Editor’s Note: This is Chapter 6 of Care & Management of Horses by Heather Smith Thomas. 

The worst thing about horseshoeing in general is when shoes are left on too long. A horse whose feet have grown too long because shoes are left on may suffer leg wounds from striking himself, strained legs, contracted feet, corns, and other injuries due to long feet and shoe pressure. Since the hoof wall grows out perpendicularly from the coronary band, the horse’s base of support actually grows out from under him if shoes are left on too long. This puts great strain on flexor tendons and on the navicular bone inside the hoof, as well as all foot and leg joints. Shoes worn too long may become thin and loose, sometimes bending and shifting, causing corns (from pressure on bars or sole) or nail punctures.

Even if you have a farrier do your shoeing you should still learn how to pull a shoe properly. There are situations where you should not wait for a farrier. A shoe may loosen when caught in a bog, hooked on a fence or some other obstacle, or stepped on by a hind foot. In these cases you should pull the shoe immediately so it won’t injure the horse. If it’s hanging loose on one side or is at risk of catching on something or causing a corn or bruise because it has slipped, it needs to come off. If it catches on something or the horse steps on it with another foot, it may break the hoof wall or take a chunk out, making it harder to shoe the foot properly again.

A shoe is easy to remove without breaking the hoof wall if you have a few shoeing and trimming tools. A shoeing hammer, clinch cutter, nippers, and rasp work best, but you also can use a flat-edged screwdriver instead of a clinch cutter and a carpenter’s hammer. Hoof nippers or pulling nippers work well for pulling a shoe, but if the shoe is fairly loose you can use a pair of vice grips or pliers to hold onto the shoe and give you some leverage