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Crossfire Shoe
For the rear hoof only. This shoe widens the flight arc
preventing forging and also helps a square horse to stride by causing him
to break over the inside of his toe. (Shown in Picture 5)
Picture 5 - Crossfire shoe with trailer
Square Toe Shoe
For front and hind feet. This shoe is good for forging when it
is used on the hind hoof. It quickens breakover while straightening
the movement of the front hoof.
Rolled Toe
For front and hind feet. Used to speed up the breakover which
will quicken the forward movement of the hoof. The hoof will then
come back to the ground faster, changing the timing of the foot falls.
This can be used to correct a square horse by lengthening his stride by
promoting reach. Shown in Picture 1)
Half Round Shoe
For front and hind feet. This is a shoe that is half as thick as
it is wide. It is a circle cut. It makes the horse breakover
faster and is used on foundered horses or horses with tendon problems.
Trailer
For hind feet only. It is an extension of the metal pulled from
the outside rear of a hind shoe. The trailer hits the ground first
during the completion of the stride giving lateral support. This
keeps the rear legs from going too wide and positions the hoof to break
over the inside toe which will increase stride. (Shown in Picture 5)
Crease
For front and hind feet. This will increase traction by
collecting dirt. The dirt packed in the crease will not slip on the
ground. It also allows the nails to be pulled out of the shoe
easier. (Shown in Pictures 1 and 4)
Heavy Shoe
For front feet. This shoe will slow the speed of the front
hoof's motion down and may induce animation.
Toe Weight
For front hoof. This will draw the travel of the hoof's movement
forward providing more reach. (Shown in Picture 3)
Picture 3 - Toe weight with folded caulk Winging Shoe
For front feet. This is a regular flat shoe with a drawn out
area to the outside front edge. The drawn out area causes the horse
to break over the inside toe. (Shown in Picture 4)
Picture 4 - Winging Shoe with crease |
Dished Toe Shoe
For front feet. This is a thinning of the shoe on the inside
curve of the toe. It's purpose is to prevent sand or dirt from being
flipped up into the horse's belly or crotch. The dish shape mimics
the natural shape of the sole and cannot hold sand long enough to be
lifted upward.
Bands
For front feet. Bands help hold the back of the shoe tight to
the hoof and reduces movement at the nails. They can cause
contraction or dish toes if not properly applied and should be loosened
when the horse is in the stall.
Pads
For front and hind feet. A quarter inch leather pad can be used
to protect the sole from stone bruising. It will also stabilize the
moisture content in the hoof. Make sure the hoof is free of thrush
before applying pads. Thrush thrives in an airless environment and
pads can create this environment.
Silicone
For front and hind feet. Bathtub caulking silicone can be
applied to the shoe before it is applied to the hoof to increase hold.
You might want to consider using silicone if you have a horse that
constantly throws shoes or if you have a horse with white line fungus or
mealy feet. It may reduce the ability of the hoof to properly expand
when it hits the ground. Silicone can be used to prevent bruising of
the sole or wall by acting as a pad to reduce friction and it also assists
in holding the shoe to the hoof. Clean the sole thoroughly before
applying silicone to prevent thrush or white line fungus. When the
silicone is tacky, apply shoe and nail on. If properly
applied, the shoe will remain in place even when the nails have been
removed. This also prevents dirt from collecting under the shoe,
reducing chances of infection and breakage in the walls.
Some Thoughts on Shoeing
Putting shoes on the horse not
only helps keep the hooves from wearing down, but it also can correct leg
movement. Proper shoeing should provide comfort and ease of
movement. It should never cause pain or cause the horse to move
against his natural flow of motion. Proper shoeing should help
promote stride and animation, not cause it.
The trim is the most important part of shoeing.
It is the base upon which the shoe is placed. If the trim is wrong
the shoe cannot compensate. A basic program for a pacey horse is to
use the heavy shoe in front with a long toe and trim the hind hooves short
at a steeper angle using a light shoe. For a trotty horse use a
light front shoe with a shorter toe and a steeper angle and a heavier hind
shoe with a lower angle and a longer hoof. These suggestions are
relative to your horse's current shoeing, not front to back feet.
For instance, you would not put a heavy shod shoe on the rear hooves of a
trotty horse! Just more weight than he is currently using.
Three fourths of an inch behind the point of the frog
is the center of the horse's hoof. No nail should be placed behind
this point. This will allow the hoof to properly expand and prevent
contraction.
Normal hoof length for a 15.3 hand horse is between 4
and 4.5 inches in front and between 3.5 and 3.75 inches in the rear.
The hoof must be long enough to support the horse's weight and movement
and short enough so as not to impair his movement.
The nails in a shoe should travel up the white line or
insensitive laminae and come through the wall 3/4 inch up from the shoe.
On a hoof longer than four inches the nail should come out one inch above
the shoe. The nails should be in line and have equal space between
them. If the nails are bunched together it increases the tendency
for the walls to break out. The holes in the hoof act like
perforated paper so it is important to have as few holes as possible to
promote strength. Be judicious about shoeing your horse more often
than necessary because the increase in numbers of holes in the hoof weaken
the hoof wall.
A horse that has been "quicked" means that a nail has
penetrated the sensitive laminae of the hoof. When a horse has been
quicked there are usually small signs of blood. It may take weeks
for a quicked horse to heal.
A properly shaped hoof should be wider at the bottom
than at the coronet band and should have the same shape as seen in
the coronet band
Trim the back of the hoof to the widest point of the frog
and then trim the toe to get the proper angle. This will produce a
strong heel and correct hoof growth.
To straighten the horse's stance, trim the hoof lower
on the side that the hoof points toward.
Trim the angle of the hoof to match the angle found in
the pastern which should match the angle found in the shoulder. All
of these angles are relative to each other.
A Walking Horse will usually have a 50 degree angle in
the front hoof and a 54 degree angle in the hind hoof. The hind
hooves are usually 3 to 5 degrees higher in angle than the front hoof.
Always trim and shoe the horse for soundness and let the angles in the
hooves reflect those found in the rest of his body.
Great shoeing helps a great horse;
poor shoeing causes damage. |