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There may be times when you find it necessary to remove a shoe yourself
rather than wait until a farrier can come. Often, it is better if you do
remove a loose, twisted shoe rather than leave it partially attached and risk
a nail puncturing the hoof sole or the shoe twisting off and taking a nice
chunk of hoof wall with it. Before we decide to go ahead and remove the shoe, evaluate the problem. If the shoe is just loose and missing a few nails (no punctures or hoof injuries) AND your farrier can come within the next day or two AND you can confine the horse during this time period, you may be better off wrapping the hoof and shoe with several layers of good old duct tape. Be careful not to wrap over the heel bulbs. Duct tape will do a good job of holding everything in place if the horse is not too rambunctious. If the shoe needs to come off, it is not a hard job, especially if it is loose to start. If you have access to farrier tools, use a buffer or clinch cutter to straighten out the clinches. Then, starting at one heel, grab the shoe with the pullers so that the jaws are between the shoe and the hoof and loosen the shoe with a strong, sharp movement, rotating the handles of the pullers toward the toe. Repeat this process, alternating between sides and working your way forward. As you loosen the shoe, you can pull the nails out by grabbing them with nail pullers, nail nippers or ordinary pliers. If you don't have access to farrier tools, you can use a good pair of dikes* to bend up the clinches and cut them off. Needlenose pliers can also work for this, but are harder to use. To pull the shoe, use a pair of channel locks or big pliers to grab the shoe, grabbing the shoe with the jaws instead of putting the jaws between the shoe and the hoof. [webmaster: To pull the shoe off, start at the back and work one side, then the other. Don't work all of one side then all of the other side. By working one side then the other, by the time you get to the front of the shoe, it should just pop right off.] Once the shoe is off, keep it for the farrier. It is a good idea to confine the horse if possible until the farrier arrives. Using your trusty roll of duct tape, you can wrap the hoof and help minimize chipping while you await the farrier. As above, do not wrap over the heel bulbs. If your horse has injured his hoof, especially puncturing it or tearing away a large piece of hoof wall that exposes sensitive structures, keep the hoof clean and contact your vet immediately. This article contributed by farrier Paul Linn, Director of ReRun Virginia. Thanks Paul! *dikes: a tool resembling heavy-duty wire cutters |
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