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Tips For Using Non-Metal Shoes
Gary Werner believes that one of the real keys to using the non-metal horseshoes on the market is not to let them scare you off.
“It’s easy to let yourself be intimidated by these,” he says. “They’re something new and you need to learn some new techniques to apply them.”
Practice, Practice, Practice
Werner suggests practicing in private. It may cost you a few pairs of shoes, but it will help you learn and prefect the techniques.
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| Gary Werner, left, and his son, Jesse, also a farrier, apply an Ibex shoe to a hoof. |
“If you’re out in front of a client trying to use these the first time and you can’t make it work, you don’t look very competent or professional,” he says.
Werner says his experience is that manufacturers of non-metal shoes are very helpful, both in supplying video tapes or DVDs that demonstrate application and in answering questions. He says it makes sense to take advantage of clinics they put on as well.
Work The Plan
One of his rules in any kind of shoeing, he says, is to follow a 4-step procedure.
1. Assess the situation.
2. Create a simple plan.
3. Take action (shoe the horse following the plan).
4. Evaluate the progress.
He believes it’s important to use visualization, imagination and creativity in putting together a plan.
“The clearer my visualization is, the better the chance of success,” he says.
Non-Metal Tips
If you’re using some of the shoes that have a rubber or polyurethane coating over a steel core, he says you may need to drive the nails higher than you usually would, because the shoes are a little thicker than a normal steel shoe.
“That added thickness throws off your feel and perception of where your nails are going,” he says. “You need to get used to it.”
The added thickness may also make it difficult to use a regular clincher on the nails. He suggests getting a clincher that’s normally used for Saddlebreds or long-footed horses, or other types of clinchers that are designed to work with a high nail.
You also need a good foot. He doesn’t recommend using rubber-coated shoes on shelly-footed horses or any horse that has a bad hoof wall.
He says one common trait of non-metal shoes is that they tend to be slippery on wet grass. While some can be equipped with studs, he believes you want to review your goals for using the shoes before you put studs on them. He says he wouldn’t use studs on horses when he’s using the shoes for therapeutic reasons.
Once you’ve mastered using non-metal shoes, Werner says you should also be sure to charge appropriately.
“There are extra materials involved with these and they’re more expensive than normal shoes,” he says. “I charge for that, for the additional time and for my knowledge of how to use them properly.”
