So. It’s INFINITELY easier to have someone trim or walk you through the process and glue yourself. The shoes are the easy part (once you get past the learning curve).
Would your farrier be willing to come out once or twice and help you? Maybe pay them a “clinic” fee to get the basics down? If you’re going to trim yourself anyway. Maybe after that they’d be willing to make the trip to you every 3 cycles and keep you on track? If you are just going to do the shoes, you can learn that with some remote help.
These are a great start! The Versas are also an option but I like the Ones if you’re planning to do packing.
I think this is my plan. Barn farrier is going to look at her (he’s the one who put these shoes on 2 weeks ago) and try to get shoes back on since I’m traveling for ten days, but after that, I think I’m going to ask old farrier to come back out and do a clinic for me, trim her and I’ll do the glue with his assistance, and then yeah, maybe he can come out every 3-4 months to help me course correct/coach me by photos.
I think this is my plan. Ask my old farrier to come out and trim her/teach me to trim her, and then coach by photos and come out every few months. Right now I’m going to try and get the barn farrier to glue on metal shoes so we can get her through my planned international vacation, and then when I’m back, pull those and start on this course. Her feet look HORRIBLE right now, tbh. There’s a good chance he can’t even glue right now. I’m not sure what he’s going to do but we’ll try something to get her through next two weeks.
For various reasons, I think I’m finally going to try this… I want to try the Versa Grip Glues because people here seem to have more success with them than the Octos, which also just don’t look as secure to me. Other than sandpaper, the shoes themselves (which I still need to measure for), and plastic wrap, does this shopping cart look correct? This is the right kind of glue and glue gun, right? I already have a rasp and gloves. How necessary is the angle grinder?
I don’t know if this easy care glue fits the Vettec gun, double check that. Same with the tips. Easiest thing is to pick a brand and get only that brand to make sure everything is compatible.
I just got these in yesterday and they are going on tomorrow with the help of my backup trimmer who has been doing glue ons for some time now. I really like that they don’t require the glue gun glue because I would make a big mess with that.
Oooh, interesting! Can’t wait to hear how it goes.
I like the tread pattern on that design vs the “boot sole” tread that Easycare uses. In my experience most of the composite shoe treads pack with dirt almost immediately and become pointless, but this looks like it might not do that.
I assume since the glue is already adhered to the tabs, that these won’t be reusable?
Steel has a good amount of flex. Just ask anyone who is serious about bicycles. It’s the most flexy and thus smoothest ride compared to aluminum, titanium, or carbon. A favorite among touring riders but out of favor for racers (who want stiffer and lighter material).
A steel shoe and Equipak can protect a PO horse and help build sole depth. You can also get good results with composites with similar sole support like using Equipak or other packing material. If steel is what is available to you, don’t be afraid of it to help a PO horse.
That is my understanding. @Peggy said in another thread that if they come off they can be reinstalled, but my impression is that they are single use in terms of needing a new pair for each cycle.
They also have spikes you can install; looks like they are currently sold out on their site, but they look identical to the ones that Scoot Boots sell. I’m hoping we will be in good shape for skijoring this winter and would give those a try for that provided they work out for us.
It’s more nuanced than that though? There are other variables to be considered. Such as, is it a certain grade of chromoly steel we’re talking about. Are shoes made from that same steel? Or is all steel equally flexible across the board? Does it depend on application/shape?
In addition to that, I’m not sure that steel is more flexible by default or if it has to do with tubular stuff when it comes to bikes such as the tube diameter. Shoes aren’t built in the same tubular fashion and the forces are a bit different.
I think that due to steels strength, they can make slimmer bike frame tubular components which lead to the prospect of increased flexibility. I don’t know if comparing the application of steel in the cycling world is a direct corelation to shoes and their flexibility.
Then again, steel springs on cars come to mind and maybe that’s due to the overall flexibility of steel.
I think if we did a side by side comparison (maybe someone has?) of steel vs composite, a traditional steel shoe would likely offer less shock absorption and maybe even flexibility, but I dunno. I do believe that steel would offer more concussion over composite though.
I’m not an expert on this and always welcome more information.
Either way, the horse ended up not having PO and I’ve given the shoes and materials to my farrier to use on another horse since I didn’t need them. I got 2 “second” opinions on the x-rays, and I’m glad that I did. Horse has been doing well unshod. I had a weird gut feeling and forwarded the x-rays to 2 reputable vet hospitals.
The steel in horse shoes is a lower carbon steel. My farrier and I were talking about this yesterday in that “show” shoes for Morgan horses that he dealt with at one time were higher carbon steel material and more strong…which made them harder to shape, and you couldn’t dunk them in water to cool or they’d crack. Typical horse shoes are more flexible. Titanium is basically impossible to work with for horse shoe applications for other reasons. Both my vet and farrier think that a steel shoe provides more concussion protection than aluminum shoes.
I forgot to add: I’m not against using steel and would use it if that’s what’s available. The composites are just another option that I find to be appealing for certain reasons.
It’s hard to tell whether the Vettec gun and tips work with the EasyShoe Adhesive. Where do you buy extra mixing tips? Do the Vettec ones fit that adhesive? The Easy Care website does sell Vettec, and the only mixing tips on there are either Vettec or for the 420 mL Bond stuff. I guess this will all be less confusing after the first time…
