Shoe Secure

[Right_on_Target]

Have any of you had success with Shoe Secure? Www.shoesecure.com

My current guy pulls his right front once or twice each 5 week cycle. He loses them even with front bell boots on (long enough to touch the ground). He strides long behind and seems a little slow in front. He’s a 4yo OTTB and plays a lot in the field which is where he usually loses them.

I lost one riding and got to see him in action. We were crossing his first stream, and he leapt big over the water and grabbed the outside heel of the RF.

My farrier is skeptical of the Shoe Secures so I’m hoping to get some useful feedback.

Thanks!

[BoyleHeightsKid]

I would be looking at hoof balance. Doe’s he have the classic long toe/low heel up front? That would delay the foot leaving the ground.

I would look at that first.

[Right_on_Target]

The farrier is working on that, he does have a longer toe and slightly crushed heels. Not terrible, but needing correction.

I’m just hoping for an interim solution to keep the shoes on while my farrier corrects his feet over time. Thanks!

[BoyleHeightsKid]

I have no experience with the shoe secure but you could give it a go, personally I would double bell boot rather than add more to his shoeing package. Is he setting the shoe back to speed up breakover? If he’s fitting him full to the toe and not giving him the heel support he needs, there’s part of your problem.

[JB]

Would you be able and willing to take pictures of his feet?
http://www.all-natural-horse-care.com/good-hoof-photos.html

IMHO, “he does have a longer toe and slightly crushed heels. Not terrible, but needing correction.” shouldn’t take time to correct. Not if it’s just “slightly” and “not terrible”. One trim with the proper shoes (and a wedge if necessary) puts things in alignment right away. But maybe your definitely of “slightly” and “not terrible” are not the same as mine LOL

He’s also 4. Is he butt-high? Is he a tall rectangle, meaning his legs are taller than his back is long? Is he relatively balanced in his movement, or does he move like a gangly teenage kid who hasn’t quite figured out how to move a fast-growing body

[PNWjumper]

I’ve used shoe secures and absolutely loved them. I had a horse who was in a funny growth stage and was pulling shoes left and right (literally and figuratively!). It was not my farrier’s fault. The shoe secures kept his shoes in place as promised.

My only caveat is that my guys had great feet, so I can’t address how they’d do on less-than-stellar feet.

[Palm_Beach]

New farrier. Shoes should stay on. Losing them twice in one 5 week cycle is ridiculous.

[Right_on_Target]

Thanks PNWjumper, that is really helpful!

I can take pics today.

I just started with a new farrier. And the same problem exists.
My horse is not Captain Coordinated, so I’m sure he contributes a lot to the problem.

[findeight]

My concern would be very dependent on your pasture situation. The ad says put them on when turning out and remove when brought in, doesn’t say anything about leaving them on for work under saddle or when they live outside.

Id have some concern about water, dirt and/or mud getting between the plastic and the foot and sitting there against the heel and coronet for long periods of time.

Otherwise it looks like a good idea for temporary use trying to grow the foot out properly, especially in fly stomping season.

Offhand, he’s young and still developing, things will change…probably starting with your farrier. There are things common in OTTBs time and farrier skill will work out. Did current farrier explain why he did not think the product would work? Or just blow it off with “no”?

You won’t see a difference with a single trim from any farrier…but I personally never like any horse care Pro dismissing new products and techniques without a logical explanation as to why it will not help a particular horse with a problem. Having paid for more lost shoes from over reaching then I care to recall, I’d give anything a shot that will keep the shoe on and let that hoof recover and grow. If it can’t hurt, might help and doesn’t cost too much, why not?

Like see pictures of the horse itself from the side, sometimes conformation contributes but often a good farrier can eliminate or greatly reduce the issues.

[Dune]

[QUOTE=Right on Target;8795558]
Thanks PNWjumper, that is really helpful!

I can take pics today.

I just started with a new farrier. And the same problem exists.
My horse is not Captain Coordinated, so I’m sure he contributes a lot to the problem.[/QUOTE]

I don’t know about this product, and it might not be your farrier but I will say that I once went through FIVE farriers on one horse that would.not.keep.shoes.on. The sixth farrier could. On another note, Captain Coordinated…??? I just about spewed tea on my keyboard, lol!

[StormyDay]

One of my horses went through the gangly long leg period… Until he was eight. We lost shoes on the weekly. I eventually gave up and pulled the shoes. He has the toughest feet ever, he walks over rocks without even flinching. It is pretty amazing. Did I mention he is a TB? :lol: He finally evened out his legs to his body, and I am sure he could wear shoes now.
My point is your TB is probably just going though his gangly long leg period. Hopefully he grows out of it faster than mine!

[Palm_Beach]

[QUOTE=Dune;8795846]
I don’t know about this product, and it might not be your farrier but I will say that I once went through FIVE farriers on one horse that would.not.keep.shoes.on. The sixth farrier could. On another not, Captain Coordinated…??? I just about spewed tea on my keyboard, lol![/QUOTE]

I did the same once when I moved. Old farrier did just fine, shoes stayed on, but we moved too far away. Went through 4 farriers with horses losing shoes in just a week, then found current farrier. Shoes stay on. 10 years go by. Current farrier breaks his leg and sends in a replacement. Shoe falls off. I get someone else in, who keeps the shoe on by whacking off the foot and putting a smaller shoe on. Shoes stay on, farrier gets fired. Current farrier finally heals enough to come back to work. Gets feet back into the right size shoe and shoes stay on.

OP, it’s NOT your fault that the shoes are not staying on. There are farriers out there who are simply mediocre. Don’t let them blame you for their inadequacies. Or however you spell it.

[Right_on_Target]

I took some pics, but I have to admit that when I looked at them at home they are not very useful since I did not take them from the right angles.

I signed up for Premium and I’m just waiting now for that to be turned on so I can post pics.

I don’t think my fella is very awkwardly put together at this point in time, although he is not super coordinated. But I’ll post pics and the experts can weigh in.

He does take big strides behind, but seems to take smaller strides in front (which probably isn’t possible). He easily tracks up, but he isn’t really using himself when he does it. When I watch him go, I think he’s more of a shuffler. He doesn’t have any suspension to speak of.

I would not want to assume this is the fault of my new farrier, and he is working to make changes so that the shoes stay on. But I’m happy to hear input as to what things I should be looking out for with feet like this.

The farrier did not give a lot of reason to not try the Shoe Secure, he just said he thought the horse might somehow get caught up in them and cause more trouble. I think he was thinking he’d be able to fix the problem without resorting to a gadget.

If I used Shoe Secures, my horse would have to wear them 24/7 (field and stall), and I could take them off for riding, or put on the riding variety. No one at my barn would take them off while he’s standing around in his stall.

[Right_on_Target]

Pics of his conformation

[Right_on_Target]

Left front- somehow I only took a pic of the LF from the inside instead of the outside.

He’s been diagnosed as having mismatched fronts by a vet, so there is a difference in the two feet.

[Right_on_Target]

Right front and pics of both fronts

[Right_on_Target]

These are his feet in July, before the new farrier started on him:

RF outside:

LF inside (I don’t know why I don’t get good ones of the outside of the LF):

[tazycat]

Why is shoe on right front sole shot 3rd pic up from bottom of page,heel of shoe is going into back of frog. LF doesn’t appear to have that going on.

If he’s trying to make those front feet match each other that’s a huge RED FLAG. My one horse has front feet that are different shapes,and farrier DOESN’T try to make them match. He trims so they are balanced and same length.

Not horrible looking feet,but still need some work to get them where they should be.

He’s a nice looking boy.

[JB]

I agree that his feet are part of the problem. The old feet have long toes and underrun heels, and are short-shod which isn’t helping. Are the LF pictures current? More of the same - long toes, heels running forward. Not horrible, but definitely not helping things.

If he’s shuffling, he needs to be ridden better (or determine whatever physical cause is making him shuffle - could be sore feet).

He certainly could be taking a shorter stride up front and longer behind - that comes from shuffling, and traveling too much on his forehand, and longer toes delaying his breakover, or any combination of those.

[Right_on_Target]

[QUOTE=JB;8797635]
I agree that his feet are part of the problem. The old feet have long toes and underrun heels, and are short-shod which isn’t helping. Are the LF pictures current? More of the same - long toes, heels running forward. Not horrible, but definitely not helping things.

If he’s shuffling, he needs to be ridden better (or determine whatever physical cause is making him shuffle - could be sore feet).

He certainly could be taking a shorter stride up front and longer behind - that comes from shuffling, and traveling too much on his forehand, and longer toes delaying his breakover, or any combination of those.[/QUOTE]

Thanks! The LF pics are from yesterday.

His shuffling could be a product of my riding, I don’t really see him go when I’m on him so I can’t really say how he’s going today. But when I first got him, the vet said he wasn’t a good mover and I have a little video and he doesn’t have suspension and to my eyes isn’t a great mover. He does lift his feet enough that his toes aren’t worn square.

I am trying to get him to use himself more, and hopefully his gaits will improve over time. I’m an adult ammie, so there is always the possibility that I’m causing or not fixing his issues.

I think he’s much less on his forehand than when I got him. He would lean down and race around. Now he can go on a loose rein without feeling like he’s going to fall down, which is a big improvement.

Hopefully I’ll be able to ride him better so we can cross one of the possibilities off the list!

As for sore feet, would having him hoof tested help?