From Lucinda:
Quote:
What are your opinions about the race plate of choice and why. What's your favorite shoe? What about toe grabs and the possibility of catastrophic injury? This is for a dirt track, not turf.
My answer:
For years, I have raced with almost nothing else but "Thoro'bred Level
grips" or an equivalent. You can't go wrong with this type in most cases. I
may occasionally use a plain race plate behind with the toe grab ground down
real, I mean REAL, low, but hardly ever. Also, I normally stay away from
the bonded rim pads that these shoes can be bought with. My theory is that I
want my toe as short as possible and that concussion is generally not too
much of a factor with most race horses and the bonded pads are way to dense
to give a whole lot of cushion. Rim pads increases weight and length to a
hoof. There are exceptions, of course, to all things horse.
As posted earlier, trimming is probably the one big factor that takes
precedence over most all shoe types. I tried to keep my hooves as short as
possible, at as normal an angle as possible, and as level as possible. I
can't remember once in my long history of shoeing my own of ever taking off
more heel than toe on each consecutive trim. I almost invariably just took
off the toe portion after each shoeing which would give me back a natural
angle. A blacksmith that takes off everything, from toe to heel, will
invariably end up with a low heel, long toe configuration given enough time
on most race horses. I also tended to favor squared toes or squared shoes
more than most farriers on race horses and extended straight trailers
behind. I avoided long toe grabs and caulks with a passion.
I see that the AFA is trying to get all horseshoers licensed again. I hope
they never get their way. It is just another attempt by a special interest
organization to maximize profits for their group. Their logic that it will
insure professional competence if a farce. Just look at what your track
farrier produces now after years of clinical practice. Pretty bad! I
remember all of the hassle, I encountered just trying to shoe my own horses
in Chicago. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr, the blacksmith union there is unreal! They can't
bear anyone else intruding into their profits. It will be a sad day, if
national licensing ever comes to pass. Actually, farrier science seems to me
to be a part of veterinary medicine and if you want to get down to the
nitty gritty. Going with that reasoning, only vets should perform surgery on
the hoof. I wonder how the AFA would like that ruling? (:>) I can hear the
howls now!