ridecamp@endurance.net: 4 Pt/trim/Natural Balance Shoes (long)

4 Pt/trim/Natural Balance Shoes (long)

Peck, B.B. (bpeck@VNET.IBM.COM)
Tue, 10 Jun 97 11:18:26 EDT

Hi all:
I'm de-lurking to respond to the posts regarding the 4 pt.trim/Natural
Balance Shoes ( Gene O.'s design), since I have tried both on my 2 horses
this year. NOTE: when I mention the NBS, I do not mean the world racing plate)

Horse 1) 15:2 1/2 1250 lbs (size 2 in front/1 in back) short coupled/strong
backed, long fluid stride (short cannons, long forearm) has a
tendency to forge ( he's a FQHA & can be lazy) after shoes are on
for about 4 weeks & wears the toe, breaking over slightly to the
out side. Tracks up at the trot. Is ridden about 100 miles per month
at about 5 mph, most rides 5-15miles long over varied terrian: some
pavement/hard packed dirt roads/woods trails, mud & rocks.
(hoof angles 48 front/49 rear)(base wide). Low withers, slightly
downhill build.
Horse 2) 14:2 1000 lbs (size 1 shoes Front & rear) Long backed/ short strided
never forged a step in her life/ wears the toe, break-over dead center
Ridden the same as horse #1. (hoof angles 49 deg front & back)
She's not base wide or narrow. Good withers, level croup to withers.

I used the 4 pt. trim on both horses for the winter. Each horse was ridden
100 miles in April (barefoot on a nice flat trail) before shod. Horse #1
had a noticable improvement in stride.
I did not see a difference in Horse #2.

My farrier fashioned front & rear NBS from steel shoes & shod both horses.
His shoes looked pretty much like Gene O.'s, but the toe was not quite as
wide, but it was just as square. (Aluminum shoes would never hold up here).

Horse # 2. showed a marked improvement, and has still not forged. The break-
over point (which usually looks rockered after about 100 miles)
is still not noticable, which to me means: the NBS is doing
what it's supposed to and he's breaking over faster, getting those
front feet out of the way faster. He has alot of impulsion from
the rear/ really swings his hips when he walks and usually over-
steps his front print with his hind.

IMO: NBS can improve some horses (alot) by speeding up break-over. Especially
if horse is built/ moves similar to horse 1. This horse's improvement
was quite marked and I get more miles out of a set of steel shoes.
This horse is now so comfortable to ride we call him the Barko-lounger.

So. There you have it. One horse with a remarkable improvement & one horse
with no improvement....

Hope this helps...
Barb Peck
Horse 1 "Sweet Leo Silver" FQHA
Horse 2 "Jetty's Bouquet" Race-bred AQHA

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