|
|
 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
     
Location: Broxton, Ga | Which do you prefer..........?
Do you think steel shoes slow your horse down.............recently this year per my vet he suggested I shoe my mare to increase her angles.........had some soreness in her ankles............up till this time I had ran this mare barefoot and she has ran in the 1/2d at big shows.........well after the shoes she seems to have slowed down..........freaking thing is I had lost both shoes.........ran her and she felt like her old fast safe......3ths fastest.........same pen......that I run at quite a bit.........I am considering aluminum shoes or going back barefoot.......only issue with that is the down time she will have due to being tender........note she is only shod on the front.
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3300
| I don't think it's the shoes but more changing her angles.. Changing them will change how she moves her length of strid and her break over... But if you have X-rays and it shows she needs them I'd keep them on |
|
| |
|
Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | aqhabarrelchic1 - 2014-08-17 4:35 PM I don't think it's the shoes but more changing her angles.. Changing them will change how she moves her length of strid and her break over... But if you have X-rays and it shows she needs them I'd keep them on
It was more of a suggestion..........I take her and just let him check her once a year.......wasn't like she was off but he noticed some fluid in her ankle area and she flexed positive............. |
|
| |
|
 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| I use aluminums... I switched my gelding to a 2 degree wedge natural balance shoe and although its taken away from his stride he got faster because he's feeling better. So if she's slowing down, I would be worried maybe she isnt feeling better. |
|
| |
|
 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I like the steel better, they give more support then the Aluminum, the aluminum shoes are to soft for my heavy horses. |
|
| |
|
Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | stayceem - 2014-08-17 5:09 PM I use aluminums... I switched my gelding to a 2 degree wedge natural balance shoe and although its taken away from his stride he got faster because he's feeling better. So if she's slowing down, I would be worried maybe she isnt feeling better.
My thought does the weight of the shoe keep her foot up in the air longer.............maybe far fetched but just a thought........... |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I wouldn't say it is the weight of the shoe that is slowing her down, but would guess it is too much or too little traction she is getting from the shoe.
This would depend on which shoe you got.
I have heard aluminum shoes vibrate more than the still shoe. I have tried the aluminum no vibe, and have put shock tamer under the shoes and have noticed no difference.
This is when I still put shoes on my horses, but had a bad year with feet I went to barefoot and haven't looked back in the past 4 years |
|
| |
|
 Hugs to You
Posts: 7551
Location: In The Land of Cotton | I rely on my shoer, so here is a question - can you change the angles without shoes? Maybe the day she went she was just sore. Had she just come from big show? Had her stalling situation changed? Maybe make the down time shorter by using boots? |
|
| |
|
Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| CJE - 2014-08-18 6:48 PM
stayceem - 2014-08-17 5:09 PM I use aluminums... I switched my gelding to a 2 degree wedge natural balance shoe and although its taken away from his stride he got faster because he's feeling better. So if she's slowing down, I would be worried maybe she isnt feeling better.
My thought does the weight of the shoe keep her foot up in the air longer.............maybe far fetched but just a thought...........
The issue with gelding was - hes kinda clumsy and when he would trip his feet were heavy and he knocked his leg pretty frequently. So I would say the weight can be harder for them to control in the event of a mis-step which ultimately could slow them down. How long did you try running in them?? |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| 3canstorun - 2014-08-18 7:06 PM
I rely on my shoer, so here is a question - can you change the angles without shoes? Maybe the day she went she was just sore. Had she just come from big show? Had her stalling situation changed? Maybe make the down time shorter by using boots?
Yes farriers can change the angles on a barefoot horse, it takes longer, and you need to trim more frequently, generally every 3-4 weeks, and the trims mostly become rasping away the excess growth. |
|
| |
|
Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | 3canstorun - 2014-08-17 8:06 PM I rely on my shoer, so here is a question - can you change the angles without shoes? Maybe the day she went she was just sore. Had she just come from big show? Had her stalling situation changed? Maybe make the down time shorter by using boots?
No they were no changes at home nor had we just came home from a big show. I was just having her checked for lameness I do that with her and yes her ankles above were little puffy and she tested positive in flexion exam injected ankles and that was vets suggestion.
|
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1035
Location: TN | I use aluminum wedges on front and steel on back. It works better for him than regular steel or barefoot. He gets too tender if he's barefoot because he doesn't grow enough heel on front. It hasn't slowed him down any and it's really helped his angles. |
|
| |
Folks on-line