Just because the weather turns bad doesn’t mean your clients want to give up riding and working their horses until warmer spring weather arrives. That’s why coming up with an effective winter shoeing package has paid good dividends for shoers working in Northern areas. 

When it comes to pad selection, farriers have a wide variety of styles, brands and materials to choose from for their winter work. Here’s a rundown on how a number of shoers located in northern areas are using snow pads to keep horses going during the winter months.

Using Snow Pads

Esco Buff recommends applying snow pads when snow is going to accumulate and stay on the ground. “If we get snow today and it is gone tomorrow, pads are not an issue,” says the Webster, N.Y., farrier. “When the snow stays on the ground, we like to pad since frozen ground can lead to sole soreness. Muddy winter pastures can also be an issue with material getting under the pads.”

Anytime a horse is shod during the winter months and will be ridden or turned out, Burlington, Ontario, farrier Alicia Thompson says snow pads are mandatory for her clients.

When to start using snow pads depends on the season and when the next trimming and shoeing appointment is scheduled, says Brent Talbot. The Strasburg, Pa., farrier says selecting the right style of snow pad depends on whether the horse needs a full pad with packing for support and protection from the hard ground or…