Natural Balance shoes...

aldato_daz

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Hey all...as with a lot of other topics in here im sure this has already been discussed so sorry but im keen to know a but more about this...

following my other post about my horses bad hooves (they were far too long and his heels are very low) i was advised to change my farrier, however because farriers are hard to come by round my area i decided to stick with my own farrier and asked him to come out.

he came out today and ha fitted natural balance shoes on my horse. i wasnt actually there when he was doing it but my dad was so i didnt really hear much about y he put these on. i spoke to him briefly on the phone and he told me a little bit about them. he said that they were good for horses whop had low heels and flat feet and something about keeping the toe back.

i read a post on here using the search engine and quite a few people had very bad experiences with NB shoes so now im really worried. i will be goin gout to see my horse now shortly so i will be able to see for myself if he likes them and if he isnt lame. il take some photos and show the before and after to see what you all think!

so is there anyone out there who likes the NS shoes?? any advice would be brill!!!

thanks guys!!

Carrie
 

ihatework

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I looked into briefly for my horse, sally2008 on here was really helpful, if you search for my thread on it you will find a link to some websites.
The only reason I looked into it was because my vet mentioned they may suit my horse however he took some xrays and changed his mind, was happy with the horses current shoeing.
The general impression I got about NB shoes is that some horses they suit and some horses they don't, but above all you need a farrier that is experienced at fitting NB shoes and knows what they are trying to achieve by fitting them.
I remember your last post and have to admit I was slightly concerned about your horses feet, at the end of the day you have to trust your farrier to do a good job and therefore I'm not going to comment further except to say please have her shod very regularly and if in the next 2-3 shoings there isn't a noticeable difference then it is worth the effort of finding another farrier.
 

JessPickle

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My first thought would be I wouldnt be happy if my farrier but a diffrent type of shoe on my horse without consulting me.

NB shoes do suit some horses, one pony at my yard has them and they are brilliant for him, have even helped a bit with his lameness problem. I think it really depends on the horse.
 

eekmon

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My horse ( and me) love NB shoes!
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Hes had them for about 4 years now. As mentioned before, make sure your farrier is NB trained as I have heard of farriers just putting them on, on demand!
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We battled for years as to how to stop my boy trashing his shoes and in the end my farrier suggested NB. He moved in a much more 'free' way with them. I know they are very 'in' at the moment but I have had no problems at all with them!
smile.gif
 

brightmount

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I don't know whether any of the old posts you found were mine, but my horse was crippled by an NB shoeing that aggravated her early navicular and it was a complete disaster that almost resulted in her being PTS, but she is a remarkable success story. An Equine Podiatrist took her on as a project, she went barefoot in February, and she is now back to even better soundness than she ever was, though it has been a commitment.

I didn't comment on your previous thread but I was shocked at how your horse's hooves had grown so long and that your farrier hadn't discussed a programme to address it. In my experience, once structure is lost, there are no quick fixes as doing anything too drastic in one trim or shoeing upsets the soft tissue within the hoof and you really can't rush it. I would be loathe to trust your farrier, given how far things had deteriorated, but having said that, and despite my bad experience of NB, I can see where he is coming from, bringing the breakover and centre of balance further back and dubbing the toe. I only hope it isn't too drastic for your horse at this stage.

In an ideal world, I would recommend an Equine Podiatrist, although I don't know if you have any in your area. If you get to the point of considering barefoot for your horse, this is the website to visit:

http://www.equinepodiatry.org.uk/
 

princesskelly

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my horse has had NB for years at the advice of a vet. she is fine now moves a lot better as well. but as said before they only suit some horses. good luck with everything.
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I have only heard worrying things to be honest including abcesses, lameness following shoeing etc. However, as some people are reporting good results I guess that it may be down to who is doing the shoeing! Personally I'd rather stick to normal shoes with a good farrier (my horse was diagnosed with navicular 11 years ago and is still ok).

I think a lot of the problems come in when feet aren't routinely trimmed / shod and are allowed to get a long toe which causes the heels to drop. I get my horse done every 6-8 weeks, normally nearer 6.
 

eekmon

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[ QUOTE ]
I have only heard worrying things to be honest including abcesses, lameness following shoeing etc.


[/ QUOTE ]

Well I have SEEN all of the above from a farrier that just shoes in the traditional method!
shocked.gif
As you said think it s down to the individual farrier!
 

Nic

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Both my boys have just been fitted with them on advice of the vet as D has arthritus in his coffin joints. the feet will look very straight at the front.

Haven't seen a difference in the way they move other than D is still sound & tripping less.
 

loopylucifer

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my horse has those probs too. long toe low heals. v tb feet also twice the size they should be for her size. supprisingly been very sound on them till last year. she has had NB shoes on for about 7 years loses shoes less and very few abseses (previously had quite a few). haveing few lamness issues at mo poss feet but unsure (cant nerve block too much of an old bag!!)had normal shoes on with pads and keept tripping lots and was quite short in stride alst shoeing put NB back on with pads and now feels great in front unfortunatly now lame behind but thats another story!! i do like NB shoes as long as farrier is gd and putting them on!
 

the watcher

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Be careful to give your horse a couple of days at least to adjust to the new placing of the foot. I am a big fan of NB shoes, because they work for my horses, one in particular who is quite down hill in her build is a good deal less trippy in them.
 

Moggy in Manolos

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My girl has had NB shoes fitted since april this year after coming back to me from her loan home with the most atrocious, overgrown feet, and evidence of a bout of laminitis.
She has done well with this new shoeing method as was advised by my farrier who seems to be very good,only had him since april, but she has been sound and happy and her feet are improving drastically now she is back in my care,which i am so relieved about. The main thing i know is they work for her, and may be worth a try for others
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