Efstur’s First Shoes

Farrier day today.

First up were Hetja and Brá for trims, though it was only Hetja who was trimmed in the end.  Brá didn’t need anything.

Then we quickly drove over to Leradale for Sóley …..

And Lilja.  Both had trims and were very good girls considering we don’t do much with them.

Home to Thordale and happily indoors (we were all freezing).  We had brought everyone in to the stables before breakfast so they would be easy to reach.

Haakon had his fronts trimmed and we discussed the possibility of shoes again.  Maybe in Spring.

Then it was the turn of “The Orange Lot”!  First Klængur who was happily chatting to the farrier’s lad. Shoes on for him.

Kappi – shoes on after his 6 week holiday.

And then it was Efstur’s turn. He had been brought in earlier to watch Kappi have his back set put on.  Efstur has never been shod in his life and, as he has been backed, Daisy wanted shoes on.  A full set.  Hot-shod.

Kappi stayed for moral support.

Efstur was wonderful.  So good.  Once he had worked out what was going on, he chatted away to Daisy and behaved beautifully.

He just got on with it.  Some don’t.

What a good boy.

A total star.

Then Dreki had a trim and that was us.  Taktur has now packed his metaphorical spotty hanky, donned his thong and gone on holiday, but under farrier advice and Daisy’s agreement, kept his shoes on.

All was good. We came in frozen but happy.  I was really impressed with Efstur.  There could’ve been fireworks but no, he just settled into being a grown-up.  Phew!

8 thoughts on “Efstur’s First Shoes

    1. Frances Post author

      Yup, that’s what I thought. I looked at orange legs with shoes, and said “come on Kappi, let’s go” and realised it was Efstur. So I melted!

      Reply
  1. Sherry Walter

    Is there a reason you shoe your horses? I have two mountain horses and they have been barefoot for as long as I have had them with no problems. They are not shown, only trail ridden.

    Reply
      1. Sherry Walter

        That’s really interesting, what effect does the climate have? I live in Wisconsin USA, we have summers that can get to the 90’s F and winters that can have blizzards with a foot or more of snow and temps in the negative teens F. Our trails can range from rocks to sand, lots of hills where I am and both my girls almost never trot, just gait and sometimes canter.

        Reply
        1. Frances Post author

          Our climate is very wet. One reason ancient Romans left Britain – because their transport needed constant shoeing! Horses cannot cope very well without shoes. We have mud, mud and more mud.

          Reply

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