This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Horse Care » Hoof Care, Hoof Trimming, Shoeing Horses » Care of the Hoof: an Overview »
  Discussion on Natural Balance shoe
Author Message
Member:
Ann1

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 22, 2004 - 7:34 pm:

Has anyone used this type of shoe? I've seen them but don't know who made them or there function. I have heard they are great for the horse. Anyone have any information on them or a web site that I can go to. Thanks, Ann
Member:
Dres

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 22, 2004 - 7:54 pm:

https://www.hopeforsoundness.com/

hope this helps .. Ann
Member:
Ann1

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 22, 2004 - 8:23 pm:

Thanks Ann I sure have alot of reading to do. Will let you know what happens.
Member:
Suzeb

Posted on Wednesday, Jun 23, 2004 - 8:59 am:

Ann1,
A word of caution. Make sure that you have a farrier who is well trained in applying these shoes and that their application is going to benefit your horse. Get your vet involved if necessary. I suppose this would be good advice for any "designer" shoe that is off the traditional path.
My horses experience with them was not a good one, but it may have been that the farrier was not up to snuff in their application and had broken a few rules for the preparation of foot.
I am not trying to steer you away from these shoes as a lot of people and their horses swear by them. Just research them carefully before making any drastic changes.
Hope this helps,
Susan
Member:
Ann1

Posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2004 - 7:41 am:

Thanks for all your information. I have read some on them from the web site that Ann gave me. The farrier I use is an older gentleman who does other things but does them well. I have another farrier who does my other two horses at home. He is the one who showed me the shoe and told me a story of one horse he used them on. I don't know if he is well versed in this particular shoe as he said he happened to pick them up to try them. The first thing would be to find someone who knows about them. That would be the hard part. But the horse I would use them on is doing ok the way he is being done now. He is a low heel, high heel type of horse and really still is. But I just thought I would check them out and see what they were all about. If anyone in Florida is famillar with this particular shoe and knows of a farrier I could talk with please let me know. If anyone has used these shoes with good results please let me hear your story.

Thanks.....Ann
Member:
Juliem

Posted on Monday, Jun 28, 2004 - 10:12 pm:

I have used these on my foundered and rotated gelding for several years. He practically walked off sound from the first shoeing. I've even done endurance with him since then. It is essential that you use a farrier that has learned how to use these shoes and preferably has done some continuing education with them. Even better if he will work with your vet from a set of radiographs for the first shoeing placing the shoe with regard to the tip of P3--the coffin bone. These radiographs will be a very good baseline should your horse have any trouble in the future, so they are a pretty good investment I think. I had a set done on my three year old before his first shoeing just for that reason. My farrier shoes only Natural Balance, but even so the radiographs are the best tool for shoe placement. You will only need to do this once unless your horse suffers some event that causes structural change in the hoof. I am a huge proponent of the shoes and the shoeing and trimming technique that go along with them, but only by a farrier trained to use them.
Member:
Ann1

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 29, 2004 - 7:22 am:

Thanks Julie for your imput. I'm all for doing things naturally. Now the problem would be to find a farrier who works with these particular type of shoe. I still need to do some more research. Any other's out there please I could use more imput. Anyone from Fla near West Palm Beach.
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC