# Hot vs Cold Shoeing



## HollyWoozle (25 January 2011)

My horse is always a monkey for the farrier, she is afraid of the smoke and by the time he is finishing the hinds she is bored and naughty. The only thing that helps is distracting her with treats (have tried calmers and sedaline) but you have to give her one about every 3 seconds!

My Mum's new horse is also naughty for the farrier and we dread the stress of it every 7 weeks. 

Someone suggested that I consider trying cold shoeing. They have their horses cold shod all the time with no issues (they never lose shoes or have any problems) so perhaps it would be more suitable for our horses. Can anyone give me some opinions on this? Is hot shoeing really so much better? 

Thank you! *shares the biscuits*


----------



## peaceandquiet1 (25 January 2011)

OH is a farrier. In most cases hot shoeing is done because the owner wants it! Cold shoeing is perfectly acceptable and a lot less unpleasant for your horse. Don't worry about it at all.


----------



## Magnetic Sparrow (25 January 2011)

I have mine cold shod (same farrier for the last 22 years) and don't have any problems.

Just realised that I'm old enough to have had the same farrier for nearly quarter of a century. Crikey.


----------



## galaxy (25 January 2011)

Hot shoeing is preferable according to my farrier because they can fit the shoe to the foot more exactly.

They can however seriously reduce the amount of smoke they produce.  I had a very nervous stressy youngster and when she first had shoes on just about no smoke was made.  Can you not point out to the farrier that is the problem and could he make less?


----------



## SplashofSoy (25 January 2011)

All the horses on the yard i have my horse on livery at (about 40) are all cold shod and have been for years with no problems.


----------



## katherine1975 (25 January 2011)

How long has your horse been hot shod for, it took my horse a while to get used to the smoke. My farrier has been very patient and good with her and she is fine now. I always thought that hot shoeing was better because the shoe is shaped to fit the hoof (previously had a OH who was a remedial farrier and he always shod horses using hot method). Speak to your farrier and see what they suggest.


----------



## xloopylozzax (25 January 2011)

Hot shoeing is a far superior fit, and far better for the farrier- the concussion from braying cold shoes into shape is asking for (even more) problems. Dad would only cold shoe if absolutely neccesary (he could get shoes on anything though tbh) or to stick the odd lost one back on. he doesnt have to burn a lot of hoof to get a fit, or can do little and often to minimise great plumes of smoke. Has he tried something as simple as starting with the backs?

Dad always considered cold shoeing as cutting corners and saving money on gas


----------



## christi (25 January 2011)

My horse has been  cold shod for 10 years with same farrier and never any problem .


----------



## HollyWoozle (25 January 2011)

Thanks all for your opinions.

Belle didn't have hind shoes on when she came to us in October '09 but her feet weren't good and not really up to the roadwork without them. I think they didn't put them on her maybe because they just couldn't manage it. 

She has since been hot shod (on all 4) every 6 or 7 weeks since being with us since then. She is better than she was (and farrier is very kind and patient with her), but she still jumps around at the smallest amount of smoke and then shakes her legs about when having the hinds on. She's a fairly big girl and quite nervy at times anyway and I just dread farrier visits in case she leaps around and hurts someone or herself. 

To be fair I doubt she's as funny about it as a lot of horses, I just wondered if cold shoeing might be a less stressful option for all concerned! She never really loses shoes and has good feet now (and we don't do lots of work, maybe riding 3 times a week at the most, just lessons and light hacking).


----------



## tallyho! (25 January 2011)

Prefer cold shoeing if I can get it - not enough farriers skilled enough or can be bothered these days.

eta: barefoot/unshod now so talking about when we were shod


----------



## LadyRascasse (25 January 2011)

my horse is cold shoed and he has feet problems, hardly ever loses a shoe and when he does its not due to being cold shoed its due to him being a complete twonk! in fact i had my horses done by 2 different farriers at one stage, gelding cold shoed with current farrier and mare hot shoed by someone else she systematically lost a shoe every shoeing, i swapped her to my current farrier and she lose 1 shoe when we left he 8 weeks between shoes due to coinciding holidays for both me and the farrier. as long as you have a good farrier you shouldn't having any problems being cold shoed.


----------



## Toffee44 (25 January 2011)

Samba is cold shod as completly freaked out when hot shod. 

Yes cold shoeing takes a little longer however she has 4x white hooves which are brittle but she keeps her shoes well(re shod 9 weeks). 

No problems, and have never seen any bruising.


----------



## hadfos (26 January 2011)

I think it is the farriers approach tbh,when you have a young or nervous horse you cant just burn a shoe on,I had an amazing farrier when my lad was hot shod in front for the 1st time when he was 4,he made sure he was down wind and burnt his foot very very slowly,worked a treat!I tried a new farrier,due to the old one not travelling as far out when i moved him,he cold shod,didnt like the after result at all,the fit of the shoe was nothing like it was when he was hot shod!Farriers are in great demand these days,and cold shoeing to get a perfect fit takes some hard graft,hot shoeing allows them to get a perfect fit with a lot less effort,and they fit like gloves


----------



## FanyDuChamp (26 January 2011)

My 2 are cold shod, I personally do not agree that it is the "easy" way. My farrier makes all their shoes individually, they are made especially for them, not hammered and bashed into shape to fit. I think that cold shoeing is also less stressful for horses. 

FDC


----------



## ferrador (26 January 2011)

a good cold shoer is far better than a bad hot shoer  , a competent farrier should have no problem shoeing hot or cold , it all boils down to the lndividual and what is required at the time .
chris


----------



## jm2k (26 January 2011)

have you thought about the option of boots instead of shoes?
im contemplating them for my new arrival even though he is fine shoeing.


----------

