Re: horse losing shoes constantly in field

for the reasons you have suggested i would not recomend going barefoot, as he will probably not manage because of his flat feet, and even once smooted and rounded he is likely to manage to chip away at his foot.

my girl pulled off alot of front shoes a few months ago, but farrier now fit her with quarter clips on the front (as in like back shoes- with one clip either side of the front of the toe) and she seems to, touch wood, keep these on!

also the quarter clips they use- i also have on my tb ex racer who did have very flat feet, but they have a slightly thicker bar on the front to provide more support: basically think they are great! stay on better and provide more support.

you can see what i mean in this picture- encase my description is confusing!

Re: horse losing shoes constantly in field

 Ask for racing shoes, theyre lighter and less likely to rip half the hoof off. 

Re: horse losing shoes constantly in field

 have you tried those boots people used for endurance riding? I saw some in horsatack, they were quite sweet, don't know how much you would be able to do in them, but might protect the hoof while it is growing back?

Re: horse losing shoes constantly in field

I've been dealing with this sort of thing for years, for different reasons.  Blair does it because he has pads in his shoes which make it easier for him to overreach and rip them off, and he won't keep overrreach boots on, he removes them with his teeth 5 minutes after you put them on.  My last horse did it sometimes by pawing at the fence, so we put an electric fence just inside the normal one to keep him back and that worked a treat.  He also had an old scar running down his hoof and there was a bit missing at the bottom of it so that meant he could stand on the shoe at that part and also pull it off.  We sorted that out by using Keratex hoof putty to fill the gap, but you must be sure you're not blocking in any dirt first and make sure it is a clean, dry hoof or it won't stay in properly.  There's also a new thing on the market called shoe secure (www.shoesecure.com) which looks like it might just work but you need stud holes in your shoe for it to attach to, it comes with its own studs.  I know just how you feel, it becomes an obsession!

Re: horse losing shoes constantly in field

 hey my tb is exactly the same, if u think he is pulling em out by standing on them then try bell boots they stop injuries or shoe loss from horses over stepping. barefoot will be good but if ur tb is still racing he may need em. it could be your paddock if its wet or muddy it pulls em off. for the cracks put oil on them, my horse gets sand cracks from the arena, u can get hoof care but if u dont want to waste ur money if u have a deep fryer or something use that used oil, i no it sounds weird but it really works and saves money, put it on the hoof wall and under foot as well as a little in the fur above it if its cracked up there it absorbs it. 

hope it helps