08/07/2026
No, it didn't just ‘fall off’. And no, the mud didn't suck it off either 😅
If you've ever tried removing a shoe, you know it's not that easy (even if your farrier makes it look simple)
A shoe doesn't simply drop off a hoof. Something pulls it off. And once you know what, it's a lot easier to prevent.
So what actually pulls a shoe off?
🦶 Overreaching
the hind foot striking the back of the front hoof and catching the shoe. Deep going, fast work, jumping, hills, downhill ground and fitness levels all make it more likely.
💧 Waterlogged hooves
constant wet softens the horn, so has less strength to hold the shoe.
🪰 Fly aggrivation
Unsettled horses, pulling shapes to get away from flies and itching and stamping in dry weather loosens shoes too.
🐎 Movement and balance
Soreness, slipping, scrambling, a horse on the forehand, even a horse or its herd mate standing on its own shoe in the field. All made worse by uneven or slippy ground.
🧠 Unsettled horses
Spooks and startles, playfulness or fighting
How you can help keep them on:
✅ Correctly fitted overreach boots for turnout and fast work
✅ Manage turnout - protect from flies, roll field and avoid too much mud.
✅ Pick out and check feet daily to catch a loose shoe early
✅ Keep to your farrier's recommended interval, before the shoe loosens
A loose or thrown shoe can damage the hoof wall, so the sooner you call, the better but more often than not, it's the management, the weather or the horse, not the work.
Lost a shoe? Find it if you can (a buried, nail-up shoe is a hazard)
