Shoeing The Multi-Purpose Quarter Horse By Lynda Layne In the highly specialized Quarter Horse industry, many horses perform only in one event. Shoeing is specific for reining, Western pleasure or halter classes. Yet there are still exhibitors, especially in the youth and amateur divisions, who ride their horse in several events. As a result, you are faced with the job of shoeing the horse for several duties. Farrier Paul Dorris Jr., who headquarters at MeadowBrook Veterinary Hospital in Andover, Kan., shoes many top Quarter Horses. The ones he considers multi-event horses compete in classes ranging from showmanship, Western pleasure, trail, Western riding to horsemanship. Others compete in higher action events, such as barrels or reining. Dorris says the most important shoeing decisions are determined by the owner's priorities. "If they've got a horse that's primarily a reiner, which they'll also show in other classes," says Dorris, "you're probably going to have to leave sliding plates on." If a horse is mainly used for pleasure classes, Western riding or horsemanship but is entered in some reining classes, Dorris will hand-make 3/4- by 1/4-inch small, plain-stamped, slick plates which he calls "sliderettes." He uses a small countersunk nail set flush in the shoe. This way, he says, "You don't have a nail head sticking out, creating drag."

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