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It is important to take good care of your horse’s hooves; failure to do this may render your horse lame due to neglect. The best hooves’ care practices include regular trimming and fitting of the ideal horseshoes.
You cannot overlook the importance of horseshoe, especially if your horse has an active work life. If your horse has weak feet or hoof problems, choosing the right horseshoes may solve the problem. With constant involvement in horseshoes designs, better shoes keep coming up.
Natural balance shoe is one of the contemporary shoe designs in the market. The shoe addresses the bio-mechanical needs of the horse hoof, offering the needed support and protection. Due to the optimal stability and protection the shoe offers, your horse can perform with minimal stress.
Proper Fitting
You have to follow the recommended hoof preparation guidelines while fitting the shoe to enhance optimal performance. Following the installation, guidelines ensure that you properly orient the shoe to the coffin bone. You will also prevent hoof capsule distortion by ensuring that you place the shoe well.
A natural balance horseshoe enhances foot function and promotes the health of the horse. Depending on your preference, you may go for natural balance aluminum horseshoes or natural balance steel horseshoes.
Natural Balance Steel Horseshoes
The horseshoe has a wide-web design and rolled toe making it provide maximum support to a horse’s hoof. The toe area is seated out and this helps to prevent sole contact with the P-3 tip and enhances comfort.
The shoe’s toe portion comes with a greater mass; therefore, there is more material for wear and this enhances the shoe life.
The rim-shoe design helps to enhance traction and allows the horse’s toe to wear back even as the foot enlarges in size. Even on a longer horseshoeing period, the shoe guarantees magnificent hoof wall orientation and promotes optimal P-3.
The shoe offers more nailing options especially if the horse has low-quality feet because it comes complete with both primary and secondary nail holes.
A farrier has the freedom to customize the right and left nailing patterns given the shoes’ multiple nail-hole choices.
The rim-shoe design and the forged steels play a major role in minimizing the weight but still ensure durability. Your horse can enjoy long-lasting wear combined with enhanced performance.
Natural Balance Aluminum Horseshoe
In many ways, the aluminum horseshoe resembles the steel horseshoe and offers similar benefits. However, certain features distinguish the aluminum shoe from the steel shoe.
The aluminum shoe does not contain a wear plate and this allows the toe to wear back as the foot enlarges. Throughout the shoeing period, the foot can stay in natural balance.
The horse can always access his individual position for a breakover due to the arched roll at the toe. The shoe comes with steep shoulders between the heels and this enables it to hold ground material.
In making the aluminum horseshoe, the manufacturers use a forged aluminum alloy. The manufacturers use heat to treat the alloy to enhance its hardness.
Aluminum is a light metal; this combination and heat treatment provide a light yet durable shoe, which enhances the performance of the horse.
Uses of Natural Balance Horse shoe
The steel and aluminum horseshoes are ideal for a wide range of uses. The shoes are suitable for jumpers, hunters, and speed event horses.
Steel shoes offer great support and durability and this makes them the proper choice for trail and other pleasure horses.
Using the natural balance shoes alongside natural balance pad and sole support material can help solve lameness problems and other minor chronic issues. The shoes come in handy for English and Western show horses.
The natural balance aluminum shoes are light and this makes them ideal for training horses on the track. The shoes enhance less fatigue and improved track times. They create less interference and this enhances the horses’ endurance.
The wide-web aluminum shoes are ideal for traction and their optimum design prevents a horse from forging and interfering. The ideal traction makes the shoes suitable for rodeo horses and shows horses.
Benefits of Natural Balance horse Shoes
The contemporary natural balance shoes offer a wide range of benefits for your horse compared to the conventional horseshoes. Some of the leading benefits include:
- Enhanced protection of a horse’s hooves from damage
- Improved traction making it easy for a horse to walk on slippery surfaces
- Their design can help correct a wide range of hoof problems
- You can use the shoes to magnify or amplify your horse’s gaits
- Available in a wide range of sizes; there is a shoe for every horse irrespective of its size
Infographic: Benefits Of Natural Balance Horse Shoes
Pricing
The pricing of the horseshoes may vary depending on various factors including the specific shoe design. For instance, the price of a steel shoe may vary slightly from that of an aluminum shoe. You may also incur some shipping costs depending on your location.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Some of the frequently asked questions about natural balance shoes include:
Q: Is the Natural Balance Shoe Ideal for Every Horse?
Answer:
Yes, natural balance shoes help to address the lameness issues of conventional horseshoes.
Q: Can Horse Shoes Hurt a Horse?
Answer:
No, when installed in the right way, a horseshoe is comfortable and does not hurt.
Q: At What age should you Shoe a Horse?
Answer:
Six weeks is the ideal age for shoeing your horse to ensure hoof health.
Q: How Often Should Your Horse See a Farrier?
Answer:
After fitting horseshoes, you should have a farrier review your horse every 4 to 6 weeks.
Q: Where Can You Buy Natural Balance Shoes for a Horse?
Answer:
Like most horse supplies, you can get natural balance shoes from online stores or physical stores.
Conclusion
Choosing natural balance shoes for your horse can enhance its performance. The shoes may cost slightly higher than conventional horseshoes. However, their benefits make them worth the investment.