Anyone familiar with using these? Supposedly they spread the horse's foot out to make the hoof bigger/wider. It was suggested for my filly. Any experience from anyone on them? Pros/cons?
Thanks!
Spreader Shoes
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Spreader Shoes
"We are the people our parents warned us about" - Jimmy Buffett
"My occupational hazard is that my occupation is just not around" - Jimmy Buffett
"My occupational hazard is that my occupation is just not around" - Jimmy Buffett
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KamiBrooks
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I haven't heard of these (but I'm not a pro of any kind).
I'm having trouble imagining how these would work. If its a metal (not flexible) shoe and you are nailing them to the hoof wall... Is this some kind of flexible shoe that lets the hoof spread out as it grows? Are they trying to decontract heels or just generally make her hoof bigger?
The size of the hoof is really determined by the shape/size of the coffin bone. So it seems like any 'spreading' would be compromising the white line. How old is the filly? Until 2yo there is a part of the cofin bone that is still growing/forming (the palmar process) and I would be leary of fooling w/shoes much until that has developed well.
Contracted heels come from wearing shoes constantly especially if the right size shoe isn't picked/made and they're nailing too far around the shoe. You can get decontraction of the heels by giving time w/o shoes and having a farrier who can trim properly. You can avoid it by giving time w/o shoes each year to let the hoof relax, then the next shoeing will have the right size shoe.
If you have any on-line links, I'd love to read about these shoes.
Kami
I'm having trouble imagining how these would work. If its a metal (not flexible) shoe and you are nailing them to the hoof wall... Is this some kind of flexible shoe that lets the hoof spread out as it grows? Are they trying to decontract heels or just generally make her hoof bigger?
The size of the hoof is really determined by the shape/size of the coffin bone. So it seems like any 'spreading' would be compromising the white line. How old is the filly? Until 2yo there is a part of the cofin bone that is still growing/forming (the palmar process) and I would be leary of fooling w/shoes much until that has developed well.
Contracted heels come from wearing shoes constantly especially if the right size shoe isn't picked/made and they're nailing too far around the shoe. You can get decontraction of the heels by giving time w/o shoes and having a farrier who can trim properly. You can avoid it by giving time w/o shoes each year to let the hoof relax, then the next shoeing will have the right size shoe.
If you have any on-line links, I'd love to read about these shoes.
Kami
Thanks Kami - I'm not real clear on what they are supposed to do but I uderstood it was to help make her foot larger if that is possible - but I believe they are glue-on - once I get a clearer understanding myself I'll let you know - I just thought someone here might have used them or knew about them.
"We are the people our parents warned us about" - Jimmy Buffett
"My occupational hazard is that my occupation is just not around" - Jimmy Buffett
"My occupational hazard is that my occupation is just not around" - Jimmy Buffett
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ratherrapid
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There is a guy out in the northwest named Bergy Burgland (sp?) who promoted a shoe that's was supposed to help open up the foot. I think he has a web site. My old farrier used his shoes a couple of times on my wife's TB hunter with caved in heels. The shoes were expensive. Finally he started making his own by grinding out the toe. In the end we decided it did not make any difference.
Chuck
Chuck
Made a quick search and found Bergey is now working out of Austin, TX. Here is a link to the web site http://www.hooftalk.com/
FWIW - Chuck
FWIW - Chuck