Vettec's Sole-Guard

[Kiwayu]

Does anyone have experience with this product???

http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=191550&highlight=ulcer+signs

I'm running late so I'll post what I'd like to use it for a little later.

[eruss]

It will get you through the day if you're in a pinch. Especially on the east coast, you asking a lot of a product to stay glued to the bottom of the foot for very long. I've had it stay in horses that do nothing for a few weeks to a month. Horses being ridden a day or two.

[DMK]

i use it on my 2 year old when i was ponying him through some rocky territory, and I would get 2-3 days out of it. just hanging around the farm and lunging/ground driving, 10-14 days.

it's good stuff if you have a horse that is doing OK in his current workload w/o shoes but occasionally has to be on adverse footing. if its more than that, it may not be that useful.

[Kiwayu]

I'm interested in this product for my miniature. He has one leg that is "crooked" where the outside of the hoof is constantly worn down and the inside grows like a weed. After 2-3 weeks of being trimmed, he's so off balance that his stifle starts popping. It's hard to get a farrier down to the barn every 2-3 weeks for just a hoof, so the farrier suggested using this stuff on the outside to "even-up" the hoof. We were thinking of using it for week 3-6 until he comes out to trim/show my OTTB and the rest of my mini's feet.

My mini does nothing other than exist in his paddock with the occassional lunging here and there.

[florida foxhunter]

Just keep him out of the moisture. Mine didn't last three days in the morning dew!!

[Cindyg]

I've used up a container of it. It lasted from 7-14 days each time. My horse still gimped on gravel. I'm not sure if it made a significant difference for him or not.

You need three hands to do put it on. Seriously. You want somebody nearby to hand you things or to hold the clean hoof up while you reach for whatever. If you set the hoof down, you've got to clean it all over again.

I keep my horse barefoot, and he's tender on gravel. So if I were going into some situation where he was going to be on gravel all day, I'd probably still give this another try or put boots on him.

I love the idea of it; but I'm not sure it's a winner.

[matryoshka]

I've had it stay on up to two weeks, but that is when it was dry/frozen. Put in on my OTTB 3 days ago, and wouldn't ya know it poured that night. It hung on until today, and Frank has been standing in mud when he can. I call that ungrateful. He avoids rocks in the pasture; Sole Guard helps.

I still boot him for riding.

[Kiwayu]

While skimming their website, I was also thinking of trying their Superfast. It's more like a shoe and it could be rasped and shaped to his little hoof.

I'm thinking that since it's supposed to be like a glue-on shoe, it should last longer??? :confused:

[matryoshka]

Here's some videos of applying Sole Guard: http://video.google.com/videosearch?...itle&resnum=4# (http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=sole+guard&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=oZqKSteXO5CCtgeL9L0n&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4#)

I bought some Superfast with the idea of creating a shoe with glue for a horse who was experiencing serious soreness coming out of shoes. The horse had a bad thrush infection, which the owners needed to get more aggressive about. Stuck with just Sole Guard instead, and the horse improved as they got a handle on the thrush.

The lady at the farrier supply store recommends using clay to create a form to keep the glue off the sole when making a shoe from Superfast. Don't know how well it holds up to moisture.

[Penthilisea]

I think it works great- but the key is keeping it on. I tried it on my older QH who lives out 24/7 on 8 acres. He lost one within the first 12-24 hours. The other came out in less then a week. BUT- I have new easyboot gloves for him- I think the sole guard thin layer inside the gloves would be awesome for events. He was so obviously more comfortable (thin soles, tends to be tender footed) and at his advanced age I try to palliative care, and let him dictate the rest.

[ponygrl25]

I have been thinking of trying this on my TW pony mare. She is very tender on gravel or even hard ground and must have front shoes. However, I am wondering how well sole-gaurd would work on her hind feet. I hate to put hind shoes on her because she is boss mare and will kick my other horses, so I thought that sole gaurd might be safer for the group. I live in V.a and would be riding 2-5 times a week. Does anybody have expirience with using this only on the hind feet? Thanks:)

[matryoshka]

It might be tougher to apply to hind feet, since it flows downhill before it sets up. It would not be possible to get the hind foot level enough to keep it in the frog area. However, making a form from duct tape would probably help you there, and you can try pressing it back into the collateral grooves before you put the foot down.

Hoof boots on the hind feet would be a better option. I like Sole Guard for horses who are sore during turnout and for situations where hoof boots are either not allowed or not enough protection. Otherwise, a decent pair of boots would be an easier option.

There are many threads about hoof boots in the Endurance/Trail forum. We trail riders seem to provide the biggest market for hoof boots.

[Daatje]

I tried it on our mini and it was just too hard for her hooves and made her lame straight away. I pulled it out after watching her take a few steps.

A friend of mine used it on her Percheron on a hunter pace last Saturday and it popped out of both front hooves before the pace was through. (a very rocky territory)

I have tried the Equipak CS on my mare in conjuction with front shoes and was VERY pleased with its performance when filled to just about ground level. It took 4 180cc cartriges to fill both front hooves to ground level......them be some pricey pads!

I have tried Superfast as a rim shoe for the mini, but never could get it to last long enough for any beneficial effects. (growing stronger hoof wall)

Application is tricky and the product very expensive. If you're willing to take a chance and spend the money to see if you like the products, you may be pleasantly surprised.....or not. :p

I prefer hoof boots myself....

[LarkspurCO]

Might be cheaper (or easier) just to put a shoe on that hoof.

[Kiwayu]

Might be cheaper (or easier) just to put a shoe on that hoof.

The cheapest way would be me to just learn how to trim my own mini in between the farrier coming-just enough to maintain him. I'm not having my farrier special make hind shoes for my mini, especially a mini who's only job in life is to exist in a paddock. I don't mean to sound like a horrible owner. Now, if there were a serious medical issue there is no doubt I'd do what I'd have to do for the little bugger.

[LarkspurCO]

The cheapest way would be me to just learn how to trim my own mini in between the farrier coming-just enough to maintain him. I'm not having my farrier special make hind shoes for my mini, especially a mini who's only job in life is to exist in a paddock. I don't mean to sound like a horrible owner. Now, if there were a serious medical issue there is no doubt I'd do what I'd have to do for the little bugger.

Well there you go then.

Based on what you said I thought the problem was excessive wear, in which case more trimming might not help. Rereading, it sounds like one side just grows longer than the other. So why not have your farrier teach you how to even that out with a rasp? I bet it would be easier than learning to use the Vettech products, which are quite expensive.

[Kiwayu]

Well there you go then.

Based on what you said I thought the problem was excessive wear, in which case more trimming might not help. Rereading, it sounds like one side just grows longer than the other. So why not have your farrier teach you how to even that out with a rasp? I bet it would be easier than learning to use the Vettech products, which are quite expensive.

My problem with trimming is that I'm too nervous to screw up! I thought I would be able to screw up with one of these products because you could just undo it.

My mini's problem is that his leg is crooked and leans (or has more weight) to the outside. So the outside NEVER grows and the inside grows like a weed. Even if you balance out his hoof is leg is still obviously crooked it just looks 100x better. The normal person would never know unless I pointed it out. Two weeks after a trim his leg is so horribly crooked he can't walk without his stifle constantly popping (from his hoof growing).

I wish people didn't breed animals because they had the organs to do so!!! :mad:

The people I "rescued" him from kept saying they didn't want me to geld him because he'd be an awesome stallion for breeding. WTF?!?!?! :eek: Why would I breed a mini with a crooked leg???? :confused: Needless to say 1 month after he was with me and physically ready to go under the knife, those testicles came right off. You never know what kind of hands he'd get into if something ever happened to me.

[matryoshka]

It would be a very good idea for your farrier to show you how to maintain your mini's feet between trims.

I trim at a breeding farm for minis. I'm not sure it is just genetics that causes the crookedness we see in adult minis. Think about it...hooves grow at least 0.25 in (sometimes more) in 6 weeks, which is a typical interval. A mini foal's hoof is only an inch or so from coronet to toe at birth. So in six weeks, he grows an extra 25% of his entire length. When the toes get too long for the foot to break over toward the front, it is going to turn and breakover toward either side, and the leg will develop accordingly until the joints close.

So mini breeders need to have their foals' and yearlings' feet done at more frequent intervals to preserve any straightness they are born with. I do the babies every three weeks to keep on top of the growth.

For adult minis, too, they grow at least as much hoof length as a full-size horse, and they wear less due to weighing less. Minis do better with more frequent trims.

JMHO.

[Kiwayu]

It would be a very good idea for your farrier to show you how to maintain your mini's feet between trims.

I trim at a breeding farm for minis. I'm not sure it is just genetics that causes the crookedness we see in adult minis. Think about it...hooves grow at least 0.25 in (sometimes more) in 6 weeks, which is a typical interval. A mini foal's hoof is only an inch or so from coronet to toe at birth. So in six weeks, he grows an extra 25% of his entire length. When the toes get too long for the foot to break over toward the front, it is going to turn and breakover toward either side, and the leg will develop accordingly until the joints close.

So mini breeders need to have their foals' and yearlings' feet done at more frequent intervals to preserve any straightness they are born with. I do the babies every three weeks to keep on top of the growth.

For adult minis, too, they grow at least as much hoof length as a full-size horse, and they wear less due to weighing less. Minis do better with more frequent trims.

JMHO.


It wouldn't surprise me if the woman who "bred" my mini didn't trim his hooves. He came with paper work on "how to care for your mini" that stated feet only need to be trimmed every 3-4 months, they don't need shots or to be wormed. Ohh and teeth only need to be floated after the age of 15. When I saw him standing in a 10' x 10' paddock with 3 feet of manure, all his ribs showing and eating black/moldy hay, I knew he was coming home with me and I bought him. :D

[matryoshka]

It wouldn't surprise me if the woman who "bred" my mini didn't trim his hooves. He came with paper work on "how to care for your mini" that stated feet only need to be trimmed every 3-4 months, they don't need shots or to be wormed. Ohh and teeth only need to be floated after the age of 15. When I saw him standing in a 10' x 10' paddock with 3 feet of manure, all his ribs showing and eating black/moldy hay, I knew he was coming home with me and I bought him. :DThat's sad for the minis in her care. Kudos for taking your guy home and doing right by him.

If you don't have a rasp, ask you farrier for one of his used rasps (I'd buy a handle for it) and have him show you wear to take the walls down and how to know when you've taken him down far enough. It'll make a big difference to the horse. Jeffers also sells "mini" rasps, if you want to get a smaller one to keep from poking him in the belly.