The nails go up through the shoe and out the side of the hoof. They are trimmed as necessary, bent up, and hammered flush with the hoof. To remove, straighten nail and hammer it out of the shoe far enough to pull out.

If you have never shod a horse and don't have the tools or experience then I don't recommend trying. Horses can be calm or real jumpy. If you're confident then they are more likely to be calm. If you're nervous the they are more likely to be jumpy which means you are more likely to get kicked or stepped on. If a shoe gets loose then they will throw it anyway.

 

It's a job to do. The nails are bent with a Clincher after being driven.
With the hoof down cut the tips off the nailsusing a shoe puller (looks like a set of carpenter nips and offer called a pincher) there should be 8 of them. Next you want to face the rear of the horse pick up the hoof. If it's a front hoof place it between your knees from back to front where the space between the hoof and ankle are held. If it's a rear hoof rest the horses leg on your knee. Then take the puller begin at the rear of the shoe (open end) and gently work it between the shoe and hoof once you can close the pincher gently begin to pry twords the front of the shoe and continue around untill all 8nails are out of the hoof.

I suggest first seeing how the horse responds to having his feet messed with. Pick them up tap on them with the puller lightly. If the horse won't give his foot to you there is a longer growth of hair at the rear of the ankle gently pull up on that and he should lift. Don't force it and be patient. He may decide to put his foot down halfway thru let him but go right back to it don't let him get away with the bad manners.

 

I'm a farrier. The correct way to remove a shoe without tearing hoof wall is to first use a rasp to remove the clenches on the outer hoof wall and then to either use nail pullers to pull each nail individually. The crease nail puller is kinda like a big pair of dikes with a notch to grip the nail head in the crease. Or use shoe pullers and good technique to pull the shoe. The technique is pretty simply. Shoe pullers are like a very large pair of wood workers nail pullers. You start at the heel and place the jaws between the shoe and hoof and then push forward towards to the toe in one quick movement. Most people struggle to pull a well clenched shoe. Most of the time I find it easier for them if after they make the first push to tap the shoe back toward the foot and the nail head is normally moved enough you can grip it with normal nail pullers. Keep doing this alternating from side to side as you go.I have always believed those two tools and the ability to pull shoes are essential for any horse owner.

 

Just call a shower better for the horse and you and have it done wright.

BD1

 

Actually...harbinger is right, you use clincher first to bend nails straight, then you use the crappy rasp to hit the rough edge of the nail. Then use the crappy nips to start pulling rear of shoe........but either way.....shoes are becoming old school, proper hoof care and running shoeless is the new trend. Unless the horse is working on pavement that is.

 

Sgt., your kidding right.

 

If I have a horse that needs shoeing, I don't own him for long. Let someone else have the trouble and expence. Shoes are actually bad for a horses feet, want let them flex and they tend to grow out splorded footed. I'm not anti shoeing, if I was going for a long ride (like for days or weeks) along a gravel or paved road I wouldn't hesitate to shoe a horse, but most horses don't need it.

We often work our horses hard over rocky ground and up and down gravel roads working cattle and they hardly ever get foot saw. And if they do, no big deal just give them a spell for a few days, no permanent damage done, just like a person suddenly having to walk 30 miles, next moreing your feet will probably hurt but no real damage done.

The hoof will need to be trimed after the shoe is removed as the hoof doesn't wear down under the shoe. If he isn't trimed he riskes having the hoof break away possible making him lame, possibly for mths.

 

I agree with dillin and sgtgrover. My family raised arabians for 20 years and never once put a shoe on them. They ran over rugged mountains the entire time and never had a problem.

If shtf I wouldn't want to be trying to do the upkeep of shoeing a horse.

 

If you happen across a strange horse I wouldn't recommend grabbing at its feet for any reason. I grew up with horses long enough to see someone take a kick to the jaw. You don't want that.