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Re: Slypner shoe dilemma



Chelle Sherman wrote:

> OK - anybody out there who uses Slypner shoes, I sure could use your help.  <SNIP> I lost one insert, and proceeded to mash the shoe up pretty well before I knew it was gone.

That was our problem, too.  The base plates would be chewed up when the inserts popped out.  It got expensive to replace the inserts, and the horse's foot was chewed up from resetting a shoe plate so often.  (Not to mention that you don't make much time hopping off to check the inserts periodically.)  They are a nice idea, but lacked a lot in actual use.  When I complained to Slypner, they said that they had a solution for locking in the inserts (on paper), but the shoes would have been unaffordable for them to make & sell that way.  They were looking at other alternatives (this was 2 1/2 years ago), but I guess that they didn't find any yet.

> If you use Slypners, what would you do? Any other options I haven't thought of?

Get the farrier to put plain old fashioned plates on the horse!  If you like the cushioning that the insets offer, try some of the specially covered shoes (Sneakers/Equithotics, etc) if your sanctioning body allows them.

> If you think the easy boot is a good choice, how do I make sure it won't bloody her heels, and how do I get the right size to go on over the shoe?

Measure the width of the foot at it's widest, including the shoe.  Then compare that to the measurement of the EZ Boots.  (Don't expect to squeeze into something marginally too small, either!  Unfortunately for us, what fits Rocket w/ shoes on doesn't fit barefoot - we have more boots than I can shake a stick at.)  Trim the heel down to the line marked on the back to keep it off of the bulbs of the heels.  We also use a bit of vet wrap loosely wrapped around the bulbs and hairline to protect the foot.  Use a string/strap/etc. under the heel strap to help pull the boot up into place on the foot.  Then tighten down in the front w/ the "lever".  It should require a very firm push to be sure that the cable is tight enough.  We have no experience using the easy foam to keep them on, but look in the archives for information on that.

Good luck!

Linda Flemmer



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