Hoof-pad options for horse that doesn't like frog pressure?

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Wondering what kind of options are out there for a horse that is thin-soled, but hates any sort of frog pressure? I know of rim pads, but I don’t think they’ll do the job I need.

I’m finally at a place where I am much happier with my gelding’s angles (we had rads taken prior to farrier switch, his rads look good per vet, but very thin-soled and could lose some toe/grow some heel). Since then my newer farrier has set back my gelding’s toe a little, as it was very long and flat from the last farrier.

However, his soles are still thin - at this point, I’m thinking it might just be him naturally not growing a fistful of sole. He has great horn quality and grows well, but just doesn’t seem to hold onto sole callous. I’m looking for pad suggestions that will help protect the sole but not crush the frog.

Half the year the only area we can train on is on a dirt road that has crushed gravel - which will shear the sole right off of him if he doesn’t have pads. My farrier suggested rim pads but I don’t think that they protect the sole much?

He has been in pads for 3 years. Last 2 years were full pads, and transitioned to snow pads this October. He seems to be doing much better in snow-rim pads (which extend past the shoe and cradle around the frog, but leave the frog open) but my farrier didn’t seem thrilled with the idea of him sporting them year round.

[SolarFlare]

I’ve used leather pads before - my farrier likes to fill the space between hoof and leather with silicone to prevent moisture being trapped in there. The leather will soften and mold to the foot but still protect. Maybe you could ask your farrier what he/she thinks about it? I had them on year-round and never had any problems with thrush, etc.

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@SolarFlare

I’ve used leather pads before - my farrier likes to fill the space between hoof and leather with silicone to prevent moisture being trapped in there. The leather will soften and mold to the foot but still protect. Maybe you could ask your farrier what he/she thinks about it? I had them on year-round and never had any problems with thrush, etc.

thanks - sorry, i forgot to mention he was in leather pads with the old farrier - i’m wondering if there’s options out there that are somewhere between full and rim - something that protects the sole but doesn’t crush the frog.

[JB]

Is the frog too “healthy” and would benefit from a little trimming? Even with some barefoot horses, if the frog is too full and fat, it sometimes needs to be trimmed back a bit so it’s at least not taller than the heels. Most horses readily compact the frog to a comfortable level, but depending on the horse and his environment it might not be enough with a fresh trim.

I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a setup like this, but I imagine it wouldn’t be too hard to use a full pad with the frog cut out. I imagine using a filler in the foot (preferably one with some copper sulfate to ward off infection/thrush), with a thin but durable material on top of that to keep the filler in place, then the pad, then the shoe. A lot of farriers will use a mesh topper for the filler material, but I don’t know if exposed mesh would be prone to catching and ripping off.

[SonnysMom]

My farrier currently has my horse in a leather wedge pad with a V cut out around the frog. I don’t know if he has something under the leather. Carson is pretty thin soled and fairly flat footed. OTTB. It is only on his left front since his right foot is a little clubby so doesn’t have the low heel thing.

[PrincessPonies]

Mine also hates frog pressure. She does get her frog trimmed just about every time the farrier come. We use a basic black pad that the farrier has on his truck, never used leather. We pack with Magic cushion and lambs wool around the frog. Nothing goes over the frog. It’s a little bit of an odd set up but it’s the only thing she likes.

[Griffin]

I have one like yours, he cannot tolerate anything touching his soles. My farrier just cuts the centre out of a basic black pad, This way he gets some cushion effect and support across the heels.

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Thanks all for ideas and sharing what works for their horses.

Now, to approach the farrier with these ideas… I know it can’t just be me – all farriers I’ve had have always been prickly when I ask them for ideas or ways to make XYZ work… promise it’s not me challenging their decisions or questioning their judgment, but it always seems perceived that way…

[16_Hands]

My mare is in full pads and the farrier uses a new type of pad that is made of a rubber blend, very flexible, and uses magic cushion underneath. The rubber cradles the frog and doesn’t put any additional pressure on it. Plus, these new pads are said to eliminate 80% of shock to the horse’s foot. My mare loves them and she feels so much better having them on.

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@16 Hands

My mare is in full pads and the farrier uses a new type of pad that is made of a rubber blend, very flexible, and uses magic cushion underneath. The rubber cradles the frog and doesn’t put any additional pressure on it. Plus, these new pads are said to eliminate 80% of shock to the horse’s foot. My mare loves them and she feels so much better having them on.

do you know what kind of pads they are - what they are called? do you buy them, or the farrier?

[StormyDay]

Something completely different may be using vettec glue over the soles but not the frog. Basically you just squirt it in there and make sure it is covering the whole sole and wrapped around the end of the shoe a bit for stability. My horse has this set up and it stays the whole shoeing cycle. I can post pictures if you like.

[PNWjumper]

I have a horse that can’t tolerate frog pressure either. But needs to live in wedge pads. Took us many years of experimentation to figure out what worked best, but through the process of elimination we figured out that frog pressure pads were a HUGE NO! Then we figured out that any packing material (other than oakum and some sort of a packing material - usually magic cushion) was a no go. Soft silicone? Terrible. The dental impression type material? Awful. And the list went on. Until we were left with oakum and magic cushion which he seems perfectly content in.

We also tried to go to rim pads. But figured out pretty quick that though he can’t tolerate frog pressure, he needed to have some frog support when landing from the big fences. After a winter of going without pads, he ended up mechanically foundering at a horse show and the suspected culprit is landing on hard-ish ground from the 1.40m+ jumps. Put him back in pads (with the oakum/MC) and he was back to totally happy.

The material of the pads never seemed to matter. He’s been happy in a variety of plastic ones and leather pads. Just have to have “enough” frog support at the extreme end (landing from a jump) but not enough for him to feel any frog pressure under normal (standing/moving) conditions.

16 Hands - I’m curious to know more about the pad your farrier uses as well. Sounds interesting!