Glue on shoes (and transitioning to bf on a full livery yard)

[Bernster]

F has had glue-on aluminum shoes put on this week. I haven't come across these before. Has anyone else used/seen them, got any feedback on whether they involve different care or management?

I have a very helpful farrier (who I've spoken more to in the last couple of months of using him than I ever did with my previous farrier who I used for years). He's given me some tips and info but am interested to hear other people's experiences.

For those who are curious, F's glue on's are due to his conformation and way of going which means he's pulling the nails on the inside and damaging the hoof wall, so these will help strengthen the hoof wall. It should be temporary and it might be a helpful transition to taking his shoes off altogether. I have been toying with the idea of bf (and farrier seems quite pro bf interestingly) but have been a bit unsure of whether we have the right set up (livery yard, limited range of surfaces) to do this successfully.

 

[Lanky Loll]

Can't comment on the bf situation, but glue on shoes are a useful tool in the farriers box I wouldn't be turning out in thick mud in them (but then don't turn out in thick mud in normal shoes personally) but otherwise they should work pretty much as normal shoes. Being aluminium they won't last through lots of roadwork but that would be the only other thing I can think of care wise.

 

[ester]

Some horses need higher levels of set up than others, you don't really know until you try but shoes can always go back on.
Is his diet BF friendly.

 

[FfionWinnie]

All you really need is some nice smooth tarmac, and a good diet. If the livery feeds their own feed, that could be your sticking point if you can't choose what hard feed he gets.

I don't have anything other than field, stoney tracks and tarmac and I've transitioned about 10 successfully now (I've got so blaze about it, I've lost count). If you have an arena so you can keep up a good amount of work without wearing his feet off before he's had time to adjust, so much the better. The only thing is you might want to wait and do it over the winter if you want to compete this summer. Boots are OK in a pinch, but I've found it more enjoyable just to work their feet up to what they can take, if they makes sense. I suppose over the summer there might be more chance to ride in the field for me so summer would be easier for me. It really just depends on your set up and how much time you want to put into it. I would work on getting his diet the best you can in the short term.

What is he like when he's being shod, and he hasn't got any shoes on. I've bought a few which were totally unable to walk without shoes yet I still got them barefoot.

 

[Bernster]

Can't comment on the bf situation, but glue on shoes are a useful tool in the farriers box I wouldn't be turning out in thick mud in them (but then don't turn out in thick mud in normal shoes personally) but otherwise they should work pretty much as normal shoes. Being aluminium they won't last through lots of roadwork but that would be the only other thing I can think of care wise.

Thank you. I'd say it def makes sense as an interim measure. Farrier did say the wear down quicker but fortunately we don't have loads of roadwork around us. He also mentioned about not getting them soaked, which is trickier as I do like him to go out in all conditions for max turnout, so that might need some thinking about. And they are blooming expensive and seem like tricky things to put on but that's for the farrier to worry about!

Some horses need higher levels of set up than others, you don't really know until you try but shoes can always go back on.
Is his diet BF friendly.

All you really need is some nice smooth tarmac, and a good diet. If the livery feeds their own feed, that could be your sticking point if you can't choose what hard feed he gets.

I don't have anything other than field, stoney tracks and tarmac and I've transitioned about 10 successfully now (I've got so blaze about it, I've lost count). If you have an arena so you can keep up a good amount of work without wearing his feet off before he's had time to adjust, so much the better. The only thing is you might want to wait and do it over the winter if you want to compete this summer. Boots are OK in a pinch, but I've found it more enjoyable just to work their feet up to what they can take, if they makes sense. I suppose over the summer there might be more chance to ride in the field for me so summer would be easier for me. It really just depends on your set up and how much time you want to put into it. I would work on getting his diet the best you can in the short term.

What is he like when he's being shod, and he hasn't got any shoes on. I've bought a few which were totally unable to walk without shoes yet I still got them barefoot.

I think feed is the trickier part tbh. He's on an ok diet, dengie hi fi lite which I know isn't the best but it's the best of what's available I think. He gets a small amount of that, equimins balancer, soaked say and grass. Am going to get a biotin/hoof supplement to add to that to help horn quality. I don't know how he'll be barefoot but we do have a small amount of tarmac on the yard, then it's grass tracks and stony bridleways, and a good surface in the school. So it's a mix, some should be fine but the bridleways might need boots. We have had bf liveries on the yard and they've found it ok although not 100% ideal.

 

[ester]

If he is on equimins advanced complete there is no need to add any extra supplement
Frank was booted pretty much all the time when hacking for about 6 months before slowly taking them off for easier surfaces .

 

[Bernster]

If he is on equimins advanced complete there is no need to add any extra supplement
Frank was booted pretty much all the time when hacking for about 6 months before slowly taking them off for easier surfaces .

Oh, I hadn't checked the ingredients for equimins yet - duh, does that have a good amount of biotin in it?/

Also wanted to share, as it made me chuckle, but I did need to apologise to the farrier. Apparently he was "a bit of d**k" to put the shoes on but they're on and his feet are looking better. Ooops.

 

[ester]

yup, Frank gets it and also it is more everything else that is important, a healthy horse should be making more than enough of it's own biotin, supplementing is a bit of a fallacy.