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[RC] Experiences with Plastic Shoes` - Ed & Wendy HauserWay back in the '70's, I rode on a road wagon train 3 or 4 times. We would cover about 200 miles in 9 days of riding. Much of the riding was on asphalt or concrete pavement. Steel shoes were to slippery, especially when riding traffic. The traffic riders were on the pavement all of the time and had to trot or lope to secure crossings etc. Some people put borium on the shoes. They used the finest grade of borium. (note: farriers usually have to get this special because most of their use is for hunter-jumpers who want the coarsest grade. Some farriers do not even know that different grades exist.) I did this one time and it was fine, but not as good as plastic shoes. Upon the recommendation of a friend I used plastic shoes. The ones of choice were "Flex-step". They may not exist any more. A quick Google found a mention, but no dealers or web site. My horses had good feet and were barefoot, except for the wagon train. The plastic shoes gave the right amount of traction, and padding for the asphalt surface. I had to tighten the clinches every night. By the end of the train they were pretty well worn out. They did not support the feet. If I did not remove them quickly after the ride, they tended to turn and come off. I suspect that a steady diet would have resulted in cracks etc. If I knew that I was going to do another 200 miles of road, I would put plastic shoes on my horse if he/she had great feet. I would have him reshod when I was done. Ed Ed & Wendy Hauser 2994 Mittower Road Victor, MT 59875 ranch@xxxxxxxxxxx 406.642.6490 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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