Aluminum vs steel (and titanium?)

[endlessclimb]

Background - young mare, huntery-movement, feet are good (she goes barefoot through the winter just fine), if anything her feet are a little flat with slightly prolapsed frogs particularly in the hinds.

I have never had a reason to consider aluminum shoes until my current mare. She has a sweepy, slow stride with good reach. Last year when we put shoes on for the summer (steel with quarter clips) there was a noticeable change in her movement - more knee action with a faster breakover. It impacted her movement, and not in a good way.

This year, I’m trying to think of what to do so that her movement isn’t as impacted by the shoes.

I’m ignorant to anything but steel really, outside of the obvious “aluminum is lighter but wears faster”.

Any insights? Thanks in advance!

[x]

For a horse that gets too much action with steel, I put aluminum on–less weight equals less gait change

[endlessclimb]

Outside of faster wear, is there any other big impact of aluminum vs steel?

Weird example, but with bike frames there is a big ride difference between aluminum vs steel - steel absorbs more of the road vibration and is smoother. I don’t know if that means anything with horseshoes though.

[Renn_aissance]

Yes. Steel has more shock absorption than aluminum.

[Against_All_Odds2]

This will be the same with shoes. My farrier prefers steels for long term wear and tear on the horse.

My young guy goes in steels without clips and I don’t see a movement change. My retired horse goes in Aluminums with clips because for her the steels were too solid and she likes a little bit of flex. She would prefer to be barefoot but has horribly thin soles and a tiny 0 foot on a massive 82" blanket body.

[NancyM]

Steel does have more shock absorption, as noted above, because it has better “metallic memory”. It retains it’s shape after absorbing shock. Aluminum shoes don’t do that as well. It’s a classic problem with racehorses, whose shoes take a LOT of pounding (way more than a hunter), and will spread. But yes, you do get lower action from the horse.

You’ve mentioned titanium. I used those once, forced the hubby to put them on a race prospect, who needed better shock absorbing but also needed lower action. They have the maximum metallic memory possible. They ARE expensive, and very difficult to shape (they DON’T bend at all- even heating them up only makes it at all semi possible. So not a lot of shaping is possible. Your horse had better have feet that are nicely, evenly round and shaped!!! But they are available, or were, a few decades ago. I gave up trying to make a racehorse outta that one, he was dismally slow, large, big boned, big feet, looked like a WB. Sold him as a dressage prospect. He was still wearing the shoes. The shoes will last FOREVER, they DON’T wear out at all. You just reset them.

[wildlifer]

@Renn_aissance

Yes. Steel has more shock absorption than aluminum.

Correct. I no longer use aluminum on my horses bc of the shock transfer issue.

[endlessclimb]

Do you remember where you ordered them from? If it’s a one-time expense (or a 2x a year or what have you) then I don’t mind forking over the money.

Does titanium also have the shock absorption issues that aluminum does?

[Renn_aissance]

The shock transfer can be mitigated by pads if the horse needs to be in aluminum.

Just had this chat with my farrier- my guy was in aluminums for the weight while we managed arthritis in his fetlocks. He also has pedal osteitis and felt much more comfortable in a pad, first a rim pad and now full leather. We are now trying steels as they give the farrier some more shape options and to see if the combination of his current work and the improved shock absorption make steel a better option than they used to be. Four days in he’s trotting like a hackney pony (not that he was ever winning the flat- he was an equitation horse) but I’m promised he will likely get over it as he gets used to them.

[endlessclimb]

That hackney bit is what I’m worried about lol.

[wildlifer]

That is true as an option, Renaissance, if the horse really needs something aluminum. I have used the glue on polyflex aluminum when a foot couldn’t take nails, & they have the built in gel pads.

There are also a lot more good polyurethane options in shoes these days if the horse just needs something lighter. I personally like the Equiflex bc they have good data about concussion reduction, but there are lots more available that might meet the need. Something to think about anyway.

[walktrot]

My horse cannot keep aluminum shoes nailed to his feet. He will get somewhere around 2 weeks and one falls off. I had the same farrier for 20 years and she had no inkling why it happens. When I bought him he had the traditional long toes, underrun heels, and was ribby. His breakover needed to move. His feet are pretty good and he gets biotin. Crumbling around the nail holes wasn’t an issue. We switched to Natural Balance, then Natural Balance Light which are steel but in fact are lighter. 7-8 years ago I was pestered into trying a popular but incompetent farrier and forgot about the aluminum until if fell off. My horse is smart, though - he hates the guy.

Several years ago the farrier arrived with a new shoe to try. She saw it at a clinic and figured my big Paint gelding was a good candidate. It is called Avanti and it took 2 days to work. He always had a bit of stumbly toe dragging. It was gone and hasn’t returned. I won’t try to describe the shoe because it is very different. It balances around the coffin bone. It is contoured to reduce strain on soft tissues. Breakover is easier but doesn’t move. No one else in the area has heard of it. I bought a few extra in case he loses one.

My horse is now 28, doesn’t look or act his age. I’m going to lose him to a deteriorating knee joint and worsening lameness. Long story involving prior BO and the pandemic - he stood in a muddy field for a month. I’ve had to retire him from riding. The Avanti shoe seems to be helping. It takes some of the strain off as he adjusts to changes in the carpus and cannon bone.

[StormyDay]

I’d look into the composite type shoes, a few of them can be nailed on. They tend to be lighter (not quite as light as the aluminums though) but some horses just really respond well to them.

[NancyM]

Not really, the hubby must have ordered them from the local farrier supply. But it was like 25 years ago now (scary how that happens), so other than trying at your local farrier supply store, I can’t say.

No, the shock absorption is GOOD, the metal expands on stress, but then regains it’s original shape. That is why it is so difficult to shape to the horse’s foot, it’s metallic memory. It’s kinda indestructible stuff, that titanium.

[endlessclimb]

My farrier is coming Sunday so I don’t think I’ll get my hands on them before then.

I think I’ll try (first set ever!) aluminum and see if she moves different. It may have the same effect so no use doing anything but steel. We shall see!

[iJump]

I have been told aluminum reduces the amount of vibration that runs up the legs, by more than one vet. Wouldn’t this mean they absorb more shock?

[Peggy]

Aluminum is barely a metal and it is the metallic bonding that allows for more shock absorption. If you think about many metals (OK, not apparently titanium), you can “work” them–shape, draw out into wire, pound into a sheet. This is also because of the metallic bonding. If you took general chemistry, you might remember a model that talked about the metal nucleus plus core electrons floating in an "electron sea."

[mht]

Have been reading up on steel vs aluminum for my racehorses. You can get the best of both worlds, it seems. Lightweight steel plates that are good for training purposes. The Paulick Report had an article comparing aluminum to steel.