rubber/gel like horse shoes?

Okay so my arab gelding has awesome feet. Does not need shoes normally for normal riding. I normally don't have anyone to ride with. I don't like riding in the grass alongside the highway by my house because the drivers are very ignorant and do not like to slow down at all. My gelding doesnt spook at them, it just scares me. So I can't ride in the grassy areas. My house is on a dirt road. Well, a gravel road. Cars rarely ever travel down it and if they do they are going about 20 mph. Much safer! I would really like to condition my gelding but I do not want to trot him on the gravel roads barefoot for fear of stone bruising, abcess, etc. I do not like the idea of aluminum shoes because I do ride on the paved road sometimes and I don't want to take the chance of him slipping. I have heard good things about rubber horse shoes, though. Does anyone know about them? Are they good for protection from gravel? Which shoes are the best? Are they better nailed in or glued on? I like the idea of a flexible horse shoe that absorbs shock and gives cushion much like our sneakers. Like I said he has great hooves, but they would need protection from the gravel and rocks I would be riding on constantly. I have peeked at Epona shoes and others. I am looking for something that will last awhile, can be reset, offers great protection, but doesnt drain my bank account. :) I am interested in beginning endurance and also am starting showing (just open shows). Thanks

I don't have a personal opinion on them, but a farrier that I have the utmost respect for thinks they're a joke.
Studs or borium can always be added to aluminum shoes to allow for pavement riding (what Donald is planning on doing with Super this year).

I also know some people who I don't have as much respect for (if any.. ;; ) that swear by them.

To he shod correctly, the rubber/silicon shoes need to be rasped to the correct size and trimmed down in some spots depending on the horse's feet and they're apparently h*ll to try and nail on. And personally, I just don't trust glue..lol.

But, only things I've heard.
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Have you ever considered hoof boots? They cover the entire hoof (including the frog) and I believe you can even put cushions in them (though I don't know anyone who does). I'm an endurance rider, so I condition on all sorts of terrain. I use easy boot gloves, as do many of the other riders I know. One of my favorite things is that you don't have to worry about the boot being worn down or thrown when you're not needing to use it (i.e. In the pasture or in the arena. Etc). They usually last about 500 miles or so.

If you're going to be on gravel, you do run the risk of getting a piece in the shoe and getting a bruise that way, but you can take precautions so that doesn't happen.

What are you conditioning for?

I think it's the epona shoe. I don't remember. They have things where the nails kind of push up in it so they don't come out? Something like that. There's another shoe that is one size fits all and I don't understand that.
I don't know anyone that uses flex shoes.
Do normal aluminum shoes with borium protect the feet against gravel well? Or can he still get stone bruises? I've seen small rocks get stuck between the shoe and hoof. I've never had a horse that needed shoes.
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A horse can still get stone bruised in any shoe because a rock can hit the frog or anywhere else on the shoe - the feet are just raised above the ground some. I think there are pads you can put in between the shoe and the hoof to protect the inside as well, but I love my hoof boots for this reason.

Yes I've looked at hoof boots. I really like the renegades. But I heard they're hard to size. I've also seen the glue on hoof covers. I don't trust those though. My parents have a friend that uses cavallo boots. I've thought about boots seriously but I'd have to save up the money to get them. All if my money has been going towards feed and hay lately. Would aluminum shoes hurt (not pain wise) his good hooves?
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Oh and I'm wanting to condition for endurance or limited distance. I wanted to a long time ago but it's hard to because the gravel is the only place I have :/
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You're going to get 100 opinions on this. Personally, I think my horses are much better and healthier barefoot and their feet had been excellent since switching to a barefoot trimmer. I do believe that shoes would weaken their hooves and be less healthy for them. My barefoot trimmer, who used to be a farrier, actually won't buy a horse that "needs" shoes (though they do exist, there are actually very few horses that need them). Renegades are actually easier to size than Easyboots. Easyboots have to fit exactly, but they are cheaper and I like them better - you do have to get used to putting them on, though. If you think about the money you'll spend on shoeing, the boots will usually be cheaper. I expect my boots to last at least another year or two, making it cheaper in the long-run to boot rather than shoe each year and then maintain the trimming and shoeings, not to mention if they throw a shoe.

Yes I've heard of pads that go between the shoe and hoof. What are they called so I can look them up?
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Okay which easy boot is easiest to put on (but hardest to accidentally come off lol)? If I wasn't on gravel I wouldn't use anything. But I don't think it'd be good on the hooves to trot on gravel for extended periods of time.
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