i know it is a question for the farrier, but not sure if I will be around when he is here tomorrow.

I've never dealt with shoes before, but after last spring being dry and my mare's feet being junk, and then this spring start of the same thing farrier & I decided lets go shoes get her on a different hoof supplement and see what things look like next spring maybe get away with barefoot again

the toe of the shoe is rounding off fairly well, even on both shoes even in the center.

but how does one determine if you just reset a shoe, or if you have to go new shoes?

First of all, hoof supplements are a waste of time----it's much cheaper to provide the horse with good nutrition based on good quality hay, supplementing any vitamin and mineral shortages in that hay with a RB or with a good grain concentrate if the horse needs the extra calories to maintain weight, and use a farrier who knows how to balance the hoof with the correct breakover point.


As for shoes, it depends on the horse, the terrain where the horse is housed and ridden, and the discipline. For DD's show mare, once we were in full showing season, her shoes needed replacing every 3 weeks the first year we had her since her hooves were lousy when I purchased her. The next show season she was barefoot most of the time. My 3/4 Arabian HOF/jumper had rock hard feet and never needed shoeing. The few working ranch horses I had that needed shoes were reset every 6-7 weeks with new shoes on every third farrier visit. For our Belgian hitch gelding, his shoes were reset about every 4 weeks during the show season, with new shoes every other farrier visit---2200 of horse is hard on shoes!

It depends on the horse and the farrier. I have known some farriers that would not reset old shoes even if the owner asked them to. I've also known farriers that would reset until the shoe wore completely out.

I'm kind of in the middle with mine. I will reset the shoes so long as there is enough substance remaining to hold a shape and provide protection for the hoof. How many resets that is depends on the horse. My pony, I can usually reset 3-4 times before needing new shoes. He just doesn't put much wear on his and we ride on mostly dirt with some gravel or rocks.

My brother had a horse that he used in a feedlot that needed new shoes about once a month because he would wear the toes completely in half and the shoes ended up in 2 pieces.

Got any pictures of the junkie feet?

To start with you rely on your farrier telling you, you ask if they can be reset, and get him/her to explain why they answer as they do. Pretty soon you will be able to make your own call, but still my farrier always got the final say if he thought they would do another stint.

our farriers hardly ever do resets, unless they have MADE the shoes from barstock, in which case the shoes are bulkier and last longer.

i always leave the farrier do his job, I stick to cow hooves he sticks to horse hooves, it was just a question out of curiosity since I may or may not see him this evening when he stops in to do the horses.

as far as the feet being junk, I didn't take pictures but this spring (and last spring) the ground was extremely dry so even with a shorter than usual trim schedule my mare's hooves were chipping, never to the point of lameness but even after a fresh trim everything would look nice, 8 mile trail ride through some fairly sandy ground and would have quite a bit of chipping

I advise you don't do that actually. Of course, let the farrier do his job & don't try to tell him how... don't mean that bit, but I do think it's vital, in the best interest for our horses - & ultimately ourselves, our pockets... that owners learn for themselves about hoofcare, function & health. I also advise that, while of course there are exceptions, that you try to be there whenever the farrier is coming & take an active interest in learning how/why he's doing what he's doing. Re educating yourself better, check out the thread link in my signature below, for starters.

I suspect this has a little to do with 'dry ground'(which is GOOD for hooves) and more to do with the way they're trimmed(esp if shipping after a fresh trim), weakness/infection from previous wet footing, and if only in spring, possibly also metabolic/nutritional issues.

Shoe cost is minimal unless they are special made or hand forged show or theraputic shoes or have borium or something on them. Most farriers will just use new shoes if they are just keg shoes since the time it takes to re level a used shoe usually isnt worth it. And they charge the same anyhow.