Observation
What you see. The starting point for addressing any equine health related issue is your observation.
YOU ARE OBSERVING
Summary
You are riding and you notice that your horse has lost a shoe. The shoe may have simply fallen off. It is also possible that your horse wrenched the shoe off with another foot. In some cases, this wrenching can cause injury.
Shoes that come off may tear off significant hoof wall as the clinches are ripped through the hoof wall. Horses with soft soles may sustain a sole bruise once the shoe is lost and especially if the horse steps on the shoe or nails. Rarely, the lower limb joints and ligaments are injured.
You also might be observing
your role
What To Do
What you do next depends on the situation, where you are and what tools, equipment and skills you have available.
The moment you notice that your horse has lost a shoe, dismount and assess the foot. If you continue riding you may injure your horse's foot, or they may have already sustained a foot injury that could worsen if you continue riding.
Regardless, try to prevent or minimize further injury. If you can, reset the shoe or put a hoof boot on the foot for the ride home. On the trail, do your best to help your horse navigate around hard uneven surfaces. You may need to walk your horse home if the injury or lameness is severe.
If there is no obvious injury or lameness, evaluate the affected hoof for a few days at home. Monitor the horse for lameness at the walk, and check for digital pulse and heat. In most cases, your vet does not see your horse. However, when in doubt, call your vet or farrier to discuss your findings and concerns.
At minimum, your horse may simply need to be reshod by the farrier. However, lameness that lasts more than a few days may require veterinary examination and treatment.
Skills you may need
Procedures that you may need to perform on your horse.
your vet's role
Your vet is familiar with the common injuries caused by a lost shoe and can help identify and treat them. This starts with a lameness exam and assessment of the affected foot.
Questions Your Vet Might Ask:
- Do you notice lameness?
- Do you notice a digital pulse or heat in the foot?
- Why do you think the shoe was lost?
- Has anything changed with respect to shoeing or trimming?
Diagnostics Your Vet May Perform
Figuring out the cause of the problem. These are tests or procedures used by your vet to determine what’s wrong.
Diagnoses Your Vet May Consider
The cause of the problem. These are conditions or ailments that are the cause of the observations you make.
Treatments Your Vet May Recommend
A way to resolve the condition or diagnosis. Resolving the underlying cause or treating the signs of disease (symptomatic treatment)
further reading & resources
Helpful Terms and Topics
Written, reviewed or shared by experts in equine health
Author: Doug Thal DVM Dipl. ABVP
FAQs
Walk your horse down the barn aisle or another firm, flat surface to see if he is favoring the hoof that lost the shoe. It can be especially helpful to have a friend walk your horse for you and help you identify any lameness. Next, call your farrier.
Can you ride with a lost shoe? ›
The moment you notice that your horse has lost a shoe, dismount and assess the foot. If you continue riding you may injure your horse's foot, or they may have already sustained a foot injury that could worsen if you continue riding. Regardless, try to prevent or minimize further injury.
What does it mean when you lose your shoes? ›
It may symbolize a fear of losing one's footing or stability in life. This dream can also bring about a sense of discomfort or unease, as shoes are often associated with protection and confidence.
How do I stop losing shoes? ›
Lost Shoes
- Avoid turning you horse out in muddy conditions – mud does not 'suck' shoes off as some people imagine, but it does slow down the removal of the front foot and allows the hind foot to stand on the shoe.
- Put over-reach boots on. ...
- Avoid asking too much of a tired horse. ...
- Avoid wire or sheep netting in fields.
Depending on your horse's feet condition, they might never actually need shoes. But even if your horse has “bad feet” they can probably last a day or two. If you're concerned about it, don't work them or turn them out in a rocky or muddy pasture.
What happens if you ride a horse without horseshoes? ›
Increased risk of injury: Although proper hoof maintenance and good nutrition can help to build up the strength and resilience of the hoof and sole, there will always be a chance that the horse may suffer a stone bruise or other injury during work.
Can you ride with a loose shoe? ›
Sometimes a horse owner is faced with a loose shoe between farrier visits. If you are out on the trail and a shoe is clanking and dangling, it needs to be removed, or it may catch on something and pull off, tearing the hoof wall. It could also injure the horse's opposite leg, or cause a corn or bruise.
What causes a horse to throw a shoe? ›
Some horses are naturally going to have a harder time keeping shoes on due to the way they're built. For example, a horse that is downhill (meaning their withers are lower than their hips) is going to have more problems dropping its front end and overreaching.
What happens if your shoes are loose? ›
Shoes that are too loose can lead to poor arch support, shin pain, and arch collapse. Loose-fitting shoes may also cause trips and falls, as your foot can't feel the surface as well as it should.
What is the meaning of the lost shoe? ›
Here we discern an established symbol in old European folksongs and fairytales, namely, that a person who has lost a shoe or in some other way has got wet feet is a person who has lost his or her virginity before marriage.
Exodus 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Joshua 5:15 And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
What shoes are called lost and found? ›
Like all Jordans, the Air Jordan 1 Chicago (aka “Lost and Found”) was originally designed as a basketball shoe.
What to do if a horse loses a shoe? ›
Call your farrier to see when he or she can reattach the shoe. If it's not going to be for a while, you can turn your horse out again. If it's muddy or the ground is fairly soft, you can turn him out without wrapping the hoof. But if the ground is hard or he's looking a bit lame, take the time to wrap the hoof.
What causes a horse to lose a shoe? ›
A horse may lose a shoe for a variety of reasons. When a front shoe is lost, it is usually because the back foot has come into contact with the front shoe, often from overreaching. Overreaching occurs when the toe of the hindfoot hits the heel of the front hoof.
Can a horse survive losing a hoof? ›
Most hoof wounds respond to proper therapy and recover without a hoof wall defect. The time lapse between injury and definitive care is critical. The amount of hoof loss and the exposure of deep foot structures are less critical. Such cases should be handled as a high priority, if not on an emergency basis.
Is it OK to ride a horse with a loose shoe? ›
A loose shoe must be dealt with immediately. If not remedied, the clinches could pull off a significant chunk of hoof wall with the shoe. A loose shoe might also pivot around to where the horse steps on the nails or clips. The nails or clips can penetrate the sole and cause serious injury.
Can a horse be turned out with a missing shoe? ›
Well-Known Member. The problem with riding a horse out on hacks is you will cause wear to the shoeless hoof. You may not visibly notice it but it will happen and it will make the hoof smaller in the shoe that is put back on which will risk further shoe loss on that hoof.
What happens to horses without shoes? ›
Increased risk of injury – Horses that are not wearing shoes are more vulnerable to injuries caused by sharp objects or uneven terrain. Hooves still require trimming – Even barefoot hooves still require frequent and regular trimming to ensure they're in a healthy condition.
