Composite Shoes on Hunters?

[Nevada10]

My farrier wants to try nail on composite shoes on one of my horses – are they ok to use on show hunters? I vaguely remember someone telling me that some judges don’t like seeing unconventional shoeing because it indicates soundness issues, but I don’t know if there is any truth to that.

My horse has chronic corns despite my farrier’s best efforts. He was doing well in aluminum bar shoes with leather pads until winter hit, and now the corns are angry again from the hard ground. My horse’s conformation and the ground conditions are responsible for the corns, not the farrier’s work (per my vet).

I’d love to hear about any experiences using composite shoes on hunter/jumpers! Most of the testimonials online are for endurance or trail horses. Any suggestions on resolving the corns would be appreciated too… they’ve haunted us for years

Edit to add: My farrier suggested EasyShoe Versas, which aren’t as traditional looking (like PolyFlex).

[Renn_aissance]

The judge will not notice.

If they happen to see a glint of the shoe under the footing that inevitably gets caked onto the front of the foot the second the horse walks into the ring, it will not be the reason the horse was second instead of first or third.

[Equibrit]

https://www.p3farriersupplies.com/hoof-pads/

[Demerara_Stables]

I’ve been using them on my low level (.70m-.80m) jumper for ~6 years. We also evented in them at intro level, and I have a number of clients that have used them on dressage horses. Highly recommend! My mare has the versas. I’ve had no issue with traction, even going XC.

[WavyRider]

I know a rider who competes her two very nice hunters in the A/O’s with glue-on composite shoes and regularly wins tricolors. They are much more common these days. I also can’t say enough good things about them as they have hugely helped my own local hunter, who foundered twice and is now sound for jumping.

[mroades]

Unless you are showing in the 3’6" Conformation Hunters, the type of shoes your horse wears matters no one iota, as long as it is sound!

[Nevada10]

We tried those.

[Peggy]

Judge will very likely not care.

I used Eponas for about 18 months on a horse I showed in the meter adult jumpers. Horse went great in them, though some of it was probably a switch in farriers and resulting better maintenance of toe length. An additional bonus was great traction on pavement. They were kind of pricey. We switched away from for reasons unrelated to the shoes (or their cost).

But definitely more common in non HJ disciplines so there is some resistance.