piper_reed•1mo agoProlific Poster

I always thought a 4-point trim was best for heavy horses, but this Clydesdale changed my mind.

For years I stuck with a standard 4-point trim on draft horses, thinking it gave the best support. Then a client in Springfield brought in a Clydesdale with persistent heel pain. After talking with a farrier who works with pulling teams, I tried a rolled toe and a wider web shoe. The difference after six weeks was huge, the horse moved way better and the owner said it was the most comfortable he'd been. Now I'm rethinking my whole approach for big breeds. Has anyone else switched up their draft horse shoeing and seen good results?

3 comments

3 Comments

valh321mo ago

My buddy had a similar thing with a Percheron that kept stumbling. A local guy who shoes for a logging show suggested squaring the toe a bit and using a lighter, flat shoe instead of a heavy bar shoe. The horse stopped tripping over itself within a month. Made a believer out of him.

betty_palmer1mo ago

How much did that change the breakover?

wyatt521mo ago

Wow, that's a solid point from @valh32 about the lighter shoe. It makes sense that reducing weight at the toe would help a lot with breakover and clean movement. Sometimes the simplest change, like shoe weight, is the biggest factor.