pines of rome
Well-Known Member
Has anyone got epona shoes on their horse and how have they worked out?
Epona horse shoes
- Thread starter pines of rome
- Start date
tallyho!
Following a strict mediterranean diet...
I've heard of these... just been back to look at website... hmmm they have certainly made a few changes!
They make a good case and I guess would be useful for some circumstances and better than metal shoeing... certainly the improvements are like taking a horse barefoot except for it taking longer with the epona shoe. So if you needed to take it slow, it could be useful.
However, with good hoof boots around costing far less, and lasting much longer it would have to be a very serious case for me to consider Epona shoes.
It tries to mimic the natural hoof which is great but I can't get my head around paying for a bit of plastic to do it when the hoof itself can do a perfectly good job on it's own given time and good management. Just my thoughts...
They make a good case and I guess would be useful for some circumstances and better than metal shoeing... certainly the improvements are like taking a horse barefoot except for it taking longer with the epona shoe. So if you needed to take it slow, it could be useful.
However, with good hoof boots around costing far less, and lasting much longer it would have to be a very serious case for me to consider Epona shoes.
It tries to mimic the natural hoof which is great but I can't get my head around paying for a bit of plastic to do it when the hoof itself can do a perfectly good job on it's own given time and good management. Just my thoughts...
pines of rome
Well-Known Member
My boy has a old navicular fracture in one hoof and pastern arthritis in the other leg, I tried him barefoot for ten months but he was never comfortable!
I did lots of walking out in boots and pads and he grew some great little feet but his stride was short, he seemed to struggle with the weight of the boots!
Anyway I finally gave in to the vets advice and put shoes on, he had PLRs at first and he looked better straight away and then we had him in eggbars which have worked well for six months but not so good now!
The eponas seem to be a good compromise between metal shoes and barefoot so I have talked my farrier into ordering some , if not he might have to have perfect hoofwear wraps on again he was great in them
I did lots of walking out in boots and pads and he grew some great little feet but his stride was short, he seemed to struggle with the weight of the boots!
Anyway I finally gave in to the vets advice and put shoes on, he had PLRs at first and he looked better straight away and then we had him in eggbars which have worked well for six months but not so good now!
The eponas seem to be a good compromise between metal shoes and barefoot so I have talked my farrier into ordering some , if not he might have to have perfect hoofwear wraps on again he was great in them
tallyho!
Following a strict mediterranean diet...
Ah! Well there you are - this is the sort of circumstance I was imagining!
So sorry to hear about your boy - that sounds so painful. I hope your trial works. You have to give it a go at least and these seem suited to your situation. I wish him a good recovery.
So sorry to hear about your boy - that sounds so painful. I hope your trial works. You have to give it a go at least and these seem suited to your situation. I wish him a good recovery.
pines of rome
Well-Known Member
Thank you, Fortunately he is not in much pain, he only ever looks a little lame on a sharp turn. I am trying so hard to do what is for best for him, was so upset when barefoot didn,t seem to help, hated putting shoes on because outwardly his feet looked so good for a TB!
After reading a thread by Santa Paws where she mentioned she had a horse where barefoot hadn,t worked due to a bone spur I thought this must be the problem with Romeo anyway I will try the eponas and let you know how they work out!
After reading a thread by Santa Paws where she mentioned she had a horse where barefoot hadn,t worked due to a bone spur I thought this must be the problem with Romeo anyway I will try the eponas and let you know how they work out!
tallyho!
Following a strict mediterranean diet...
Yes please do PoR, it is heartbreaking when you feel you can't help your best friend. I was also like that when my boy was lame (navi). I looked into epona back then too but luckily bf worked in his case. I believe where there is a problem, there is a solution!
Cluny
Well-Known Member
Yes, me! You might have seen me post elsewhere on here about them. I used them on both my horses with great success. I used them initially on my big WB who had DJD in both hocks and he was much more comfortable in them, and he moved more freely in them. I then put my other WB due and again he did really well in them. With both horses on growth improved hugely along with horn quality.
Thoroughly recommend them!
Thoroughly recommend them!
pines of rome
Well-Known Member
That sounds promising, were yours glued, nailed on or both and how costly were they? I am only looking to put them on the fronts!
Cluny
Well-Known Member
Mine were glued on as I wanted to grow out the old nail holes and eventually transition to barefoot.
I'm trying to remember how much I paid for them as it was a couple of years ago, I think including farriers costs it was around £90. I still have a couple of unused shoes in my tack room, if you decide to go for them and know what size your horse will take, then you are very welcome to them, I can pop them in the post to you.
I'm trying to remember how much I paid for them as it was a couple of years ago, I think including farriers costs it was around £90. I still have a couple of unused shoes in my tack room, if you decide to go for them and know what size your horse will take, then you are very welcome to them, I can pop them in the post to you.
pines of rome
Well-Known Member
Thank you thats a really kind offer but I expect your horse as normal size feet, my boy is a little TB with pony size feet, his cavello boots are only size 1, I don,t know yet what size my farrier has ordered?
Did you find they stayed on ok just glued, I was thinking nailing especially in all this wet and also because the little toad tears round his field like a lunatic quite often!
Did your farrier find them quite easy to fit, mine hasn,t used them before but is willing to try them for me!
Did you find they stayed on ok just glued, I was thinking nailing especially in all this wet and also because the little toad tears round his field like a lunatic quite often!
Did your farrier find them quite easy to fit, mine hasn,t used them before but is willing to try them for me!
Orangehorse
Well-Known Member
They didn't work out for me. I got them on the advice of my farrier, but he had always fitted them with the filling, which is supposed to act as protection for the sole. Unfortunately for my horse it crippled him and I had to ask the farrier to take them off the next day. He re-fitted normal metal shoes and horse was OK again, and the main thing, sound.
I like the idea, and I think that maybe without the filling and just fitted as a normal shoe they should be OK. I think if you have a very high mileage, like an endurance horse, the metal inside the shoe can bend and distort.
So I have a pair of shoes and some tins of filling cluttering up my shelves.
I like the idea, and I think that maybe without the filling and just fitted as a normal shoe they should be OK. I think if you have a very high mileage, like an endurance horse, the metal inside the shoe can bend and distort.
So I have a pair of shoes and some tins of filling cluttering up my shelves.
Cluny
Well-Known Member
TBH PoR in this weather I would probably go the nailing and gluing route. Sal who is the Epona UK rep and was also my RI and friend, suggested turning out with over reach boots on, to avoid my lad pulling them off (big clumsy WB).
If your mud is anything like ours at the moment (just come back from getting the horses in and got my boot sucked off in it), then nails would be good.
Just a tip for your farrier, my husband uses the bovine equivalent of the glue that is used for the Eponas. He keeps the Bovibond in a hot box when trimming cows, as in cold weather if the glue is cold it dries much slower. So if you can get the glue warm just before your farrier applies it, it'll be easier to use, but he'll need to be fairly quick with it.
If you or he have any queries give Sally Bell a ring, she's talked many a farrier through fitting them.
If your mud is anything like ours at the moment (just come back from getting the horses in and got my boot sucked off in it), then nails would be good.
Just a tip for your farrier, my husband uses the bovine equivalent of the glue that is used for the Eponas. He keeps the Bovibond in a hot box when trimming cows, as in cold weather if the glue is cold it dries much slower. So if you can get the glue warm just before your farrier applies it, it'll be easier to use, but he'll need to be fairly quick with it.
If you or he have any queries give Sally Bell a ring, she's talked many a farrier through fitting them.
pines of rome
Well-Known Member
Thanks all of you for your help and advice, its much appreciated!