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The concept of using metal for horse shoes originated out of necessity around 450BC when the use of the horse to carry loads, pull vehicles or carry the burden of a rider resulted in the hoof wearing quicker than it could renew itself . The resulting pain and lameness would render the horse unusable and because of the valuable role of the horse in both military and domestic capacities at the time a solution was needed.
Historians seem to be divided in their idea of which civilization was the first to nail on an iron horse shoe, however most available data points to the Celts. They were very advanced in their skills with iron in terms of weapons and farm implements and dated archeological finds suggest that the Celts were using iron shoes around 450 BC. These early blacksmith skills traveled with the Celts and eventually spread throughout Europe.
Early designs and shapes of horse shoes had to also take into consideration the need for protection in battle from the effects of a devious and nasty little weapon called a “caltrop”. The caltrop, a three pronged iron star with very sharp points, was designed to be thrown on to the ground and create a minefield of potentially crippling obstacles for the on coming mounted armies. . Horses would encounter these extremely sharp obstacles at considerable speed and carrying the weight of rider and full amour. The caltrop would pierce the sole of the horses hoof, cause serious injury and effectively halt the progress on the advancing army.
Today’s horse shoes are direct descendents of the shoes used by the Celts and modified by the early Romans. The evolutionary process of horse shoes has been a result of trial and error and unfortunately, often based upon military considerations rather than medical knowledge of the natural structure and bio- mechanics of the hoof.
Despite the many modifications horse shoes have undergone over the years the concept of using an extremely rigid structure to protect a horse’s hoof is long overdue for a “re- think”. Science has now proven what the eminent veterinary surgeons of the early 18th century only suspected. Not only is the hoof a very complex and specialized structure that is capable of meeting the extreme demands of weight bearing and movement but it’s also a highly flexible structure that absorbs shock via its ability to expand and deform shape upon impact with the ground.
This expansion occurs naturally both horizontally (up to 3mm) and vertically (up to 20mm) upon impact to absorb shock. By using a metal shoe on the hoof we greatly impair natural hoof function, reduce it’s ability to absorb shock and create unnecessary strain on joints, tendons and ligaments. Why then do we still use traditional horse shoes?
According to recent research the reason would appear to be that there hasn’t been, until fairly recently, a workable alternative to the traditional horse shoe. Over
the last 10 years many attempts have been made to produce and market synthetic horse shoes. Unfortunately the technology and processes in most earlier attempts failed in the area of wear resistance. These early synthetic shoes were fulfilling their anti concussion promises, however most designs were just not sturdy enough and were wearing out in as little as two weeks of use. For this reason they proved economically non viable to the average horse owner.
These days, however, we do have a workable alternative with the Austrian designed Easywalker Horse Shoe. After 5 years or research and trials on over 300 horses the Austrian based company Easywalker developed a high tech synthetic horse shoe that absorbs shock (up to eight times more than a traditional horse shoe), allows the hoof to flex , wears extremely well and is re-usable.
The Easywalker horse shoe is made from polyurethane that is injection molded under eighty tons of pressure. It is rugged, unbreakable yet highly elastic and flexible. Designed to closely resemble the structure of the hoof wall it permits correct hoof function whilst still protecting the hoof capsule.
The shoes, which have only been available in Australia for 12 months are proving
increasingly popular with all sectors of the horse industry. Horses that are experiencing very high concussion loads such as gallopers, pacers , and show jumpers are demonstrating enhanced performance, improved gaits and less time out to concussion related injury whilst wearing the Easywalker horse shoes. However their use is not restricted to performance horses and a significant numberof trail and pleasure riders are also experiencing the difference.
Horses with pre-existing conditions such as Arthritis, Navicular Syndrome and
Ringbone are showing improvement in soundness in some cases between 60-80% (USAtests on Navicular cases) whilst wearing the easywalker horse shoes.
Farrier acceptance in Australia although slow initially, has generally been very positive. No special training or qualifications are needed to apply the shoes and Easywalker Horse Shoes Australia sends out free installation DVDs for first time users or any farriers interested in the shoes
Copyright April 2006
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