Natural Balance Shoes...will it be a disaster if I take them off?

HeresHoping

HeresHoping

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Hi

This is probably a pie in the sky question and more info is needed which I don't have but thought I'd ask anyway.

New boy (if he passes the 5 stage vet tomorrow) is shod - pretty poorly in my HHO-informed opinion - in NB shoes. His near fore is actually a bit dumped and convex. He dishes very slightly with the off fore, but the hoof is a much better shape.

I asked the owner, who said that her farrier had recommended them and that he had always been in them (they bought him last April unbroken).

Was reading on here that changing to NBs had caused issues. My friend on here has just taken them off her horse because he was having problems and he was now sound.

Would it be stupid to change if there was no real reason for them in the first place? Should I manage the transition with wide webs?

Is it a case of 'only your farrier will know the answer?':o - She's very good, by the way. So good, my vet has recommended her to a number of his clients.

Sorry, this should have been in hoof care.
 
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I'd take them off.

Be prepared for some funny foot shapes as he grows a new hoof down.

Convex hoof wall and dumped toes might indicate a negative palmar angle in P3 - were you planning to get xrays done at the vetting?
 
Casey76 said:
I'd take them off.

Be prepared for some funny foot shapes as he grows a new hoof down.

Convex hoof wall and dumped toes might indicate a negative palmar angle in P3 - were you planning to get xrays done at the vetting?
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I was hoping someone might say something helpful like that - so thank you. It's certainly another point to ask the vet when she calls today to finalise requirements - I want specific inspection of certain things. I unfortunately can't be at the vetting as my mother had a stroke at the weekend and the horse is a good 90 miles away.

Thank you again. Have armed myself to the teeth with feeding for hoof growth information so will slowly change his diet over.
 
It's an appalling picture off my 'phone, and he's dozing in the sun so resting his near hind. Unfortunately, my good pictures are on my mother's camera and she has other priorities at the moment. But I think you can see what I mean about the slightly convex hoof. Typically, it's the one in the shade.

picture.php


Thank you.
 
Hereshoping said:
It's an appalling picture off my 'phone, and he's dozing in the sun so resting his near hind. Unfortunately, my good pictures are on my mother's camera and she has other priorities at the moment. But I think you can see what I mean about the slightly convex hoof. Typically, it's the one in the shade.

picture.php


Thank you.
Click to expand...

One here had natural balance shoes for his navicular. he went to normal shoes ,but now went back on the as he was better with them than without.
 
My last horse had NB shoes for ages. I changed farrier as couldn't keep him sound with the previous farrier. New one put NB shoes on first time and the horse quite literally skipped out to the field after. I hadn't seen him look so sound for months, even years maybe. He did really well in them (he has ringbone). Eventually the farrier changed him to more standard wide webbed rolled toes (made them himself) because he complained NBs don't stay on very well, but the same type of shoe. Put the horse in normal shoes with front clips once, he was stiff and lame for the entire time he was in them so he went back into NBs next shoeing.

You really need to see if you can speak with the seller's farrier to find out why he's being shod in them.
 
My old pony had them on for 10 years with no problems. Have seen lots of horses with them and never had a detrimental effect. It really is a case of having a farrier who knows how to put them on CORRECTLY though. I have seen some put in the totally wrong position.
 
I don't know if it helps OP given that you actually saw the feet but this is a foot with a flat P3 (not negative but not where it should be!) as opposed to an over rasped toe, an old loan arab had NB shoes and did a very good job of wearing his own toes away making it look like they had been over rasped or convex

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Anyone can by NB shoes but many don't know how to do the correct trim, which is the important part of the process, consequently the shoes get blamed for failings of the farrier applying them.

I have had them for all my horses for the past 10 years and wouldn't use anything else as I've seen such improvements, but I am lucky in having one of the best trained NB farriers.

In my view it would depend on what you plan to replace them with.
 
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