# WHY CAN'T MINI'S WEAR REAL HORSE SHOES???



## maplegum (Jan 4, 2007)

I've seen pics of them wearing running shoes here in the forum, buy why aren't they shod like big horses??

Is this a silly question???


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## lilhorseladie (Jan 4, 2007)

I think it is because the wall of their hoof is so much thinner than a bigger horse and there isn't much to nail the shoe into. There is probably more to it, but that is my first guess.

Most of them you see wearing shoes are indoors. The shoes protect the mini from slipping on linoleum and such. The real horse shoes you are talking about wouldn't help with that.


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## shane (Jan 5, 2007)

i had my stallion shod when i first got him, his feet were very prone to wearing down, and as i use him on the roads i had him shod to give his feet a chance to grow, which they did, and whilst he was shod i used keratex hoof hardener...which did the trick, he is now barefoot... he only had 2 inch square hooves, so my farrier made up a set of tiny shoes for him and used 1 nail in one side and two in the other...

when i had them removed i did find that he stood better in the ring, the sound of his hooves was lovley ashe clip clopped down the road, but i doubt ill ever do it again unless the need arose


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## Fred (Jan 5, 2007)

They CAN be shod but it is just not practicial. It's actually harder to shoe a mini than a full size horse. I know I have done enough of them. Linda


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## Jill (Jan 5, 2007)

The hoof walls are so thin that it would be hard to properly shoe a mini and have the shoe actually stay on for any length of time in my opinion.

And, just FYI, many pony breeds and also many arabian horses have very good, hard feet and do not need to wear shoes. The typical (if there's such a thing...) miniature also has hard, good feet and doesn't require shoes even if being driven and worked frequently.

My two big horses are an arabian x quarter horse gelding and a morgan cross gelding. Neither has ever required shoeing for the amount of riding they got / get (don't ride much these days!). Even when I was riding "a lot", they were barefoot.


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## MeadowRidge Farm (Jan 5, 2007)

Minis can wear shoes. I had a mini gelding, that had to be shod. He wore regular horseshoes for 5 years never once threw a shoe, and had no problems. I think alot depends upon the farrier and how good they are at shoeing, and if there is a definite NEED for a mini to be shod. In my case he definitely needed to be shod. Corinne


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## rabbitsfizz (Jan 5, 2007)

I have never noticed any huge difference in the hoof wall thickness- I had Rabbits father shod when I first started driving him but it was a mistake as his hooves grew so fast.

That was my first farriery job- taking them off and paring him back myself!!!

I did not notice any difference in his feet afterwards, either.

Here, in order to take part in BDS driving marathons, even Minis must be shod in front- it was all around but we got them to relent to just in front- so, if and when I get back in the seat I shall either have to have separate Mini classes or bend their ear again and get the rules changed!!

I do NOT fancy trying to find a farrier again after all these years.

I think to be honest, you would regret having a Mini shod.

It would necessitate having the farrier every six weeks and would be at least as expensive as a big horse and to what end??

Treated carefully they do not go "short" without shoes.


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## shane (Jan 5, 2007)

acyually it cost me twice as much to have my farrier shoe twinkle as he had to make the shoes from small shetlad shoes, cut them down and bend them to fit, it took a longggggggg time to do the horse, but because it was a once of i didnt mind a bit, i would do it again if twinkle really gets into the driving as his feet are white they may wear down quick...ill have to see

but just for anyone whose interested it cost me $100 =Â£50 that was two years ago...but no feet no horse


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## HGFarm (Jan 5, 2007)

I have never ever had a Mini with poor feet or thin walls. My first stallion, Grays Smoke Signal, was driven on a regular basis, through all kinds of terrain, for years. I think I had to FILE his feet once in five years. He was NEVER sore, nor did he ever need shoes and kept his feet worn beautifully as they should be.

There is a farrier here though, that makes Mini shoes and yes, they can wear them- just not in the show ring. I knew a couple of people who had theirs shod simply because of the miles and miles they drove on a daily basis- his horses were worked hard. They had little bitty shoes, with little bitty nails (I had no Minis back then and used to chuckle at the 'Barbie Doll shoes' that he showed me)

I have never found the need to shoe one. Our big horses? Yes, as we live in a rough area with a lot of rocks, etc... and they would not last long out on the trail without them, no matter how good their feet are, as a ride to us is usually several miles, if not more.


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## MiniHGal (Jan 5, 2007)

While they can be shod...I can't imagine its a pleasant time for the farrier and it sure isn't nice to your pocketbook.

However, some do need shoes. Fascination is one of them, at least in the front. She is a big mover(lots of reach), so she really wears down her toes, especially when we are conditioning for a CDE. We finally settled on using Vettec glue and making the shoes. We do it ourselves, so no farrier costs, but there is quite the learning curve! She will wear through a set of those in 3-4 weeks if I am driving her hard(and that stuff is harder than her feet, so imagine what her feet would look like!). However, in dry, light driving conditions, they will stay on for 4-6 weeks, longer sometimes. And then some days you just can't seem to get it right, and she rips them off within a few weeks. Overall, though, I am VERY happy with the glue shoes. I am looking into Epona Shoe though, to glue on. We will see....


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## PaintedPromiseRanch (Jan 5, 2007)

Jill said:


> And, just FYI, many pony breeds and also many arabian horses have very good, hard feet and do not need to wear shoes. The typical (if there's such a thing...) miniature also has hard, good feet and doesn't require shoes even if being driven and worked frequently.




Mules and mustangs rarely need shoes either... and i have a yearling filling (actually coming 2) that is a registered breeding stock paint, 4 black hooves, from what i have seen so far i am very hopefuly that she can remain barefoot too. our Arabian is actually one of our hardest to keep shoes on (MUST have 4 nails) and needs them badly... as for our minis, several of them have hooves so hard it's a real struggle to trim them! but we have noticed that even when they do nothing but hang out in the pasture and pens, they don't need trimming at 6 weeks, they tend to wear just enough to keep things looking good for 8-10. we just watch them all and each has their own schedule depending on need for that particular horse/donkey/mule.


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## HGFarm (Jan 5, 2007)

I find the comment that 'mustangs' rarely need shoes is NOT true. My daughter had two at her place for training, both barefoot because the novice owners had been told they didnt need shoes- and these horses could barely make it down our dirt road without gimping. One was so bad that she sent him home as they wanted him ridden out and he couldnt get one block without limping on all four. We refuse to ride horses that are sore or gimpy and the owners refused to put shoes on.

I would say this depends on where you are living and what the horse is being used for. If the horse has really tough feet and is being ridden on grassy plains or soft dirt, they may be able to get by with no shoes. That is not the case here- we have a lot of hills and mountains and a lot of rock, in rough up and down country. Bring a horse out here to ride with no shoes, and I will guarantee that you will be walking home.

Wild mustangs have no shoes- but their feet are not trimmed either, nor are they packing any weight, that contributes to grinding or breaking off feet. We have seen many 'mustangs' so sore or having other problems because their feet hurt, and the owners seemed to be oblivious to the obvious discomfort of the poor things, because they were told they didnt need shoes.

Please do not think this is a rule of thumb- there may be instances when your horse doesnt need shoes, when used lightly in soft terrain, but folks need to use common sense and know when their horses feet have had ENOUGH.

Just my 2 cents worth......


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## Nichcole (Jan 5, 2007)

I agree with everyone about mini's not needing shoes. If they are trimmed properly they will not be sore. I personally think bare foot is they way to go on any size horses.

I live in a area with volcanic rock and super hard ground and all my big horses are barefoot along with my minis. If they are trimmed properly they are not sore and if they are in need of some protection they have really great boots out there. Most of the boots are rate for endurance riding and to even be worn out in the pasture plus they are way cheaper then having a horse shod every 6 to 8 weeks. We have fiends that have had the same boots for over 10 years..

One of my big horse has white feet and could not even walk down our drive way and now that we have learned more about triming and the proper way to do it. I can run her down the drive with out a bad step or any brusing. She is alot more active then we have ever seen her out in the pasture too.. Our farrier's always told us she has white feet and what they called "pussy footed".

As for the Mustangs they are fine in the wild b/c they don't have people that don't know what thier doing taking care of thier feet. We have big wild mustang auction in our area and the horses come in fine but after 6 months to a year in domestication, they start to have feet problems.

The key is to find a farrier that knows what thier doing and not just some that thinks they know how to trim..


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## Fred (Jan 5, 2007)

EVERY horse is different. Some need shoes and some don't. It depends on the individual and the terrain they are being worked on. I have shod minis and foals [yes for theraputic reasons] and the shoes will stay on just as well as a horse shod on a regular basis. In fact I just pulled a shoe off a 8 month old colt who had a desmotomy done. Even with a toe extention on running out in the muddy field he didn't pull it off. All my minis are barefoot but I DO know the importance of BREEDING for good feet. I learned my lesson with my last full size Appy. I would not breed ANY horse mini or full size with lousy feet. Linda B


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## HGFarm2 (Jan 6, 2007)

Thank you 'Fred'. I totally agree! That is something that we have always looked at on our horses, big or small. We raised full sized Appies for years (my parents did) and they had excellent feet, but as my Mom stated, this is also rough country and to put in a 12 hour day here on horseback working cattle or checking waters out on the ranch, there is no way that ANY horse will get by without shoes.

My Dad had a 1/2 Mustang mare that had the thickest hoof walls of any horse we've had. He was called late one evening to drive cattle (this is when we lived in Eastern Oregon for a short time) All the shoes had been pulled off the mares, as no one was expecting to have to move cattle. There was no light or time to shoe, as Dad had to leave at dark the next morning, so he took Candy, as she had the best feet, to ride that day.

They came in at dark that night, and Dad was walking. The sandpaper effect of the lava beds on Candy's feet ground them off to the quick. He got off and led her home, so as not to put any more pressure on her feet than he had to, and was really angry with himself about it. That horse was sore for days after.

Yes, each horse is different, and folks need to use common sense about it. My Mom's Arabian didnt have crappy feet, and had run barefoot all her life on a ranch. When she came here from South Dakota (grasslands), she had to have shoes because her feet were not used to the harder ground and desert here and she was gimpy. Over a period of time, her feet did toughen up, but it took a few months- even with shoes on.


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## maplegum (Jan 6, 2007)

Thanks everyone for clearing that one up for me.

I now have a better understanding. Those little horse shoes must be the cutest lil horse shoes ever!

This is a great forum, so glad i found it.


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## Fred (Jan 6, 2007)

Hey maplegum if you truly want a "mini" horseshoe pm me with your address and I'll mail you one. Linda


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## ruffian (Jan 6, 2007)

Another reason mini's can't be shod for showing is to prevent people from shoeing them to increase action like shetlands and other big breeds, like Tennesse Walkers. I believe this is the original reason that mini's cannot be shod for showing.


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## Fred (Jan 6, 2007)

Ruffian, I just have to reply to this. It takes quite a bit of weight on a shoe to increase action. A mini shoe due to its size just its NOT going to increase action enough to count. Leaded pads might but the foot is still waaay too small to put enough weight to increase action significantly. Gaited shoes are generally made out of draft stock. There is NO WAY you could make a mini shoe out of draft stock and make it work. A horse certainly would not measure in because they would look like they were on stilts. By the way it takes at the very least 8 ounces more to increase action just a little. The classics are allowed a light keg shoe and they are about 6 ounces. Linda B


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## CLC Stables (Jan 7, 2007)

LINDA, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU......................folks seem to think that the action in a modern shetland is all done from Shoeing and Appliances.......................WRONG................

To get something that moves like that it is NATURAL BASED.

Now another thing I want to point out is any TROTTING BREED, and a WALKING BREED are two seperate. You do not want a horse to be soar when it is trotting, IE SADDLEBREDS, or SHETLANDS. The WALKERS on the other hand (BIG LICK WALKERS BTW, not all), use soring, as it makes them drop their rear end more.

HOWEVER, I am not here to bash anyone, because I am firm believer if things are done CORRECTLY, I see no reason to criticize them. SORING, I do not agree with.


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## Little Bit (Jan 7, 2007)

*There are a LOT of horses out there that are or were wearing Little Bit's *Magic Shoes*, as well.*

They are corrective shoes that I started making years ago when my dwarf Mini, Little Bit, was walking on the side of his front hooves and on the bulbs of his heels in back due to tendon laxity.

I always recommend that my shoes be applied with Vette's Equi-Thane SuperFast or Adhere, either products are great, and are made especially for this purpose. Medial, lateral and toe extensions can also be made from these products.

The shoes are a non profit venture for me, but oh the rewards are so much more than any amount of money could buy me!




:


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## maplegum (Jan 7, 2007)

Little Bit said:


> *There are a LOT of horses out there that are or were wearing Little Bit's *Magic Shoes*, as well.*
> 
> They are corrective shoes that I started making years ago when my dwarf Mini, Little Bit, was walking on the side of his front hooves and on the bulbs of his heels in back due to tendon laxity.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your reply. I have read many times about your wonderful shoes for mini's. You seem to be offering a very special service to those mini's and owners.

Keep up the great work, it must be very rewarding.


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## ruffian (Jan 7, 2007)

Sorry Linda, but I have to disagree. I've seen miniatures with light chains on their ankles - minimal weight - that have very high action until you take the chains off. It would take very little weight to increase action. I've been involved with AMHA since the beginning and I was told that the reason for no shoes was to prevent them from going the way of Shetlands with long toes and weighted shoes. You are absolutely right that most mini's don't have the conformation to stride like a Modern Shetland, but that doesn't mean it can be induced with artifical devices.


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## Fred (Jan 7, 2007)

Sorry, but I AM a professional farrier. I DO know what I am talking about. My background is Morgans and Saddlebreds. Yes, you get higher action with a chain, its on the ankle, its a different response than weight on a foot. Put a bootie on your dog you'll see the same response. It takes quite a lot of weight to increase motion on ANY horse and that is a proven fact. I know I have seen how it works as I do gaited horses. Artifical aids [chains, etc] will increase motion while they are on but its not going to work when they are off. If a horse does not have the natural ability whatever you do to them is not going to help. A horse with natural ability with a skilled professional [or amateur] handler will always show better and have more people trying to figure out what they did to make the horse go that way, when in reality its just the combination of a good horse and good handler. As for being told it was the reason with AMHA< I also know for a fact that several people with shetlands wanted to change the shoeing rules on them because they "believed" a certain thing was fact when it was proven false. Oh and by the way one of your truly great saddlebreds Skywatch was shod with just a light plate and no foot, he was just a great moving horse. Linda B


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## lauraj799 (Feb 22, 2020)

MeadowRidge Farm said:


> Minis can wear shoes. I had a mini gelding, that had to be shod. He wore regular horseshoes for 5 years never once threw a shoe, and had no problems. I think alot depends upon the farrier and how good they are at shoeing, and if there is a definite NEED for a mini to be shod. In my case he definitely needed to be shod. Corinne


Where can I find horse shoes that size?


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## MajorClementine (Feb 26, 2020)

I didn't read all of this but the Amish do shoe their minis. They make the shoes and the kids usually nail them on. They would wear their hooves off if they didn't.


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