‘Orlo is so much happier in shoes, and it works for us’
In the nine years that Jackie Williams has owned the 12-year-old traditional Gypsy Cob Orlo, she has given just about every shoeing solution a try in an attempt to make the 14.1hh pony as comfortable as possible.
“When I got him he was kept barefoot, and he had good feet, but he was getting footsore on hacks. I could tell as he would try to walk on the verge or head for softer ground. On stony ground he would go really slowly and I could feel him tense up because he wasn’t comfortable,” recalls Jackie, who was doing a mixture of roadwork and bridleways. “I opted to have him shod in front by the farrier who came out to the livery yard I was on at the time. We gave that a go for eight months, but Orlo was still getting sore hind feet.
“He also used to cast shoes all the time. I wasn’t enamoured with him being shod so I thought that I would try to transition him to barefoot again. I did a lot of research and reading and armed with more information I thought that he might go well.”
As Jackie transitioned Orlo back to being barefoot she ensured that he had the right feed to support hoof growth and she invested in boots for his fronts. She tried two different brands and found Scoot Boots to be preferable.
“They seemed fine for a while, but we still had problems on stony ground. I tried hind boots, but I couldn’t quite get a good enough fit,” says Jackie, 52. “Therefore, I decided to cut my losses and try shoeing all round again.”
It has now been two-and-a-half years and Jackie has no regrets.
“It’s the best thing I ever did for Orlo. He once had tension in his back, so he would have physio treatments and massages. About nine months after being shod all round the tension was gone and it has never come back,” says Flintshire-based Jackie. “I think he was carrying the tension from struggling on stony ground. Orlo has good feet naturally; he’s just prone to getting footsore on his soles. He’s is so much happier in shoes, and it works for us.”