A Brief Overview -- Doc Foal's Hoof Health Blog
Hi, my name is Gary. This is my first blog post and while I realize that there are quite a few “hoof blogs” already out there, having worked on horse’s feet for over 30 years, I have some ideas that I’d like to share. Some may agree and some may disagree, but I think the conversations are invaluable to continuing to learn and improve how we try to help our horses. I am not a farrier but as I mentioned, I have worked on horse’s feet for more than 30 years – mostly patching quartercracks, separations, abcesses and the like. I have seen so many issues over the years and one thing I have learned, above all else, is that there is no end to my amazement how valiant our horses are!
A very smart veterinarian once told me “inflammation is NOT your friend” and he was so correct - especially when it comes to the hoof! Inflammation in that closed hoof capsule does nothing but wreak havoc with the entire structure. The variations you see in your horse’s hoof wall are a direct result of changes that have occurred inside the hoof wall – the inflammation and its repercussions manifest themselves on the outside – as lumps, bumps and separations on your horse’s hoof wall.
Years of addressing the foot related issues that plague horses led me to try to find a “better mousetrap” than conventional horseshoes. After trying almost every option on the market and being satisfied with none of them, I designed a new pad for use with conventional shoes and, with the help of my family members and some good friends, made a prototype of THE BLACK PAD. The basic theory behind my pad is to mimic and enhance the design that Mother Nature has given the horse – a cushioned heel area that allows the horse’s hoof to work as it’s intended.
Horses land on their heels, therefore, the importance of having a cushioned landing area cannot be denied. Keep in mind, human athletes do not run in steel shoes, aluminum shoes or even leather shoes! They run in shoes that are made of layers of cushioning, especially thick in the heels. You, yourself, would not say “I’m just going to work out in my dress shoes here and I’ll just pop a couple of pain relievers afterwards”! NO, you try to prevent yourself from having to take pain relievers by instead putting on your athletic shoes prior to exercise - prevent the injury! And for your horses, that is where THE BLACK PAD comes in – reducing the concussion from the impact of landing has far-reaching effects for your horse. Not only will the reduced concussion serve to subsequently reduce the inflammation in the hoof capsule (which is where the bleeding and bruising occurs), it will reduce the stress and strain on all of the associated joints, ligaments, and tendons that work in concert with that hoof.
We have had amazing results and success stories already in the short amount of time that THE BLACK PAD has been available and I’m looking forward to sharing them with you. I’ve attached a picture of our pad alone and with both an aluminum and steel shoe so that you can take a look and see if the concept resonates with you. Unfortunately, one of the greatest features of our pad is the feel of it – a very high-quality polymer – that is easily appreciated when it is “in your hands”. I hope you check back with us often and look forward to more blog posts. Thank you!
THE BLACK PAD THE BLACK PAD w/Aluminum Shoe THE BLACK PAD w/Steel Shoe