Re: Barefoot

["Maggie Mieske" <mmieske@netonecom.net>]

Kat,
Marvelous, informed post with lots of concrete info!!  Since you are looking
and I have not had the opportunity to experiment myself, I will tell you
about a new product that Equi Thane came out with this year.  It was
originally called Bovi Bond (yep, used it on cow feet) and is now called
Super Fast.  We originally tried it to glue shoes on a mare with broken
coffin bones that simply could not take the pounding of the nails.  Worked
great. (I think we didn't have to reset them for about 10 weeks and the
stuff really held up).   Then we used it IN PLACE OF the shoes...you just
squeeze it out around the outer hoof wall and it sets (you got it) SUPER
FAST.  In about 30 seconds...works best if it's room temp at least.  Cold,
damp weather is not a good time to apply it. Oh, and the hoof has to be
super clean and Nelson adds some cross cuts to aid adhesion.   Anyway, it
can be rasped like a hoof.  Even trimmed like a hoof.  You can add extra at
the heels if your horse needs more angle or is too low in the heels
(currently using it on a horse to see if it will help support the heel and
promote growth...plese note that the objective here is not to replace the
heel with this stuff but to use it to promote natural growth).  It can be
used in place of a shoe...this stuff is HARD.  I have been wanting to put it
on a horse and do some miles to see how it holds up but haven't had time
this year to do it.  I think it has some real potential.  If it wears, you
can just add more...no pulling shoes or resetting or nails.  I just don't
know if it will wear off in 10 miles or 1000 miles!  We have used it
therapeutically only on horses who are stalled or whose movement is
otherwise limited to a small enclosure.   So... I can't say.  But I do think
it's worth a try.  It's been wet, rainy and crappy here for weeks (or so it
seems!) but if I get a chance, I'm gonna do it yet this fall.  Depending on
how it wears (or not), some might find it cost prohibitive unless its
convenience made up for it.   It would depend on how much you had to use per
foot also.  We found one tube would do a couple of feet (and I think it's
$25-30 a tube).  The gun to apply it runs about $60 and the tips are maybe
$1 and you have to change them between feet cuz it's a special mixing tube
and the stuff hardens so fast.  Anyway, if you get a chance to try the
stuff, let me know how it goes and if I get a chance to get some on and put
some meaningful mileage on, I'll get back with you, too.  Yeah, yeah, I'm
sure we'll clue RC in, too!  :)
Maggie
P.S.  I think you'll find the stuff at www.horseshoes.com under Equi Thane.