The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Explain these shoes to me please

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Patty Stiller 
#1 ·
Hi guys! I wanted to ask about shoes thegood and bad, what to really know and look for.

Both my horses have a problem with getting low in the heel, How do I help my farrier correct/build it up over time? Right now Ollie is in a full set of Natural balance, this was recommended by a farrier I used to use, don't any more as he just stopped showing up. I now use a local farrier who I have used many many times on past horses and do really respect. He also has a very cool hand held thermal camera that he can use use on the horses to see where they are sore from hoof to poll! Very cool!

So my questions are for both horses and I will explain the work both horses are doing below, also note that since it is winter, less time in the saddle, though when I do work and ride them it will hand walking or riding them up to the park that is 2.5 miles away, one way.

Oliver and Luna both will be in weekly lessons, 1-2x a week.

Luna, after getting a couple weeks off to adjust will go into dressage work, now she was started as a H/J and so there will be a lot of work there, also due to the fact she is very green still lol.

Ollie on the other hand who has been making leaps and bound sin his training has started jumping again, about 2' -2'6 max and really getting into more of the 1st level movement work when in the dressage tack. (do know I mainly ride in my dressage saddle as it is all dressage through the fences and jump in my jump saddle 1-2 days a week)

Luna has had the Kerkheart SSP or the kerkheart DF, now when I talked to this farrier, who I like his work and respect him as well tells me the shoe I have been putting on Ollie creates a pony strides or too much knee action, take away to much of the four for landing when jumping. Of course this is his personal opinion. He also said it can be harder for horses to get off the forehand and different shoes would more then likely change his stride and ability to balance on the hind end better. Is this worth a try?

I have a knowledgeable farrier who I will be talking to as well, but I wanted to hear your thoughts and opinions.

Thank you!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Right now Ollie is in a full set of Natural balance,
Why did he get them? Why are either of your horses shod? Patty is the best to give you the 'pros' on these shoes, but as with any steel rim shoes, there are mostly the same 'cons', and it depends a lot too on how the horse is trimmed & managed, why they may be needed, environment, how long they're kept on etc, as to degree of problems. They're also less malleable, to be shaped than most normal shoes. The main problem with conventional type shoes IMO, inc to a large degree 'NB' is that they reduce the bearing surface of the hoof to mostly load the hoof wall and leave the sole & frog with no support/protection. If this is considered & adequate support under the foot is provided, I think the majority of problems associated with peripheral loading devices can be reduced/removed.

tells me the shoe I have been putting on Ollie creates a pony strides or too much knee action, take away to much of the four for landing when jumping.... He also said it can be harder for horses to get off the forehand and different shoes would more then likely change his stride and ability to balance on the hind end better.
Again, it depends mostly on how & why they're applied. If they help put 'breakover' balance back to where it should be *in relation to the bony column of the particular horse* this is not 'taking away too much', albeit drastically more than most long toed horses. And different hoof form/balance does indeed change the stride. Not necessarily a good thing tho.

...Which just made me think of the horrid & extreme egs of 'big lick' horses. :evil: How anyone can allow such cruelty to go on in a supposedly 'humane' country...:evil:
 
#3 ·
It is a little unfortunate your current farrier is expressing a personal opinion about something he likely has little formal training with.
Natural balance is not just a shoe. It is an entire set of guidelines including a specific TRIM and hoof map[ping to correctly set the shoes. The shoes bearing the same name are simply one way to apply the guidelines. It can be done with any shoe, with slight modifications. Even the man who developed them uses a lot of different shoes to apply the guidelines .
However, what happens is Some farriers unfortunately use the shoes but do not use the recommended guidelines for the application.
So when natural balance shoes are used on an INCORRECT trim, usually with too much heel on the foot and maybe the shoe just arbritrarily set back,(too far) the result can be a shortened stride and incorrect movement.

Then words gets around the "traditional" farrier world that the shoes caused the problem, when they didn't. The FARRIER caused it by incorrectly applying them. But the notion sticks.

In my experience( plenty) when Natural Balance guidelines are applied using recommended trim, the correct hoof mapping and the correct shoe placement on the foot , the stride is increased, the horse will move more freely and floaty and easily get off the forehand.

I am a bit sorry to see your horse is now going to a flat shoe instead of one that allows his hooves to move more efficiently simply because of a farriers opinion that is likely based on either some other farriers opinion or hearsay.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top