Had to choose between aluminum shoes and plain steel for a tricky case

I got a call last week about a horse with some nasty quarter cracks. The owner wanted aluminum shoes to save weight, but I pushed for a plain steel shoe with a good clip and a full fit. I had to explain that the extra stability from the steel would help the hoof heal more evenly. We went with the steel and put rim pads under it to ease the pressure. Three days later the owner called to say the horse looked sounder already. I guess sometimes the old standbys still work best. Has anyone else had luck pushing back on trendy materials?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthew8644d ago

Did you see any issues with the aluminum shoe flexing more under weight on those quarter cracks? I've had a couple cases where the aluminum just couldn't hold the hoof together well enough when the horse was landing heel first, and the crack would actually open up more. That's what pushed me to start using steel with a bar shoe or a full clip on those tricky cracks, especially on hind feet where the horse lands harder. The rim pad trick is smart too, I usually just throw on a leather pad to absorb some of the concussion. How bad was the crack before you started, and did you use any acrylic filler to keep dirt out of the gap?

emery8794d ago

You ever try a full clip on the heels? That held for me.