J. Alistair Nimmo was introduced to horses at an early age. Born in Scottland, Alistair’s family was involved with show jumpers, breeding, training and schooling. His father taught him the basics of shoeing, and then Alistair continued his education at the Oklahoma Horse Shoeing School. He returned to Britain tested and received his D.W.C.F (Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers). For the next 22 years, Alistair has shod World Champions, Britain’s 3 time Hunter of the Year, Olympic competitors and World Equestrian Game competitors. He now brings his experience and knowledge to the Northwest. To contact Alistair he can be reached at (425) 299-3707 or by email at alistair.nimmo@gmail.com We are proud to have Alistair as the official farrier of Willfully Guided and Coastal Equine.
Shoeing the Performance Horse
Performance horses are big stopping, hard turning, quick-footed athletes. It is important for any horse to have a good shoeing program, but for these performers, it is a necessity.
A properly shod horse should have a hoof angle that is the same as the angle of the pastern, meaning that the hoof/pastern axis should be straight. If the hoof is either too steep or too flat, it will put undue stress and pressure on the horse’s joints, tendons and ligaments. Longevity in performance horses is a priority, and poor shoeing can dramatically shorten a horse’s career.
Correct balance of the hoof has the hoof hitting the ground flat and even. If this is not the case, the horse’s weight and impact will not be dispersed evenly over the hoof, and can cause wear and tear on bone and joints. This can also affect blood supply on the portion of the hoof that hits foot, which can cause the hoof to grow unbalanced. The ease of break-over in a performance horse can have a profound impact on their movement.
How often should you have your horse shod? Every 6-8 weeks, but it can vary from horse to horse. It is important to keep the horse’s foot on top of the shoe. If the horse’s feet are allowed to get too long, the angles of the hoof can change. They can have an increased tendency to overreach, pull shoes resulting in damage to the hoof wall, and cause a horse to trip. Particularly in the fencework, this can be a very dangerous situation.
The front shoes on a performance horse are usually a rim shoe, meaning it has a beveled edge. This offers the horse extra traction and leaves a duller, rounded edge to minimize trauma if the horse is to clip itself. Some people prefer a lighter aluminum shoe. There are different types of wedge shoes and bar shoes that can be used to help relieve heel pressure on a horse with chronic issues.
Hind shoeing varies pretty dramatically from cutters to reiners to cowhorses. A cutter will have a plain shoe which will occasionally have a trailer on the outside to encourage a horse to have a wide stance and increase their drive. Reiners will have sliding plates, flat shoes (see photo) that allow the horse to set his hind feet and slide. The surface area of the shoe and the tail help the horse to break through the dirt and slide without jarring his body. The nail heads either lie flush with the shoe, or are rasped off leaving the shoe smooth. The quickest way to get a horse to quit stopping is to have it hurt when they go to the ground. Sliding plates also assist in a horse’s ability to spin by keeping their pivot foot free. Cowhorses also use a sliding plate, but it usually has a shorter tail. Cowhorses need to be able to slide in their reining pattern, but not slide so much that will slide past the cow going down the fence.
Alistair encourages people to keep things as simple as possible. Stay current and thoughtful in your shoeing program. Always be sure you are shoeing for your horse’s discipline. He also believes strongly that a horse’s hoofcare should begin at an early age and that most hoof issues can be avoided if caught early.
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