HOOF-it and the Hoofstar glue on shoe teamed up with Sonja this summer on a 155-mile Tahoe Rim Trail ride and a 50-mile endurance ride and here is how the Hoofstar performed.

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Sonja was able to get a pretty good fit and great bond a few days prior to leaving for the Rim Trail ride. Her husband and other friends would check on her periodically to re-stock her with supplies any products she may need to keep her Hoofstars working for her along the way.

She experienced all kinds of terrain on the Tahoe Rim from dusty dirt trails to trails over run with shale and rocks and the occasional stream to cross. She confirmed that the shoe had worn pretty well and, in terrain that wasn’t super rocky, the shoes would last 40 plus miles easily, mostly getting worn on the toe.

She did however, lose a few pairs out there because the rocky terrain was very unforgiving and it really put these shoes to the test. The stress bending and twisting on the rocky trails would cause the side wall to separate from the shoe and the glue would separate from the hoof. Overall, she said she loved the shoes and would love to take them on her 50-mile endurance ride that she would be doing in August with Chip.

 The Mary & Ann Memorial Endurance Ride outside of Bend Oregon took them about 9 hours to complete and led them through mostly dry desert and some rocky areas. Their ride consisted of three loops. The first was 24 miles, the second 15 miles and the third and final loop was 11 miles. Sonja glued on her Hoofstars three days before her ride and she’s happy to report that the shoes stayed on for the entire ride and performed perfectly for her! She gave the Hoofstar glue on shoes a thumbs up!

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The equine condition of sidebone is most significant as an indicator that your horse’s foot is receiving heavy and/or unbalanced forces. When sidebone is present there are chances that other changes to your horse’s feet, such as navicular disease or ringbone, maybe more likely to develop. 

Sidebone may be suspected after palpation of the suspected area, but a radiographic examination is essential for conformation of this condition. The good news is that sidebone usually causes little or no lameness. It does however, decrease the natural shock absorption capacity of your horse’s hoof. Due to this, it is common to see problems such as navicular disease, narrow heels, and ringbone in horses diagnosed with sidebone. In rare cases, sidebone can be caused from a direct trauma. 

When lameness is present, alternative shoeing to promote expansion of the quarters, circulation, and added shock absorption may be warranted. The root causes for sidebone are hoof concussion, repetitive motion injury, imbalances caused by conformation faults, and improper trimming/shoeing. It is most common in the forefeet of heavy horses working on hard surfaces. It is also frequent in hunters and jumpers, but rare in racing thoroughbreds. Improper shoeing which inhibits normal movement of the quarters is an important predisposing factor in the condition of sidebone. It is critical to note that anytime a horse is trimmed in a way that goes against his natural anatomy, you are making a trade off that will more than likely have a high price tag for both, you and your pony. 

For example, horses that toe out, or toe in, will often naturally paddle their feet. If you ask your farrier to correct this and make your horse travel in a straight line, one side of the hoof wall will have to be lowered. This “correction” may make your horse appear to be moving normally (straight). But all it really does is change your horse’s normal conformation, and alter the movement which is natural for him. In doing so, problems such as sidebone, ringbone, and navicular disease may result.