Don't go all cryptic on me now, Chris... I was genuinely interested to know whether you thought the trend toward a wider web shoe was a good or bad thing. Anyone else have an opinion?
i would rather talk to you on a face to face basis Gary then get embroiled in internet bollox with internet experts
you are more articulate than me , maybe you could post my thoughts on the subject after our day having a tinker ?
I think you over rate me... Soon as the polo season finishes, I'll have some time. We'll get together for a day.
I'm an internet expert. Taller, thinner, and better looking when I'm on line too. I like wider web shoes. More protection, able to hang more iron outside the hoof and still cover the sole and heel bars. Any loss of traction can be gained back with creasing, concave, or studs. I use wide section on about every thing with the horses going better than when they came to me.
I'm an ex-spurt too The rubbish we used to bang on years ago was like a 16mm web. In comparison, 3/4 x 3/8 seemed like a boat anchor. Depends what we're calling wide web, but I like the web wider than that... 20mm on smaller feet 22 -25mm on the bigger feet up to warmbloods. What ARE we calling wide web?
Skip , what i am saying in the work we see 7/8 section been used a lot on 11 1/2 " feet , whereas 3/4 is far better IMO
Right... yep agree. I would consider 7/8 too wide on a run of the mill 11 1/2 foot. I generally wouldn't go 7/8 until some 12 1/2s.... the odd 12.
I prefer a wider shoe, 7/8 for #1 and up. It puts more steel over more of the sole. Banging concavity into the ground surface gives plenty of traction that may be lost with a flatter shoe. A wider section also allows more shoe to be extended out from the hoof wall medially, laterally, and gives a solid platform when extending the heels. Most of the time I crease the lateral heel wider still to give the inward curvature of the heel protection and suport, while extending the shoe outward. As to why, when and how much to extend where, opens another debate to witch I would open with 'it depends'. What would the advantages be of using a narrow section on a larger horse?
Chris, I guess I come behind some folks that take too much wall and sole off..the wider shoe seems to help them over the hump of gathering back up the feet..as with anything undressing a hoof is as bad as overdressing some feet? JMO..I very much agree with Bill Adams approach...
Here's one I went for the wide web on today... new horse for me, bilaterally lame, purportedly diagnosed with PO. These are the 16mm pieces of crap I mentioned before... El cheapo farrier 20 min job. Went for Kerk Comforts 22mm web, chopped out some WLD, horse walked off much better... dare I say sound(ish) . Customer was stoked. I tried hard to ignore that heel bulb
"it depends". The footing dictates width; one needs to know the ground their horses do work on. I will use different width on horses that work in the sand at Palm Beach to the grass at Spruce Meadows in Calgary.....but always use 10mm or 3/8" in thickness....the fad of "purchase", really...
that is my point about this standardsised shoeing Jaye , we must take into account what the horse is doing or going to do , it makes a big difference
