Can horses react with bad behaviour when throwing a shoe?

Hi, I am a beginner rider and have just bought a 15yo Thoroughbred Schoolmaster. He loves people, is very friendly and seems amazingly gentle. All "horsy people" who have seen him agree he is perfect for a beginner.





I took him for a ride in our paddock today for the first time and after a few minutes I noticed he kept on nudging his left foreleg with his nose like something was bothering him. I decided to get off and take him back up to the stable as I thought that something was wrong, or that maybe I was doing something wrong. As we got closer he tried to kick out at me while we were walking. I took his reigns again and kept walking him, it was a fairly steep part of the hill and he objected, broke free and bolted off and kicked out. He then made his way straight back to the stable and stood quietly waiting.





That was when I noticed he had lost his front left shoe. Do you think that losing his shoe could have caused this seemingly out of character bad behaviour?

Can horses react with bad behaviour when throwing a shoe?
possibly.. although most beginner horses wouldnt have thrown such a fit. it sounds to me there may be a bigger problem.





Throwing a shoe isnt that bad.. you can have the farrier come out and just shoe em again. So to me, it sounds like a bigger issue because most beginner horses wouldnt have thrown such a huge fit. I would have him checked out by a vet if his normal temperment is different
Reply:It's certainly possible, especially if he was in pain. If the shoe pulled a part of the hoof off with it he could be sore and the kicking could be objecting to the pain. TBs often have very low pain tolerance levels. If he tries to do something like that again though get after him for it, because it's rude behavior, even if he is in pain, it's completely unacceptable.
Reply:It IS possible that he reacted to the throwing the shoe. However, while it can be uncomfortable, the actual lashing out at you may be signs of a temperament problem as well. It could be possible that you were emitting some signs of distress as well, which could cause him to become nervous. As you mentioned, you thought that you might be doing something wrong-- and he can pick up on that. It could be MANY things but don't let it discourage you. I would say get the farrier out, get him re-shod, and take him for another ride. Sometimes horses react in ways that we can never really understand and the best thing to do is just move forward.
Reply:sounds like he's barn sour all he wanted to do


was go back to the barn. no excuse for kicking


at you . sounds like he's very spoiled . I've never


seen a reaction like that when a horse has lost


a shoe. even one that was cantering at the time and


almost fell didn't react like that. i would have


some one who knows what they're doing try


riding him and see if he does the same thing


good luck hope it works out for you
Reply:not at all. your horse is barn sour! running/bolting back to the barn is a learned behavior. he knows that the barn is a good place and he doesnt have to do work at the barn. horses try to bolt to get out of work... he knows when he's back at the barn his work is done and you'll groom him and put him back in his stall with his hay and feed! never, never, NEVER allow a horse to do anything more than walk back toward the barn if you're riding. (this goes for the horse trailer at shows too). if he starts jumping or pulling on you cut him in TIGHT circles until he relaxes.. then ask him to walk again... repeat this process every time he breaks from the walk... horses hate moving in tight circles and pretty soon he'll figure out the connection between his bad behavior and the tight circles and be more willing to cooperate with you. if you cannot handle this glitch on your own have a more experienced rider (preferably a professional trainer) ride your horse for a month or two until they can break this habit.
Reply:Sure it could. Especially since you didn't realize what was going on. If you had stopped him, and in a calming reassuring voice say "it's ok buddy..lets see what is going on with you" if he was lifting that leg up you could have run your hand down that leg and he would have understood you were trying to help him out. Horses are smart and know when you are helping them and when you have confidence that their problem will be solved. You could have then talked to him, and told him you would take him back to the barn to get help. Try to keep your voice happy and not full of fear or he will pick up on it. He obviously won't understand your words, but the principal, and the tone of your voice would have soothed him. It's ok it happened, it all part of learning and there will be lots more incidents like this, just take it in stride and you will learn from them all. Good luck
Reply:Definitly! you would be surprised at how many side affects there are when a horse throws a shoe. get it back on as soon as possible and you should be OK. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!
Reply:This sounds like very extreme behavior after throwing a shoe. Kicking out at a person is much different than pinning his ears, being reluctant to move, acting lazy, etc which is what I would expect if his foot hurt.


But as a beginner with a new horse you have only just began to get to know this horse. It could be possible this was a one time event. Perhaps something more traumatic happened that you don't realize. How did he lose the shoe? Is he hurt in any other way? Is he stressed at a new place?


But often when we make excuses for our horse's behavior, we're doing just that - making excuses. Time will tell if this is really Mr. Right, or not. Be aware that many horses are wonderful for experienced riders but quickly size up beginners. I would say give this horse a few more rides, and perhaps get a trainer or an experienced friend to be there to help you each and every time at first. You'll soon see if this horse has some issues, or not. I would really encourage you to be very cautious - kicking and beginners are a very bad combination. If this doesn't turn around immediantely, you need to cut your loses quickly. Not only do you not want to get hurt, but if this horse starts to destroy your confidence the fun is going to be totally gone and you're going to regret this horse.


Be aware that buying horses is a risky business. Many horses seem good but have vices. Many horses are good with their old rider and not with a new one. Just because he seemed perfect to experienced horsey people doesn't mean that he doesn't have some hidden problems that could have fooled them.


Get help, now. If the problem is minor the worst you'll do is wasted a bit of money and someone's time. If the problem is major its going to get worse, and since you don't have the skill you are at real risk of being hurt. Good luck.
Reply:Its possible that he was going on like this as his foot was sore, and just like humans, horses dont act rationally when they are feeling pain. It may not have been the fact that the shoe was missing. i have seen plenty of horses continue their ride with only no or even slight irritation at the difference of losing one shoe, but was probably the hoof itself, it may have been rather tender, and him having to walk on it, may have caused some pain. especially if its an old injury perhaps, and because he has been shod for so long, he hasnt had to put any direct pressure on the hoof itself. get the farrier or someone experienced to check it out for u and see if they can notice anything. one of my mates horses has an overgrown hoof... he needs specialised shoeing and the "hang nail" to be filed down regularly and every time that shoe comes off, he needs it redone straight away or he is lame and not able to be ridden. it could be the same situation, but best to check it out anyway, in case it does happen again, at least u will know what the reason is and u wont have to worry. if it is the case, its just a matter of keeping on top of his shoeing and making sure they are done on time, everytime. good luck :)



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