Pulling them for the winter. They’ll be barefoot until about late April depending on spring conditions.

How you all?

Mine still have a hunting season to go.Leaving this coming Wednesday, then out until Oct 28. Barefoot after that until next May. I have been doing my own for many years.Usually three sets a year.Might have to start paying someone.This year I could do two feet a day shoeing two mules with days break after one mule. It is hard convincing myself to pay someone $150 for an hours work max, four shoes and six nails. These farriers around here think they should get the same pay as vet

Pulling all but one for the winter next week. The mare I'm riding will be getting rode through the winter. Indoors when necessary. The others will just get ridden occasionally.

Saddlesore, They are wacking ya'all pretty hard down there! Don't get me wrong, it is still expensive here at $120 a head for a complete shoe job from the good farrier we finally found. Got tired of going cheap and having all the problems.

[quote=byron

Saddlesore, They are wacking ya'all pretty hard down there! Don't get me wrong, it is still expensive here at $120 a head for a complete shoe job from the good farrier we finally found. Got tired of going cheap and having all the problems.[/quote]

That is why I have always done my own. Even the best seem to have problems knowing how to handle mules and how to properly shoe them.

I remember when I started shoeing in Fairbanks, we were getting 15 to trim and 35 to shoe.

Hard-earned dollars for sure.

When I started back in 70 it was less yet. $6 trim, $10 -$12 for shoeing.I am an honest believer in paying what a job is worth However a lot of jobs are only worth a certain amount of money. Some jobs you can't make living on,but that doesn't say that person can increase their pay until they can make a living. Minimum wage is just that. you pay for a service that isn't worth what is charged. If I could not make living on one job, I went out and got a second job.

Some of these farriers are basically setting their own minimum wage.

If you think hiring a good farrier is expensive, try hiring a bad one.

I am not a horse or mule person so forgive the ignorance. Why do you take the shoes off?

The hoof grows at a rate that a horse or mule needs it hooves trimmed about every 8 weeks + or -. depending on the animal. If shoes are left on,the hoof will tend to grow out over them. If the shoes wear out,the nails holding them will eventually wear off and the shoe can come off at angle that might pull sections /chips out of the hoof.

.Letting them go bare foot for awhile lets their feet grow out naturally and wear naturally. You shoe horses and mules for traction, protection, or correction. If none apply let them go barefoot. During winter or off months most don't need shoes.

You can get high priced bad ones just as easily as a fair priced one

For me, I don't want to mess around with "borium shoes", often called ice shoes. Essentially a studded horseshoe. Flat shoes are sled runners on ice and snow. They have much better footing barefoot than plain shod.



When I build ice shoes, I prefer using Stoody tube borium (Like above) rather than that drill tek crap.

Same here.

Iron bender and Saddlesore, thanks for the replies. I would never have guessed that was the reason. You can still ride without them shod cant you?

Yep

Thanks

My horses are s bunch of sissies when it comes to gravel and rocky trails. 😆

That’s my main reason for nailin’ iron in the summer.

I am fortunate to ride in an area where shoes are not needed. Especially with horses having a good foot under them. I have two thirteen year old mares that have never had a shoe on them. DoIng my own trims save lots of$$$ over the years