[CrazyHorse]

Thanks to Rick B. I have been made aware of some issues with my TWH mare's hooves. The farrier I have been using faithfully is a barefoot advocate and I need to convince him to shoe her. She's terribly tender on rocks and he apparently trimmed her too short on the fronts, plus her back right has a notch which really needs to be addressed better. She was trimmed 8 days ago.
In the farrier's defense, he takes his time and spends a good hour or more on each horse he works on. He's very reliable and will work on Sundays if you need him to. He did shoe her one time and she moved much better, but he really hates to put shoes on a horse.

I completely trust Rick B's suggestions and advice and according to these photos, my explanations, and the rest of the photos I sent him, she needs shoes. More pics available upon request. Thanks for looking

This is the back right foot:

[Kelsey5674]

My old farrier refused to shoe my horse because he was a barefoot advocate. I finally had to get a farrier who would shoe for my gelding Ranger. If he has shod your horse before than try to convince him he needs shoes. Tell him what you are telling us, she is tender on rocks and you got other opnions and she really needs shoes. If he refuses than look for a farrier who will shoe. That is the only thing you can do. But he probaly will if he has done it before and saw the impovement.

[mftx4]

Good for you, Missy. I don't think any horse with good bare feet, should be tenderfooted after a proper trim. A farrier or trimmer should consider how a horse is used and what kind of ground they travel on as well as the amount of riding an owner does. When I hire a trimmer, given the proper information, should be doing what's best for the horse, not his 'ideals'. I am a barefoot lover myself, but if a horse needs shoes..... it should have them.

[JBandRio]

If someone doesn't shoe horses, he's not a farrier, he's a trimmer.

If there are problems with how he's doing these feet - that toe crack that you say needs to be fixed, trimming her too short, the fact that she's (still?) very tender on some surfaces - why should he be the one to put shoes on?

Find someone who will give the horse the service she needs. If that means shoes, at least for now, then it means shoes. It seems like at the very least it means good trimming. Boots are also a viable option.

[Reyven]

Each farrier should be able to judge every horse according to what it needs. Yes lots of horses do fine barefoot, but there are some that just need shoes. I hope you can convince him. Just let him know that your horse moves better with shoes, and is not tender footed if shod properly

[Shotgun93]

My ferrier is certainly a barefoot advocate - he would much rather trim a horse than put shoes on. But, that being said he is more than willing to put shoes on a horse that clearly needs them. If you have a ferrier that absolutely refuses to look at the issues a particular horse is having, it might be time to look for a new ferrier.

[IIIBarsV]

I would be concerned that if his trim already isn't the greatest, he certainly wouldn't have the skill to utilize shoes properly anyways.... and if he's out of practice of shoeing, he may be more likely to make a mistake and lame up your horse.

Find somebody who shoes regularly and knows what they're doing with a trim (a tall order, I know... but less risk than letting someone who doesn't want to shoe and does not work with nails regular and apparently isn't the greatest trimmer in the world work on the horse....)

[CrazyHorse]

Thank you all for your responses so far
The one and only set of shoes he did put on her stayed put and were still tight after six weeks. She moved so much better and I could take her out on all kinds of surfaces and she never took an "ouchy" step.
He has over 30 years of experience shoeing and trimming all kinds of horses and I have trusted him to know what he's doing. Sadly though, if he is against doing what's best for Hope, I will have to look around. It's just so hard to find a farrier who is dependable around here *SIGH*

[RickB.]

You shouldn't have to convince him to put shoes on your horse. A simple request is all that is necessary. If he doesn't want to shoe the horse, find someone who will and don't be shy about telling the farrier that since he won't, you are going to find someone who will.

The reverse is not so simple. ie: having the farrier take the horse from shoes to barefoot. I think there is more room for discussion with this sequence of events but most of the farriers I know will take the horse barefoot with the caveat that it is not the best idea and that if the horse comes up sore, it's not their fault, etc........

[mftx4]

Agreed Rick. It really needs to be a common sense discussion. Most farriers don't see the horses in question everyday so it should be a discussion about what's best for the horse.