minis grow hair much quicker then a full size horse?? Our QH stays show ready year round and if I don't clip the minis they look like they are park llama they are so furry. I think minis hooves grow quicker too. I've noticed that our driving mini has the fastest growing hooves on any horse I've ever seen. If that boy doesn't drive on side walks, it's more work for the farrier... Lol.

I was told by our farrier, you just can't buy farrier shows.. and that's the problem. He said, if he could, I'd be the first he'd call. Lol..

I'd put them on our driving horses, but... I don't think they need them. Our gelding does alot of driving when we go out, and most of it is around our neighborhood... on paved roads. Now if it's corrective shoeing.. that's a totally different topic..

God Bless,

 

[Fred]

I am a farrier and yes some people DO shoe their minis. Any farrier who tells you they can't find shoes for them is not being truthful. You can use pony shoes and adapt them. I have also made them. I do not shoe my horses as I show them but I have done some that drive on pavement quite a bit. I have also done shetlands [moderns and classics] and they are not that hard to do. It's just like setting up a show morgan or saddlebred on a smaller scale. We do make those shoes for those though as some are weighted.

 

[erinspaintedacres]

Thank You everyone for your responses.

Just to clarify somethings... I am just doing a bit of research on this industry as I am attending the Olds college farrier science program right now and it was kind of a question nobody really had any knowledge of. I only own 4 minis and we have not had any issues that require corrective shoeing. Our stallion can wear down very easily when drove lots on our gravel roads (very hard) but when arena drove he doesn't have an problems (except we need a better arena lol)

I know in alot of different breeds, halter horses are shod so that they appear better conformed. (which I don't agre with) I am quite new to the mini industry and just thought I would ask a few questions so I knew a little bit more of the mini industry. I didn't know that shoes are banned from show rings.

Thanks again everyone for your responses,

Erin

 

[JourneysEnd]

I shoe minis with problems. Foals with flacid flexor tendons, dwarfs with hoof issues.

I'll do egg bars, lateral extensions, and toe extensions all with plastic pads and equithane. I have a dwarf mini client that I had to do 3 feet for about a year but she wouldn't have made it without the help.

I've never put metal shoes on a mini, but I've done some shetlands with feet about the same size. The biggest problem with metal shoes on a mini is nail size.

And Fred - shetlands are not that hard to do

I did two today. I had to grind down shoes, bevel the edges, glue with adhere and nail all while standing on my head.

Erin, are you planning on a career as a farrier ?

 

[Fred]

Vickie, they are easier than the dumb oops warmbloods and light drafts I've been doing lately!

I have to bevel shoes on the big guys anyways so its no big deal. The hardest part on the modern shoes are the toe clips. I also do a lot of foals large and small with corrective issues and have had to nail shoes on them. Its about the same as shoeing a mini. Linda

 

[erinspaintedacres]

My instructor said when he put metal shoes on the few minis he did, he uses very small race nails.

@JourneysEnd: Yes I am planning on a career as a farrier. I am in school until April and then I am out with 3 really talented farriers for the summer (who also are competing in the Canadian blacksmith competition in April and 3 different industries) then come back for 2 months of advanced/corrective next winter. I am hoping to continue after college with one farrier if not, start my own business.

 

[JourneysEnd]

Sounds like you're getting a great start education wise. That's the perfect way to do it. Go out and work for a while, then go back for more training.

We need more good farriers out there.

As far as the race nails, I use 3.5 & 4.5 race nails on a lot of the shetlands. They're just a little too thick IMO for most of the mins.

 

[Little Bit]

I have been designing and making Little Bit's *Magic Shoes* for 8 years or so now. They are corrective horse shoes that are designed for each hoof of each horse, no two are alike. I've sent them all over the world. I suppose that most of my shoes are sent out to the dwarf Minis, but a lot of them are sent out to regular Miniature Horses, donkeys, mules and large breed foals, as well.

You can read about the *Magic *Shoes* on my website listed below.