Extended use of EquiPac?

[Lucky2222]

Hi, I'm new to this! Questions for anyone: Can EquiPac be used longterm (a forever solution)? I have a 5yo reiner that has upright pasterns, thin soles/flat footed. He has mega heel growth and not much toe growth. We were keeping him sound using pads and dental impression, but when we went back to riding, the dental impression squirted out. My enlightened farrier convinced me to try Equipak, and after some trial and error, we've got it down.

The mesh keeps it in while riding pretty hard 5x a week. It is very dry here in Colorado, and my horse is in dry lot/stall. BUt, I'm wondering if there will be some damage/softening eventually to his sole/frog since we use this EquiPak every shoeing. He's had it in for almost a year now, but I'm worried I'll have to come up with a new plan or leave him barefoot (sore and no riding) for awhile if he gets soft soles. Am I causing more damage by masking pain/keeping him sound bouncing around on gel??!

Equipak is expensive and a trick to get in there (two person job) but it is saving my horse's usefulness, at least for now.

Any insight is appreciated. THanks

[Rick Burten]

Hi, I'm new to this! Questions for anyone: Can EquiPac be used longterm (a forever solution)?
As with most things, it depends. I have used Equipak long term(several years) on horses with no adverse effects, and I have some that will have some degredation of the frog quality after only a short time. Generally, I prefer not to close up any foot long term and am always trying to figure out how to 'wean' a horse off pads of any kind.
I have a 5yo reiner that has upright pasterns, thin soles/flat footed. He has mega heel growth and not much toe growth.
Do you have any radiographs and photos you can post? It will sure help us with our suggestions and recommendations. At a minimum, can you tell us how he is trimmed and shod, how frequently, etc.
We were keeping him sound using pads and dental impression, but when we went back to riding, the dental impression squirted out.
It should not have done so. To me, this indicates that some part of the protocol was not done correctly.
My enlightened farrier convinced me to try Equipak, and after some trial and error, we've got it down.
Equipak is good stuff. Its just harder to control where it goes and sets up under an applied pad.
The mesh keeps it in while riding pretty hard 5x a week.
You can also use mesh to help keep Impression Material in place.
It is very dry here in Colorado, and my horse is in dry lot/stall. BUt, I'm wondering if there will be some damage/softening eventually to his sole/frog since we use this EquiPak every shoeing. He's had it in for almost a year now, but I'm worried I'll have to come up with a new plan or leave him barefoot (sore and no riding) for awhile if he gets soft soles.
Personally, I would have a problem leaving a horse like this barefoot and sore. There are other options, but all will depend on your horse's individual cir***stance.
Am I causing more damage by masking pain/keeping him sound bouncing around on gel??!
What makes you think you are masking pain? Does the fact that you wear shoes mean that you are masking pain or that you are providing protection from injury, traumatic insult to tissue, and resultant pain?
Equipak is expensive and a trick to get in there (two person job) but it is saving my horse's usefulness, at least for now.
I agree that it is expensive. There are some new silicone based liquid pad products out on the market now that are less expensive. Also, have you/your farrier tried using just a medicated packing such as Hawthorns or Magic Cushion and Oakum under the pads? Or a 50/50 mixture of Pine Tar and Venice Turpentine painted into the sole and then covered with Oakum and then the applied shoe/pad combination?

Depending on the cir***stances, an open heeled shoe and rim pad may be enough especially if used in combination with regular use of a sole toughner.

Where do you ride this horse? In a groomed arena, or out on rocky ground?

Where does this horse live? In a stall/paddock/pasture that is basically free of environmental hazzards, or in a rock garden?

[Gary Hill]

Have you tried a wider webbed shoe? I have found that the wider the shoe even on a small foot helps, compared to a reg, plate or rim. Works good on thin soled and thin walls with out the softening effect of pads. Good Luck! Gary

[Lucky2222]

Thanks for the reply. He doesn't have a pad on, just the Equipak and the mesh (we use the foam boards and duct tape until it sets to keep it where we want it).

He is in a matted stall and a dry lot run/turnout. I ride on a fairly groomed surface (not perfect fluffy "reiner" footing, but close), but there is gravel on the walkways too and from, occasionally I will ride on a gravel road and a hay field for a short walk. I do have rads, but they are the old school kind, not digital, so I can't post. I will try to borrow one to get updated photos.

He is trimmed and shod every 5-7 weeks, his toes are just rasped a tiny bit, mostly heel comes off, since that is all he grows, and we leave the sole alone. He has slight dishing in FR, which is getting better, and a vertical crack in FR as well that is getting better. He has such upright angles, that it is very easy to see why he gets the dishing and crack in that foot.

Basically, I am happy with the results of the Equipak, I'm just not sure I can keep it on there for the next 15 years (I hope he lasts that long, he's awesome). I wouldn't want him to be sore, but there doesn't seem to be an option between pads (or equipak) and no pads. He isn't sore now, he runs like a maniac on hard pack turnout when he has the option. One shoer had the opinion that if he was always on perfect sand/mat footing like he was for 2 years at the trainer (barefoot), he might be OK, but I'm not buying that. I'm not sure how he was sound there and not now, but he is bigger and mature now (he didn't founder). Besides, shoeing is VERY expensive here, and it would be nice to not spend an extra $600 a year on equipak. He's using a whole tube each time, plus the mesh, tips, foamboard, etc. all the cost adds up. Plus it takes my poor farrier 2 hours to shoe each time! And a lot of contortions on all our parts to keep the foamboard, gel, duct tape, etc. organized. We're high maintenance, I just don't want to be causing more harm than good by keeping the feet so padded up and not open to the air.

[Rick Burten]

Why the Equipak instead of a regular pad that incorporates a frog support prosthesis on the bottom of the pad, and the foot then filled with something like Magic Cushion/Hawthorne's etc and oakum. You could probably add some impression material at the back of the frog to make sure there was good contact. If a single full pad is not going to give enough sole clearance, then a thin rim pad can be added so that the rim pad is closest to the hoof.

I would also consider using , as Gary suggested, a wide web shoe and would add just a rim pad. I'd paint the soles with a sole toughner and see how he got along.

[Rancho JD]

If the horse needs thicker sole and wall i prefer to substitute equi-pac with equi-build poured level with the ground surface of the shoe. When the horse stands on foam board while the urethane is setting up, the shoe will still be bearing most of the weight on firm ground and were getting less bang for the equi-buck.

You can bet that sole is soft and unconditioned when the package is pulled off, So if i see good sole growth i'll leave it alone and give the horse a chance with a wide webbed shoe and short lever. Wide webbed fronts on reiners are not often the shoe of choice but gradual conditioning is what i have in mind. Deep pebbles or pea gravel is ok but even a short walk over loosely spread crushed gravel on firm ground can sting alot horses