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angelarab
Platinum Member
 Wales
2876 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Dec 2010 : 08:40:04 AM
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Anyone any good tips that work, the mare i turn out with has either high heels or the other day went retro and had platforms on her feet!
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 "Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened."
www.northwalesarab.co.uk |
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arabianrio
Gold Member
England
1300 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2010 : 08:58:38 AM
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| You beat me to it Angelarab...I am having the same problem...can anyone help us please??? |
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Edited by - arabianrio on 23 Dec 2010 08:59:09 AM |
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Aremeriel
Bronze Member
77 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2010 : 09:00:47 AM
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Not sure if you can get them in UK, but we use rubber "channels" on our horses in winter.
It's basically a rubber mat shaped like the hoof and cut out in the middle so it's just a cm or two wider than the shoes. This part is a bit thicker than the rest. This allows you to still clean the hoof while it will prevent snow stilts (as I call them). They are also available in Norway without the cut out in the middle, but then you can't clean the hooves...
The cut out ones don't prevent all snow balls, but makes it a lot better.
Illustration images.
Some also claim that show shine helps, but I think it wouldn't be much worth on a 4 hours ride as it would wear off before you got home. Hoof grease can also help, but like show shine will wear off as it sticks to the snow...
Edited to add: The snow pads are obviously placed between the shoe and the hoof. ;)
I've also heard someone using woolen socks, but I'm not sure how long they'll last before getting destroyed... |
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Edited by - Aremeriel on 23 Dec 2010 09:04:10 AM |
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Suelin
Platinum Member
England
2514 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2010 : 09:06:17 AM
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Those look interesting Aremeriel. Does the farrier fit them or can the horse owner?
We used to use thick used motor grease when I were a gel and that helped enormously but didn't prevent altogether |
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Aremeriel
Bronze Member
77 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2010 : 09:16:10 AM
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Our farrier will fit them when he shoes the horse, as sometimes he has to cut out small wedges to make the cut out one bend nicely with the hoof.
They go between the shoe and the hoof and are held in place with the shoe nails. You could probable try with the full pad and make it fit inside the shoe so the shoe holds it in place when riding then take it off after riding, but I don't really think it would be kept in place if cantering for example.
Not a snow pad, but illustrates how the snow pad goes between shoe and hoof
http://www.hestene.no/galleri/displayimage.php?imageid=7545
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Edited by - Aremeriel on 23 Dec 2010 09:16:57 AM |
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Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2010 : 10:19:20 AM
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Pasha has full pads on, like those in your pictures Aremeriel  He doesn't have them because of the snow, but have worked wonders to stop the snow balling in his feet
What I will say is, that although the snow doesn't ball in his feet, it still sticks to his shoes as they get very cold and he still ends up on ice skates  Not sure there is anything you can do to stop it, as the metal gets very cold... guess the only option would be something like Imprint Plastic Shoes?
I have tried everything in the past from grease to oil! Nothing works when it gets very cold  |
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Edited by - Pasha on 23 Dec 2010 10:19:44 AM |
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Aremeriel
Bronze Member
77 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2010 : 11:01:38 AM
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Even in -20 C I don't have a problem with shoes turning to ice skates.. ;)
Some years ago my horse was boarded not far from a training course (for trotting horses) and this turned to pure ice in winter. Lovely to have full speed on that. HIhi... (that wasn't in -20 of course) In -20 we only walk, with the occasional short trot so as not to get the horses breathing too heavily because of the cold.
We use ice studs on the shoes in the winter, without them I wouldn't have had speed on the course at all. ;)
Ice studs are almost like grass studs, but with a hard core that is slightly longer than the main studs.
I also have studded tyres on my car, btw. ;) |
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oliviaw
Bronze Member
202 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2010 : 6:56:54 PM
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I hate the stilts effect!
Apparently vaseline can help prevent it but iv not tried it yet! |
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guisburn
Gold Member
United Kingdom
562 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2010 : 6:48:47 PM
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| I remember years ago an old horse man told me to cover the horses soles in axle grease - dont know where you can buy it, but may be worth a try! |
www.guisburnarabians.co.uk |
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badders
Bronze Member
England
169 Posts |
Posted - 29 Dec 2010 : 10:29:01 PM
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| Im sure i have read somewhere (in a book of useful money saving tips !!!) that rubbing a candle on their soles would prevent snow building up. never tried it but may be an option. |
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Vera
Membership Moderator
United Kingdom
8652 Posts |
Posted - 29 Dec 2010 : 11:04:19 PM
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Someone I know swears by WD40 and if you read the can it says...
WD-40 is a multipurpose product that cleans protects, penetrates, displaces moisture & more.
Well snow is moist...
I CANNOT personally verify that this works though.
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Hampshire |
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heatherr
Platinum Member
England
1882 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jan 2011 : 11:06:19 PM
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| Vaseline is good at first but wears ofF quick. Will give WD40 a try next time we are snowed up. Anything to be able to keep riding. I lost 3 weeks in December :( |
Heather 
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Donna Irons
Bronze Member
New Zealand
154 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2011 : 10:57:26 PM
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Hi,
Have you tried mixing salt with the vaseline?
help melt the snow |
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Dot
Gold Member
England
669 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2011 : 1:43:43 PM
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studed tyres are illegasl in the UK, but worth investing in winter tyres for your car which are legal. Re horses feet anything that is non water based ie vaeline, lard, oil should help prevent ice stilts, the pads you showed pictures of are available to farriers in the UK though I have never seen any fitted,does not snow enough here in the UK to justify them.
I doubt WD40 would be very effective I hae nown it freeze... |
Dot
www.threelowsfarm.com
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Aremeriel
Bronze Member
77 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2011 : 2:03:28 PM
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| Originally posted by Dot
studed tyres are illegasl in the UK, but worth investing in winter tyres for your car which are legal. Re horses feet anything that is non water based ie vaeline, lard, oil should help prevent ice stilts, the pads you showed pictures of are available to farriers in the UK though I have never seen any fitted,does not snow enough here in the UK to justify them.
Except maybe this year. ;) I can understand that they're not usually justified in UK, not everyone in Norway use them either. For me however, not having to remove snow from the hooves every 10-15 minutes, justifies them for me. Also, they don't have to be thrown away after first re-shoeing, as long as they're not too brittle, they're fine.
I have tried pure grease/fat and even that will not prevent ice stilts after some time, but it's very different in -5 C and -15 C.
Usually, a careful trot will remove the stilts, but of course you'll have to start the trot before the stilts are too high...
Actually, studded tyres are better on ice than on snow, so the more snow, less advantage. ;) The winter tyres (without studs) are better on snow than ice.
Winter tyres (with or without studs) are mandatory in Norway from 1st November to first Sunday after Easter (up North longer period). Studded tyres are illegal between first Sunday after Easter and 1st November unless weather says otherwise while the unstudded winter tyres are legal all year.
I prefer the studded ones because I usually drive on plowed roads and after a short time the snow left gets packed and then it gets a hard surface not too different from ice. ;)
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SKTao
Bronze Member
113 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2011 : 2:06:22 PM
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| Definately vaseline on the shoe, stops the ice and snow from sticking, has always worked for us xx |
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Deboniks
Platinum Member
England
3776 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2011 : 9:36:55 PM
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| Please don't be tempted to use WD40.Not only is it carcinogenic,it DOES penetrate and tonight I have just heard of a horse who had to be PTS because of the damage it did to a horses hoof.Always read the tin. |
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Prevent snowballs in shod horses
