horseshoes, angles and equithotics sneakers

Stephanie Teeter (step@starfish.fsr.com)
Mon, 25 Nov 1996 10:52:09 -0800

Just a thought on the Equithotics shoes... They are a fairly
thick polyurethane shoe with an aluminum web. After a few rides
the polyurethane begins to wear, reflecting the horse's way of
going, similar to the natural foot's wear. The toes become
quite squared after a few weeks. I worry some about the thickness
of the shoe (maybe 3/4 inch) contributing to increased stress
on the tendons and ligaments - sort of like wearing platform
shoes. Really don't know if there's any cause to worry about this
and would love to hear other comments.
But is seems that allowing the a shoe to take on a more natural
shape with wear is a benefit - and a feedback for the farrier
as to how the horse is moving. Areas that receive more wear may
indicate an imbalance or improper trimming angles... and as
the shoes wear naturally maybe the angles become closer to the
optimum for this horse?
I'd love to hear other's thoughts on this. I really do like the
shock absorbing quality of these shoes, and have had no problems
with them staying on. The only negative I've found is that they
can be slick on wet grassy trails - but this also varies from
horse to horse.

Steph

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