Winter Shoes

[guest@endurance.net]

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO GUEST@ENDURANCE.NET!!!
You must post replies to the actual sender listed below.

From: Barb Peck 
Email: bpeck@us.ibm.com

Hi again. De-Lurking again:
In our area, the things that DO NOT work for preventing snowballing under the hooves of non-padded shod horses are: just about everything you can think of, Pam, vaseline, lard, oils, you name it, we notherners have tried it... they don't work in our climate.
The Only thing that works here (northern Vt) are snow-ball pads, which are rubbery-plastic pads with a bubble in the center, that flexes then "pops" the snow out of the shoe.  Snow builds up because of the difference in themperature between the steel shoe and the sole of the hoof.  The moisture content of the snow has alot to do which how bad it'll ball up.
  Oh yes. And you need borium and or cleats on the shoes along with those full snowball pads.. The only saving grace is that the shoes don't need resetting as aften cause the hoof doesn't grow as fast in winter.

Barb