Aluminium vs Steel - movement

[wronglead]

I notice a difference in the way my gelding’s movement looks and how he feels under saddle too.

In steels, he is a decent mover (not getting a good piece of the hack at small A’s, but not embarrassed to still give a try) and he feels a bit heavier on his front end, especially at the canter-- not heavy in my hands, but heavier steps, if that makes sense.

In aluminum, he could get 1 or 2 in the hack without question. He is also much lighter and uphill at the canter.

That said, I do also notice some foot soreness at venues/rings with not ideal footing when he is in aluminum-- different time of the year, same venue with steels and he is happy as a clam, no soreness.

I agree that aluminum does trash their feet, so he only gets them during the “winter” season, Nov-April, for the bigger shows (WEF, HITS etc.), and then goes back to steels for the rest of the year for the smaller A’s.

Like others have suggested, if it were in my barn, he would have steels year round, until your more competitive show season starts.

[Peggy]

I tried them on my horse who won a hack at a USEF C shows and placed low at AA shows. I couldn’t tell a difference in his movement, but he developed an quarter crack within weeks. To be fair the quarter crack was probably already brewing under the surface, but still. Aluminums came off, won’t go on again on my watch, and we are still dealing with the quarter crack over a year later.

[HappyAmmy]

If you are having issues with your horse’s feet peeling, cracking and otherwise not coping well with summer, consider glue on shoes. They made a world of difference in the condition of my horse’s feet and movement actually improved. It can be more expensive due to the time it takes to apply them, but the walls aren’t weakened by repeated nail holes and rasping.

[dynamite0319]

I showed QH when I was growing up and don’t remember aluminum shoes being a thing in the flat classes… I show hunters now and can def see a difference in my horses when they have aluminum vs steel, but I agree that you should do what is right for your horse at this point. Especially since you aren’t showing until the fall. Best of luck and I hope this gets his feet better!

[vxf111]

I have horses that live in glue-ons. It’s a love hate thing. Yes, they obviate the need for nail holes. And yes the can make a chippy hoof “look” less chipy. And sometimes horses really do need them even if it’s just for a couple months to grow out something. BUT when the horses have them on, it does prevent their heels from spreading normally, leading to heel contraction. And sometimes it’s very hard for a horse to pop an abscess if the glue happens to be covering the natural exit source. Like I said, I do use them and I have some horses who live in them because they can’t keep nailed on shoes on— but they’re not totally without drawbacks.

[RugBug]

So I feel like there are multiple questions you have to ask yourself to determine the best route:

1. Is the hoof currently holding up?
   1a. If no, is that because your farrier is struggling or is it hoof quality?
2. How are you taking care of hooves…and are you willing to do different things?
3. Is there a difference in your horse’s movement between steel vs. aluminum?
4. What is your show level and focus?
   4a. Will better movement be a factor in your success?
   4b. Where does your horse stack up against his current competition? (It doesn’t really matter if your horse isn’t a 10 mover. What matters is what is the typical level of the competition. If you are regularly showing against 7.5s and he’s an 8.5, and the show change pushes you to an 8, well, it just doesn’t matter
5. Based on 4b, How important is that ribbon to you? (not snarky…it’s honest. If winning is very important, you will make different decisions)
6. Are there other things that can change to improve the situation (my horse has always worn aluminum…but this winter was hard on her feet…because she’s in a new stall with a pen that has crappy drainage…she won’t be there next year)

@findeight

Anyway, the biggest difference I noticed was their feet fell apart in summer in aluminum. I like mine turned out at least several hours daily, preferably overnite. Between fly stomping and rain/wet, my farrier was on speed dial and I missed practice time when too much hoof came off with those shoes. Made good use of the barn metal detector retrieving them, most looked like they just walked out of them and could be reset. Whoever mentioned resin patches and glue on shoes was dead in target. Played that game. . Switched to steel and all 3 improved greatly in one cycle, no more shoe shucking, no more missing bits of hoof.

My mare, who admittedly has some really nice feet, has almost always worn aluminum…even while living in VA, out 12 hours a day all year and hunted 2-4x a week. That’s wet, mud, snow, dew, asphalt, etc. I bought her and the first farrier couldn’t keep shoes on her due to too much trailing heel and lovely overstep on her part. I didn’t want her to wear bell boots 24/7. Second farrier hated aluminum and insisted on steel. He was also an arrogant SOB that told me she had terrible feet (um, no…she was pulling shoes because the previous farrier left too much heel trailing). He also shod her so crooked I fired him when he had no explanation and pretended not to see what was wrong…oh, and I had to give her 5+ weeks off as even my vet recommended I not ride with that set. She’s been in aluminum since. Her movement isn’t as good as it was when I bought her…but that is the trim, not the material of the shoe. She did suffer this year with an abnormally muddy pen. Last year was actually wetter for us than this, but her run dried a million times faster. This winter, she will still be in aluminum, but not in that stall/run.

[hokie98]

Aluminum are definitely popular on the QH circuit for hunter under saddle & western pleasure horses, where movement and ease of going is judged. When I bought him a year ago I’m fairly confident he had steel on then, and he was an okay mover…but after my farrier shod him the first time and put aluminum on him at my request, he became an great mover. Was it the way he was shod (the farrier looked at his PPE xrays and shod him accordingly), or the aluminum? I don’t know. But he’s also a year older, more physically mature, stronger. I haven’t worked him yet, but fingers crossed it’s a negligible difference. I’m going to a small show next weekend, but we’re going for the miles and experience (not the points), and I need to work on my pattern classes anyway (where movement doesn’t matter nearly as much).

But good to know about the glue-ons. Our game plan is to put him back in aluminum for a show in Sept and the QH Congress in Oct, the probably back in steel in Nov for the winter, until our first major show in early April. There are a few major circuits I’d like to do next summer, but nice to know glue-ons are an option if there is a significant movement difference and I have to have something light. I’ll just have to work with my farrier to manage it.

[GraceLikeRain]

Any chance someone would be willing to share their steel v. aluminum videos? I’ve never had a horse where shoe material made a difference and would love to see the before/after.

[RugBug]

@GraceLikeRain

Any chance someone would be willing to share their steel v. aluminum videos? I’ve never had a horse where shoe material made a difference and would love to see the before/after.

RF Amber Eyes - sales video, in steel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B_JCo8D-vc

Fonteyn with Hayley Barnhill - assumption is aluminum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coeynbgzG4A

There are more variables than just shoes in that equation, so take it as you will. Improvement is not earth shattering, but she does look better to me in the second video (although again, the assumption is that she is wearing aluminum, but may not be…)

It’s not necessarily an easy thing to find videos where you know a horse is in aluminum vs. steel…

[hokie98]

@RugBug- I think I see it too…just lighter in (assumed) aluminum, more glide…

I don’t have a video, but had a lesson this AM with my trainer. He didn’t think it was a HUGE difference going back to steel, but feel there was slightly more knee action - both at the trot & canter. Didn’t make him an awful mover, but for a super competitive show, assuming his feet are in good shape, I think I’d throw aluminum back on him. But for the small show I’m going to next week…we should still be competitive.

[ToTheNines]

Sorry, was going to post a video, but decided the horse looked a little off.

[BostonHJ]

To be fair, the comparison of RF Amber Eyes has her in steel coming out of a career as an FEI event horse and in aluminum with some hunter miles. I agree the shoes can make a difference but don’t think that is the sole cause in this case

[RugBug]

@BostonHJ

To be fair, the comparison of RF Amber Eyes has her in steel coming out of a career as an FEI event horse and in aluminum with some hunter miles. I agree the shoes can make a difference but don’t think that is the sole cause in this case

Which I pointed out when I said,

@Rugbug

"There are more variables than just shoes in that equation, so take it as you will.