How can you tell what size shoe a horse wears? Please help!

You ask a real farrier, not your friend's grandpa. Unless he is certified with the AFA, don't let him anywhere NEAR your horse. Sorry. It's WAY more complicated than trimming the bottom of the hoof off and nailing a shoe to it. The farrier has to take into account where the bones are in the foot, the angles at which these bones are, etc. Unless you know about that stuff you would have no idea it's that complicated. My best friend's hubby is an AFA certified farrier and he does my gelding's feet. My gelding was diagnosed in August with navicular by the vet and ever since my friends hubby started working on his feet he hasn't been lame one single day. He explains everything to me in detail about bone angles and everything and a lot goes right over my head but it made me realize how utterly complicated it is to do a horse's feet.

Horseshoes are like human shoes in that there is no standard sizing. From brand to brand they vary. For example, a Kerckhaert size 0 horseshoe tend to run a little bigger than St. Croix size 0 horseshoe. The best way to measure your horses foot is to take a string or a seamstress measuring tape and measure from one heel around the outside of the bottom of the hoof to the other, then add 1/4 inch. You can then find out the measurements of the brand of shoe you intend to buy from the manufacturer's website. Remember a shoe can be cut, grinded, or rasped to make smaller, but it takes forge work to "stretch" it to a larger size. If your friend's grandfather is qualified to shoe horses he should have a variety of sizes in his possession. I'd just buy them from him, or replace what he uses, because what the hoof measures before it is trimmed will often be different from what it measures after a trim.

farrier since 1988

The easiest way to find out is to simply ask you farrier. pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

Why are you wanting to know? If you are wanting to measure for hoof boots check out some of the manufacturers websites. They should have instructions.

Ask the farrier. They come with shoes when it is time to shoe. Don't let someone who isn't a professional farrier do your horses hooves. That is how you screw a horse up.

I would go with the first tip. That's what I done. I had to buy my shoes so it was cheaper for the farrier to do it.

Im pretty sure the farrier measures that for you! If they cant tell you what size shoe your horse needs then i wouldnt go with that farrier.

Hi, just place a piece of cardboard under the horses hoof and draw round it and take that to the house shoe shop.

This has trouble written ALL over it.