Plastic shoes vs steel shoes for 'normal' horses

[samlf]

Have done a search but seems to only apply to horses with hoof problems.

There seem to have been a lot of advances in plastic shoes over recent years, and I am wondering if they can be more beneficial than steel shoes, now?

Does anyone use them for a horse without any hoof problems, if so - for what reason?

I'm particularly interested to know if they reduce concussion and allow the hoof to flex more naturally than a steel shoe.

It looks like some of them you can nail on, and some of them have stud holes.

If I were to use them I would need stud holes so I think that limits options to either epona shoe or imprint sport, unless there are others I am unaware of. I think I'd prefer them nailed on still, which I know will decrease the flexibility of the hoof but I understand gluing can be unreliable still.

Also what are opinions on those with a heart bar type shape compared to a normal shoe shape? Obviously in steel shoes heartbars aren't used for horses without problems, but given that these shoes are made from a different material is it better to use this shape to still give frog stimulation or do they still have the drawbacks of normal heartbars in that the constant pressure and lack of air = thrush?

Lastly, do people find farriers are happy to fit them if they don't usually do so? Cost wise, do people buy the shoes outright or does the farrier supply them and how much do people pay?

 

[SullivanB]

Plastic shoes are normally used in remedial cases and are expensive. As for heal expansion, normal shoes allow for this on soft surfaces - such as a sand arena where the frog touches the surface, it would be the same for plastic shoes. Your farrier is always the best person to advise you regarding shoeing though. I pay £80 per set every 6 weeks.

 

[BethH]

Hi surprised to read this post but delighted too - I thought I was the only one thinking about this.

The story so far: After several years of my horse being not quite right my vet has asked me to try re shoeing my horse. He has been barefoot for 3 years and continuously suffered from not quite right syndrome!! Problem is, I really like barefoot and thoroughly agree with much of the ethos behind trying to keep a horse that way, but some just can't work enough to keep the feet tough so I am horrified by having to put old fashioned lumps of inflexible metal on his feet and really can't believe there is not a better material and no other choice but the farrier is booked for the 1st week of Sept and my guilt is huge but my horse needs to start living again!

However the whole way through my barefoot journey I always suspected I might have to shoe for some of the year and found Equi-Eaze Horseshoes. I had a long chat with the farrier who invented them and was really impressed. He thinks he has created a plastic shoe with the same flexibility as a hoof wall which can be nailed, wrapped or glued on. I spoke to him at length about 18mths ago and swore I would try and get my horse shod in these if I ever had to consider shoes again so am talking to my new farrier about them although it may be slow going!

This is his website it makes for interesting reading - http://plastichorseshoes.co.uk/ He has had a lot of success, if I manage to get these for my horse, I will have them nailed on as if you glue it reduces their flexibility, but Neil Jackson the farrier invented them as he hopes to reduce concussion considerably and therefore delay the onset of arthritis.

Might be worth a read and I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Most people think I'm a bit mad but it makes so much sense to me!!

P.S Heat Bars IMHO, short term gain, long term pain!

 

[samlf]

Thanks for replies.

SB - At risk of sounding like a toddler, but WHY are they used for remedial cases generally? Is it the price? Or another reason? £80 per set of what type of shoes?

BH - I did come across these when googling but found the website wasnt massively informative, probably due to having a much smaller budget than the big companies! Did you get a price for them at all? Looks like they have stud holes too! However again they have the frog plate so I'd be worried about thrush/too much frog pressure like a heart bar - did you discuss that with him at all?

Yes I can see why there could be great benefits to plastic over steel if it could be made cost effective.

My only other concern is if the fit can be as exact as a hot steel shoe, but I think I read that most of the plastic shoes you can heat in warm water to mould to hoof shape.

I'd be interested to know what farrier you are using who will fit them for you as that was my next concern, whether they would be open to considering it! PM me if you prefer... I see we are in the same area.

 

[BethH]

These shoes can be heated to shape them and you can rasp them to fit too, I believe the frog plate is encourage circulation but I do need to find out more about that particular aspect. I would also use Silvetrasol, Hypocare or Sole Spray to avoid thrush but fully appreciate your point on that one, I'm lucky my horse doesn't suffer from Thrush barefoot, but am concerned it will crop up when shod again.

Because of the situation with the FRC, the Podiatrists & the general rules and regs re shoeing, etc etc, the farrier who invented them has to suggest they are for remedial, although it's a bit ridiculous and they can be used as normal shoes, he just isn't allowed to market them as such,he has also had a lot of success in helping lameness, but they are fine to be used as normal shoes too. He suggested they would cost around £20 a pair and he could make them to a template and chat to the farrier about fitting them.

To add insult to injury, also, my fabulous (and very qualified!) podiatrist clearly isn't allowed to even glue them on as the FRC will most likely take him to court, so the Farrier I'm using has the rare attitude of being quite pro bare foot and can trim that way so the feet are properly balanced. I am hoping for the option of only shoeing my horse at the points in the year when he needs it, so that I am able to give his feet a regular break from Shoes. The Farrier concerned is very busy & has been persuaded by the Vet to take me on as he is snowed under. I've emailed the details of the shoes but haven't had a response yet and if I'm honest don't expect too but will be discussing it with him thoroughly when I meet him in a couple of weeks. Some of the Farrier's in my area aren't great and I've had some bad experiences, so if this particular farrier doesn't want to use them I'm stuffed and my horse will have to have metal shoes as i won't let any other farrier near him. It's a nightmare!

Once I've worked out the way forward I'll contact you and let you know

 

[samlf]

Thanks for the further information BethH - it just seems such a great concept as an alternative to steel I cant understand why it hasn't taken off and why there's not more of a push towards it.

I'd be interested to know how it goes if you do manage to get them put on.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Am following with with interest.

Can remember back in the 1970's when the plastic shoe debate entered the arena!

Seems the Jury is still out..........

 

[ester]

If I had to I would put an easyshoe on, I haven't seen any others that allow for that much lateral flexion and slightly go off any website which declares their shoes give heel support but that might just be because

re the frog coverage if you don't have it then you lift the frog off the ground, removing your horse's best shockabsorber and without use it shrinks anyway.

I'm not sure you can put studs in the easyshoes but I would imagine so given that you can the boots.

 

[SullivanB]

The plastic shoes are used in cases where the hoof is damaged as they can be glued on. They are also used in some lamanitic cases as they are thought to reduce concusive forces. Another thing to consider is that when horses place their feet they have a certain amout of slip forward, plastic shoes may prevent this. I pay £80 for ordinary shoes. In my opinion they best thing you can do for your horse is get it shoed every 5-6 weeks. If the horse can go barefoot then great but many cant.

 

[ester]

1) you can nail on a lot of plastic shoes these days.
2) concussive forces is not why imprints and eponas (specific plastic shoes, not all are like that, many are shaped like conventional shoes too) are used on laminitics
3) plastic shoes may prevent this slip on what surface and at what speed?

 

[ihatework]

I'm interested in hearing feedback from anyone using these alternative shoes.
Price, how easy to obtain, do they last a full shoe cycle, incidents of pulling off (especially with the frog support) - also feedback from farriers - are there any/many who are very positive?
The slippage aspect is also worth consideration but I suspect less of an issue with a harder plastic than was concerns with the earlier rubber type

 

[samlf]

Glad to hear that others are as intrigued as I am.

Ester originally when I looked at the easyshoes I thought you could only glue on, but I see that actually you can nail on the performance N/G and according to the FAQs you can put studs in. They look fairly expensive on the website, around £30 a pair, but if they are better for the horse than a steel shoe I would consider them at that price depending on how much a farrier might charge to fit. I can only find website in US $ though so I hope you could source them in UK if required.

Again that's if you could find a farrier to fit them.

I wouldn't want to risk gluing on as I know you have the danger of them being pulled off, and I would imagine that risk is amplified if you have studs.

Regarding the frog, if you end up with thrush it'll shrink back anyway which was my concern. I can certainly see the theory behind the frog support, just questioning if it works in practice as in my knowledge/experience heart bars certainly don't work very well in practice.

 

[ihatework]

The problem will be finding a farrier with sufficient experience to do the best job, but with an open mind to try new things. I can see myself trying this route in the future.
Please keep us posted anyone who does try these products.
I've got andrew poynton on my doorstep so imprint sports I can easily do, but they would be eye wateringly expensive and not sure I could justify

 

[ester]

That is why I kind of like the easyshoes on that.. they have kept some frog pressure but the gap down the middle means you are going to be able to get under all of that and keep it treated for thrush etc compared to steel bar shoes, not sure on the other plastics. Most of my bar experience is with egg bars, I was less hoof geek then so wasn't thrush treating regularly but yup it did destroy a lot of the back of the foot.
I think my yard farrier would be up for giving most things a go .

I mostly just like to keep an eye on what is out there as time goes on, as I might have one that needs shoes at some point but having seen the real benefits of them not wearing them and getting more interested in biomechanics I think we should be able to start doing better than the standard steel model.

 

[Casey76]

I'm not sure how well a plastic or composite shoe would compare to steel in a horse in full work.

Most plastic shoes are aimed at a therapy or rehab situation, I think. I'd imagine rigid plastic would wear quickly and be slippy on smooth tarmac, and softer plastic would stop the slip altogether and therefore transfer even greater concussion up the limb.

If you have ever had acrylic nails applied, then you know how bad your nails are when they come off - the same types of glues and polymers are used to attach glue-on shoes. They also completely cast the lower 1/3rd of the hoof, preventing any expansion or movement in the hoof capsule.

It's a tough thing, trying to do the best you can for your horses feet :/

 

[ester]

just watching the easyshoe nailing video, average 300 miles a shoe, dependent on surface that would probably just do us on a 6 week cycle. They have a shoe of an endurance horse doing lots of gravel road about 48 mins in, I think that looks better than most steels do when they come off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZx8-gb1h6Y

 

[BethH]

Just a little further info, apparently the shoes I am thinking of cope very well with wear and tear including road work and are often refitted. They can have road nails, studs etc. I am reluctant to glue on as I have heard that with the glue ons the glue is so rigid it prevents the hoof wall being able to flex as it would normally so I would worry that would be detrimental.

It's so interesting isn't it, I can't believe in this day and age we still use something as clumpy as metal and that because of the way they are now manufactured, the horses foot seems to be cut to fit the shoes - I've always felt it should be the other way round but ho hum - what do I know!!!!

I will keep you all posted, I'm sure I'll be on a hiding to nothing trying to modernise the farrier world but as a farrier is now trying I'd love to give him my support, and he spoke so so much common sense!

 

[samlf]

I'll watch the video when I get home and get a chance - blocked at work!

I've contacted a farrier to discuss, will have to see his opinion on them.

I really want to avoid shoeing at all if I can, but may have no other choice as horse isn't comfortable.

 

[BethH]

That's exactly where I am with this too, my horse has been constantly on/off lame for the past couple of years - typically farrier booked to shoe 1st week Sept and am moving yards because of the shoeing & to be able to start hacking him more easily and he is sound again!! Grrr - as always the second I make plans to sort a problem out he starts to get better, I'm sure it's because I started talking about a retirement home in front of him!

I think it's because it's warm and the feet have strengthened he is sound but I know when it gets damp he'll be not quite right again. I have to put the shoes on to see if anything higher up turns up as I had thought stifle!

As an aside was chatting to someone today whose livery had used a plastic shoe and the horse kept losing it - not sure it was the shoes fault but apparently was a bit of a pain. Very interested to hear what your farrier says - pm me if you want, we can see if we are going to have the same farrier!!! I too am gutted about shoeing but I feel I have no choice if I want my horse to be able to have a useful purpose!!

 

[samlf]

I'll let you know when I've made a decision.

My horse is sound but footsore on stones and boots arent a very good alternative for various reasons.

 

[supsup]

I think one of the reasons that plastic shoes aren't that popular with farriers is because they are more difficult to fit than steel shoes. Anything that puts a flexible layer between the nail head and horn (could be a pad under the shoe, or a plastic shoe) means that there's more movement as the material compresses, so nails can work loose more easily. And steel shoes can be shaped so that the nail holes line up at the correct distance from the edge of the wall to nail into the correct place. With plastic-only shoes, you can do the same (so long as the shoe is clear, so you can see where the nail goes, else it takes some guessig), but the nail in plastic won't have much purchase. If you go for a plastic shoe with metal core around the nail holes, then the nail holes are in a set spot, and there's not much wriggle room to make the shoe fit the hoof if it is not standard-shape. If you add the potential for losing shoes more easily, plus greater cost than steel, it doesn't much look like a great business proposition.

I expect all these things can be overcome with practise and a bit more product development, but I can see why from a farrier's point of view, the good old steel shoe is easier to fit well, and more adaptable to the horse. The gang from Easycare make it look very easy, but doubtless, they've had hours and hours of practice.

 

[samlf]

thankyou for such a detailed reply, that certainly makes a lot of sense to me.

I hope there is a growing interest in developing a fit for purpose shoe that doesn't compromise the hoof too much for those of us who do have to shoe but are also concerned about hoof and whole horse health.

 

[BethH]

O.M.G have just spotted these, do you reckon they work?..... Fab idea but can't really believe they do! I might have to buy some to try - bit more research required!

http://horserunners.com/

 

[samlf]

Looks like a fantastic idea IF the securing mechanism actually works. Almost like the benefits of boots but less of the hassle, more like a shoe in terms of application but as it's not a permanent structure doesn't need to be fitted by a farrier.


Edit - From what I can gather it is a crowdfunding project, you cant actually buy them directly, and they wont be available to purchase until summer 2017. It does say they can be used with studs and have been tested in all weather conditions.

If it works they sound amazing

 

[ester]

I'm awaiting the promised real life video with interest.

There is a farrier on another forum who said he had some input into the development and that the attachment mechanism just attracts crud. I can't see it working myself, getting something sticky to attach to the hoof wall in a UK winter? not without it including something I didn't want to put on a hoof wall.

 

[samlf]

I presumed it was more high-tech than just a stick-on patch, as the patch itself appears semi-permanent.

It's certainly a good concept, if they can make it work.

 

[ester]

I was told it was just a stick on patch, I'll see if I can get some more details.

 

[BethH]

Exciting that there seem to be more and more of these ideas though - it gives me hope, I don't like hoof boots as my horse doesn't like faffing and I don't want them to rub and I found trying to size the scoot boots and the cost put me off. I also hate shoes, seems time there was a clever alternative, I just love the idea of a clip on plastic shoe but the velcro needs some work, can completely see Ester's point! You almost need to be able to put it on a like earring & butterfly to hold it in place but that would compromise the hoof wall, still it's progress!!

 

[ester]

Also I just wouldn't want a semi-permanent strong patch on the hoof wall, as that is going to be as/more restrictive than a shoe anyway + the necessary chemicals to get it to be so.

 

[YorksG]

The ideal, for hacking, to me, would be the sole of a hoof boot secured like the crocs. Our Draught mare walks very closely in front and moves her hoof boots round (she has very big feet so our choice is somewhat restricted!) If we could attach a thinner boot, like a crock, with a sole that she can hack out on we would be very happy.