HorsesADM: OK all - we're about to start. Tonight we have with us Vance Glenn, who is a certified journeyman farrier from Pennsylvania and he's here to answer questions about shoeing and farriery.
HorsesADM: Just send me a quick private message if you have a question and I'll let you know when it's your turn.
xxs: Welcome Vance.
GeminiHOST: Welcome to Horse Chat Vance. We are pleased to have you here tonight.
Vance: Thanks, I'm happy to be here.
Guest668: Vance, when do you recommend first shoeing a young horse?
Vance: If a horse has problems like angular deformity, you may end up putting glue on in the first few weeks. If a horse has no problems, say a racehorse ready to sell, shoe as a yearling, and that's mostly for aesthetic reasons. A regular horse that you have, don't put on shoes until you absolutely have to - say when he feet get worn down or try to break.
Vance: The longer they go without shoes the better the hoof.
Vance: As they are growing up, they will develop a stronger hoof.
Guest668: We do everything from backyard ponies to grand prix horses.
Guest668: Is there a way to shoe for a certain type of desired movement--for example, the "daisy cutter" style for hunters?
Vance: If the horse is a lousy mover, he is a lousy mover, but shoeing a horse with aluminum shoes which are light may help them move more in the daisy cutter style.
Guest668: If a horse toes in, can you correct that with shoeing?
Vance: A light shoe gets the maximum desired movement out of the horse.
Vance: You can't correct it but you can compensate for it.
Vance: A pigeon toed horses fitted with a full fit on the lateral side where he is bearing more weight will help support the hoof.
Vance: What this does is moving the weight bearing surface under the center of gravity of that limb.
HorsesADM: TomHost has a question.
TomHOST: Vance, If you are familiar with Cytek system, do you think it is beneficial or not and why?
Vance: Tom would you clarify what you mean by Cytek?
TomHOST: Cytek is the United Kingdom's version of New Balance. Which I think is based on the 4 point trim method. Both Cytek and New Balance make their own shoes that have the break overpoint near the tip of the frog.
Vance: I think that all those products definitely have an application. The problem is people have luck with them in the beginning and try to apply one type of product like the four-point shoeing style to all applications.
TomHOST: When would that style be useful?
Vance: Typically if you have horses with a full body imbalance, maybe different length of stride on one side or another, hind feet not really following their front feet, etc. A horse in this position over time has developed a bad imbalance, a four-point helps them move differently and realign them selves and become more balanced.
TomHOST: Thanks for your answer Vance.
Guest668: What are keg shoes used for?
Vance: Keg shoes are used for every application really. They are called keg shoes as they used to be packaged in kegs. Really any prefab steel shoe is a keg shoe
Guest668: What would you recommend for a horse that paddles?
Vance: If the horse is paddling, he has a slight conformation defect, maybe is not perfectly straight. You don't want to try to try and correct the conformation problem causing him to do that, but if you keep his point of breakover short and pulled back and give him a freer way of breaking over, the paddling won't be as pronounced.
Guest668: Any thoughts on a horse with a very thin sole?
Vance: One thing you can do is take shoes off and let him suffer for a while and he will develop a harder thicker sole. But you have to put him and you through that first. That's my first pick.
Vance: I like the product Equipack, a eurothan gel you inject into the sole, and it sets into the consistency of rubber. I use it without pads.
Vance: It protects the sole well.
HorsesADM: Gem has a question next.
GeminiHOST: Vance, how would you recommend shoeing a horse with navicular?
Vance: The classic style is to raise the hoof angle and a very very short toe
Vance: In the recent years, heart bar shoes are being used putting pressure on the front, which increases circulation.
HorsesADM: I think xxs has a question now.
xxs: Vance, I am not able to find a farrier who is willing to do miniatures, so I have to do my own trimming. I have a dwarf filly that I have to keep her outsides trimmed or her knees buckle to the inside...will she outgrow this?
xxs: She is a coming yearling.
Vance: I recommend possibly looking at someone to do a medial extension (glue on shoe)
Vance: Do this as soon as possible.
xxs: But her feet are the size of a half dollar -- do they have shoes that small?
Vance: Also have your vet check her over for other options.
Vance: You would have to make special shoes but it's possible
Vance: I usually make them out of PVC pipe.
