shoeing a working cow horse individually...

Question
Hi Lana,  I know you didn't mention working cow horses in your expertise, but the musculature of the horse is part of my question.  I am running out of options of people to ask.  I have a very stout Quarter horse mare.  She is very strong through the back.  I use to use regular rim shoes on her until I noticed she didn't want to stop as hard and slide.  I thought sliding may be making her sore because she puts 100% into it.  She would slide about 5-6 ft.  with rim shoes.  After speaking with a farrier at a show, I put slide plates on her.  WOW, she was laying down 20 ft. sliding stops.  However, about 3-4 shows later, she is sliding past the cows and losing her footing enough that it is scary.  The farrier I met at the show told me the mare could easily hurt herself trying to make big stops without slide plates.  He mentioned stifle injury, etc...I need to know if this makes sense.  I have a trainer telling me that it doesn't matter what kind of shoes are on her when she slides, that rim shoes won't hurt her when she tries to stop hard and that I can't listen to just "anyone" because they don't know my horse.  Well, the only thing they need to know is that my mare stays on her haunches and is very powerful.  I'm going to a cowhorse clinic where I will find out for sure, but it is not until the end of February.  Oh, my trainer and my vet are best buds.  This is something I want outside advice on.  If you aren't sure what to tell me.... anyone else who might know would be welcome to email me.  Thanks alot., Vicki

Answer
Hi Vicki;

The farrier at the show was right.  Any kind of shoe that would increase traction would also increase pressure to the hind leg, particularly the hocks and stifles.  However, if she's unable to get proper traction with a shoe and is sliding past where she wants to stop, that's an issue as well.  There is still increased pressure on her body, though more from a muscular standpoint than a joint one.  She could easily pull/sprain/tear soft tissue.

You are also going to be at the mercy of the arena footing itself, no matter what type of shoe you've got on.

You might consider having her go barefoot behind, which might allow for the best of both worlds...no shoe to provide excess traction, no shoe to create too much sliding ability.

Another option might be a sliding plate with holes bored into it where you could screw in different types/lengths of 'corks/caulks' depending on what event you were doing and the arena footing.  This is something that eventing and jumping horses have on their shoes.

Talk to some other farriers in the industry and see if any of them can offer you some different options.  

In the end though, go with what your gut feeling is about what, if any, shoe she should be wearing behind.

Best wishes!

Sincerely,

Lana Reinhardt