Snow shoes

Julie · Snow shoes

having just had 6 weeks of snow baaling in the hooves and not being able to ride, i am researching for next year.

Most of the horses have shoes, some are barefoot, but the ones who have shoes have snow balling in them.

It seems that there is nothing available int eh uk, but you can get snow plates which go under shoes etc elsewhere. Has anyone used these, do they work and how expensive are they?

xenophon

Here is some info that might be of help to you.
http://www.equineproductsreview.c...ses-why-do-they-need-winter-shoes

bit

If we get any snow, I'll let you know how Gunner's epona's do. They are supposed to stay the same temp as the horse, I guess. Plus, if you get the ones with the mesh it helps keep the snow from balling. This is what they say. I'll have to let you know. So far, blessedly, no snow. I'm hoping it doesn't snow at all. With my old trimmer, I even had snow balling on my barefoot horses. Hopefully, with Kelsey trimming, they will be ok this year. Or, it won't snow. I hear we have had winter's here where it stayed in the 60's all winter long. Right now it's 17.

Up to 41 a bit later, with clear skies!

Julie

Thats helpful info - anyone got any more or use anything else. i was looking at the rims.

PasoBaby_CarolU

I pull shoes in the winter. You can still ride without shoes.

I have heard of putting Vaseline or Pam cooking spray in the feet to keep the snow from balling. I've never tried either.

cokey

Neither vaseline, nor cooking oil, nor stockholm tar nor anything works IME! If your horse has shoes, the snow WILL ball up - I've tried everything back when my horses were shod!

However, why don't you try this Julie-

http://www.atlantic-equine.co.uk/equi-pak

You can use it with or without a pad..

Julie

May be worth a try - just need t keep my competition horse ticking over - he has lost all hs fitness - was looking at importing a box ofrims but that may work. I did consider wrapping his feet in the wrapm things but then he would slide!

calatar

Why not pull them in the winter?

PasoBaby_CarolU

bit

Gunner has carbide tips on his epona shoes for snow. Hoping he does ok. If he doesn't, I'll pull his shoes and he will winter barefoot. Hopefully he'll have had enough time to grow adequate sole and be sound on those front feet. He has gone barefoot every winter of his life. I sure hope he can since his abscess.

sebocat

I'd pull the shoes so he is not balling up as bad in his paddock. Keeping up with his trims will really help here. For rides, if you feel like you need them, you could look into boots with studs.

I had friends that used all kinds of pads with shoes to try to keep snow from balling up. nothing worked. Pam works for a few minutes till it wears off. Its not a ton of help.

ForgeNHammer

Snow ball pads work just fine for this.

bit

Well hell, snow on Sunday. I'm ready to pull Gunner out of the pasture and throw him in a box stall if these shoes don't work with snow. FnH, I am certainly considering that option if the epona's prove slippery or ball up. Barefoot isn't an option quiet yet, we are still trying to build up his sole. He's sound for the first time in a long time, so I don't want to blow it with a sole bruise. Freakin' cold coming too. Sub zero, so that ground is going to be hard!

Julie

ForgeNHammer - what type do you think are best to try as we don't have such things in the uk and I will need to import them! Keen to put something on for a 6 week shoeing cycle. Pulling the shoes is not an option on this horse, the snow can come and go really fast here, I don't have a lot of road work, but can't even lunge with the size of balls they get,they live out so would really like to try pads!

ForgeNHammer

http://www.well-shod.com/catalog.php?category[0]=Snowball+Pad

bit

Gunner is in a boxstall, it's snowing and we are expecting up to six inches by Monday night. Tues, I'll take him out and see how he does just walking around. I'll let ya'll know how the epona's do.

RickB.