Metal shoes vs glue ons and pads vs boots

[tinah]

so horse is currently barefoot. He has soles that are a little on the thin side, and not the thickest hoof wall. We tried a cycle of traditional shoes, and he grows hoof so slowly that we pulled them at 9 weeks and there still wasn’t enough wall to trim off, and the white line connectivity was awful. Reducine blisters him in one application.

We are currently using easyboot gloves, but I’d like to jump more and maybe barrel race on the side, and I’m not sure the gloves are the best choice.

What are the pros and cons of glue ons and pour in pads? How much maintenance are we looking at? I do like the way his feet are responding to being barefoot. What are my options?

[skipollo]

The only con I’ve had with glue ons is the cost.

So my horse is a chronic shoe puller, and a little over a year ago he started losing shoes CONSTANTLY. Of course each time he lost a shoe, a little bit of foot would be gone too. Not much to start, but as time went on it got worse and worse. We tried a bunch of different things (different trimming, bell boots, etc.) but by that point his feet were just too damaged to hold nails and a shoe.

We started him in Polyflex glue ons and I haven’t looked back since. He’s more sound, and he never has any issues with them. He doesn’t pull them off, and he doesn’t need bell boots anymore. He lives out 24/7 in PA, so every kind of weather and footing imaginable. The glue holds up through everything, from wallowing in mud to dry hard ground stomping at flies.

They make a version with pre drilled stud holes in case you need them. I will say that without studs they can be a little slippery on wet or long grass going down hills, but they do have a toe grab as well that helps.

Not every farrier can do this specific brand, but there are a lot of different glue on options available. The only downside is the cost–they are very expensive. It’s worth it to me for his improved hoof quality and keeping me sane (I never worry walking out to his field “did he lose another shoe…”)

He’s never had pour in pads, so I have no feedback about them.

[S1969]

Have you addressed the white line issue? Or was it only a problem when wearing shoes?

I guess I’m not sure why glue-ons would be any different than nailed steel shoes with regard to slow growth - except no nail holes?

It’s weird to have a horse that doesn’t grow enough hoof to trim after 9 weeks in shoes. I might get a 2nd farrier opinion on that - is it possible that the hoof was growing but it was running forward and didn’t look like a lot of new growth?

[tinah]

The white line issue is only while wearing shoes. Barefoot, he’s fine. Yes, I agree his feet should grow faster than that, but they really don’t. I’ve only had him since October, so not quite a year, but I haven’t noticed that his feet grow faster seasonally either. His feet don’t tend to run forwards more than any other horse.

Farrier isn’t happy with putting shoes on him at all because of the slow growth. Said something to the extent of “if we keep him in shoes with his feet the way they are, we’ll get two cycles out of them before there’s no new wall to nail into, then his feet are really buggered up. Use boots.”

[beau159]

Would you be willing to post pictures?

My Red grows pretty slow – yet he is reset every 5 weeks on the nose, due to lameness issues on his front feet. Never had a problem.

I’m assuming you are considering some sort of shoe b/c he is tender?

Have you ever done x-rays?

[beau159]

Are you able to take a better side photo? And on a hard surface such as concrete?

And I don’t think you specifically said = why is barefoot not working? Is she lame? Tender??

[tinah]

I’ll see if I can’t get a better side view in the morning. He’s ouchy on gravel, and we travel some pretty rough country out hunting. He does fine in his easy boot gloves, but I’m not sure those are safe to run barrels or jump in.

[Larbear]

So these are recent pics that are posted? Looking at the sole shot, looks like the bars are over grown and on harder surfaces would be weight bearing. That will make himm ouchy on gravel. The whole foot looks like it needs to be trimmed (heels look underrun to me as well), it already looks to be self-trimming.

[tinah]

The self trimming is breakage from nail holes.

[Larbear]

Looking at that foot, with that much hoof wall above the sole, more’s going to break off. To me, that hoof looks like it needs trimming.

[beau159]

In my non-farrier opinion, I see plenty of hoof to nail on a shoe, and a foot that is currently too long and needs a trim.

I would absolutely NOT barrel race in Easy Boots.

[S1969]

@beau159

In my non-farrier opinion, I see plenty of hoof to nail on a shoe, and a foot that is currently too long and needs a trim.

I would absolutely NOT barrel race in Easy Boots.

Agreed. Not a farrier here but even with broken areas there looks to be more than enough. The toe looks long and a trim would keep the walls from breaking more.

None of my barefoot horses have solar views like that. I know some barefoot trimmers don’t touch the solar surface at all, but that is not my farrier’s opinion. He trims the bars and cleans up dead sole to prevent thrush, check/trims any ragged areas of the frog, etc.

I would consider a 2nd farrier opinion.

[tinah]

The problem is not that there’s nothing to nail to. The problem is his feet deteriorate quickly when shod, and he doesn’t grow enough foot quickly enough to reset the shoes on a decent schedule, so the farrier is going into the old nail holes and the walls just get all chewed up. We can put shoes on him for a cycle, but then his feet get even flatter and the white line connection gets weak.

I’ll ask around and see if I can’t find another farrier. Services are few and far between out here. At least I’ve got a trailer.

[S1969]

@tinah

The problem is not that there’s nothing to nail to. The problem is his feet deteriorate quickly when shod, and he doesn’t grow enough foot quickly enough to reset the shoes on a decent schedule, so the farrier is going into the old nail holes and the walls just get all chewed up. We can put shoes on him for a cycle, but then his feet get even flatter and the white line connection gets weak.

I’ll ask around and see if I can’t find another farrier. Services are few and far between out here. At least I’ve got a trailer.

A 2nd opinion is worth getting. There are lots of factors in shoeing that make for a quality job or not. Shoes should not make feet flatter; that doesn’t even make sense to me. If your horse is growing wall when barefoot, he is growing hoof when the shoes are on as well. So I am thinking this is a trim issue, not a growth issue.

[Larbear]

@tinah

The problem is not that there’s nothing to nail to. The problem is his feet deteriorate quickly when shod, and he doesn’t grow enough foot quickly enough to reset the shoes on a decent schedule, so the farrier is going into the old nail holes and the walls just get all chewed up. We can put shoes on him for a cycle, but then his feet get even flatter and the white line connection gets weak.

If that last pic you posted is about 9 weeks post trim, then farrier looks to have enough to work without going into old nail holes.

When you say his white line connection gets weak, how do you mean. Stretching? If so then this also indicates foot needs trimming and likely the trim itself needs to be addressed. I’m thinking the farrier isn’t trimming enough.

[beau159]

@tinah

The problem is his feet deteriorate quickly when shod, and he doesn’t grow enough foot quickly enough to reset the shoes on a decent schedule,

Whether there are shoes on his feet or not, that doesn’t influence how fast his feet grow.

I would also suggest you find a 2nd opinion farrier.