Our Work | K Bar R Farrier Service

Western Pleasure Horse

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:13:50 -0500

Like our fingernails, a horse’s hooves grow continuously. They need to be trimmed every six to eight weeks to keep them in proper shape.

Corrective Trimming

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:37:43 -0500

No not all donkeys have upright hoof angles. Thes best trim for a donkey hoof is to match the pastern angle, as they would on any horse. For an animal that has under-run heels or is coon-footed (as in this donkey), there may be some corrective trimming in need, but the general rule is to match angles. Trying to "Stand a donkey on it's toes" may do more harm than good. The basic trim is the same, just the general shape and to a small extent the angles are different - but not that much.

Aluminum Shoes

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:04:39 -0500

Lightness

Aluminum horseshoes are much lighter than steel shoes, and because the horse doesn't use as much energy pulling his feet around, he moves better, which is beneficial for the show ring.

Hoof damage

Less hoof damage occurs with aluminum shoes because of the lighter weight. The concussion of moving causes less vibrations than with a heavier shoe, and vibrations are among the causes of hoof damage from shoes.

Concussion

The horse's hooves are walking on a softer surface than with steel shoes, since aluminum dissipates some of the concussion of movement.

Flotation

Due to the lightness of the shoe, a farrier can add more flotation to the shoe, which is the measurement of the weight a shoe supports.

Wear

The way aluminum wears allows the breakover of your horse's foot (the speed at which the horse's foot lands and pushes off of the ground) to remain more even during the time between shoeings. The breakover gets slower as your horse's foot grows longer, but the wear of aluminum speeds up the break-over.

Sliding Plates

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:55:18 -0500

Sliding plates have wider bar steel and are smoother than regular horseshoes, with even the nail heads filed to be flush with the shoe. When the horse plants its hind feet for a sliding stop, the shoes allow the hind legs to slide along the ground with less resistance. Sliding plates often have long trailers to help the horse's hind legs slide in a straight path as well as a rolled toe so that the front of the hoof does not accidentally catch the ground.