SJTHEPHOTO@aol.com wrote:
> On Tuesday she
> took him to the vet and she found sand underneath the silicone, underneath
> the pads.
> My question is this: When using pads, should we be injecting silicone under
> them?
There are some standard packings, including silicone and oakum. Each
have their advantages/disadvantages. No matter what we use, I've found
that the miles of work tends to loosen it and allow foriegn matter to
get under the pads.
I've had a small oval cut out of the toe of a plastic/vinyl pad (just
behind the web of the shoe) and used no packing at all. Sand and "junk"
had an escape route. I never had any problems with small gravel & rocks
getting in, but I could see that it might happen.
Another option to consider is to use rim pads to get the foot further
from the ground and protect the sole/frog.
Linda Flemmer