Using superfast to make shoes for mini?

[Tysalanna]

Has anyone used the superfast to make mini shoes? A lady has some minitures that she uses to pull carts and want shoes for them. I would like to give her some information so if anyone has used Superfast to do this could they let me know their experience. What are other shoeing options for minis?

Thanks,
Ty

[Ronald Aalders]

Good question! I toyed around with the idea myself a few times. Never got round to it though.

Anybody has any experience here?


Ronald Aalders

[Gary Hill]

Most of their feet are too small for nails?

[SlowShoe]

I heard of people glueing on big washers... Superfast should work just fine, you can rasp a pattern in the shoe for traction, some people have even embeded studs in the supperfast for traction.. I dunno how good of an idea that is, ive never tried it.

-josh

[Cal Chilton]

Hi,

You probably have noticed by now, that I tend to use a hands off approach to this Forum unless I'm needed. Its interesting for all concerned to read about the different methods of using the Vettec products.

This particular question hasn't been answered yet, so I'm going to jump in.
SuperFast works very well as a shoe for mini's. It doesn't take much, its easy to shape, lightweight, and extremely durable, especially with a horse that doesn't weigh much. It great for mini-foal extensions. Be sure to follow the directions for all Vettec products; DRY, DRY, DRY.

Farrier Robert Plant from Walworth, NY was the first to show me photos before, during, and after, of the success he had straightening a badly deformed foal's hoof. It originally was walking on the side of its hoof.

Sorry, I can't give you Robert's phone number or anyone else's, without prior approval. With the internet, you can look it up anyway.

All the best,

Cal Chilton (Vettec)

[Jaye Perry]

Good question! I toyed around with the idea myself a few times. Never got round to it though.
Anybody has any experience here?

Ronald Aalders
Yup, ya know me I dabble in all kinda things. Cushinoid pony , scaled with my coffee mug from Vermont.

[Jaye Perry]

Used Superfast to make some Rails and some Equi-Pak to do the back 1/3 of the foot. This is window screen.

[Phil Armitage]

I have thought about it before, we have two minis and one of them drives. I have tried the superfast on foals to make a shoe and it lasted about 3 weeks before it started to peel off. Very important the foot is dry. Do not use any cleaners, better to rasp and use sanding block to clean it up and then use a heat gun to dry the foot. Standing in shaveing the day before also helps if the enviroment is wet.

My thought was to trace the minis foot on a piece of aluminum and then cut it out with a jig saw and glue it on. Could add borrium to small machine screw, drill and tap the shoe for for traction.

[Jaye Perry]

Got a little messy but he walked off better than he came to me.

[Mike Bailey]

I worked with Mike Wildenstine On mini at Cornell a coupel of years ago and we glued on (with superfast) a alum.shoe I think was mad by grand circit or maybe it was a key chain fob. :D
Mike

[Cal Chilton]

Hi,

You are correct Mike, Grand Circuit does manufacture aluminum foal and mini shoes. There are not only different sizes and shapes, but they work very well with SuperFast.
I was aware of them. It was a oversight when I wrote my earlier comments.

Cal Chilton (Vettec)

[Ronald Aalders]

Hi Jaye,

So you put the flyscreen on the foot and applied Superfast over it? I guess after it hardened you used the Equipack?

The Superfast holds good enough even when flyscreen is between?

About the drying, you use a heatgun? Trim the foot use a heatgun and apply the Superfast immediately without putting the foot on the ground?

I'm interested if this holds up it may make a lot of things a lot easier.......



Ronald Aalders

[blueridgeshoes]

Ron,
I can't say it would for active performance horses, but I know it will on lame ones. I've had a superfast shoe/rebeuild hold up for 16 weeks on a laminitic pony- not by choice however. I've used the equimesh with it as well, not wire mesh though. I don't use it as much as I used to, but its set time allows you to work on horses that I wouldn't want to hold up a foot to glue on a shoe.
the rasp is the best cleaning agent. I don't often dry the foot with a heat gun but I have heard it helps. I don't know if anyone has said this but, I find it works best if you apply it thick, then rasp it down to where you want it- it needs that thickness to set. Oh yeah, don't use your current hoof rasp.
Jake

[Jaye Perry]

So you put the flyscreen on the foot and applied Superfast over it? I guess after it hardened you used the Equipack?

Yes sir



The Superfast holds good enough even when flyscreen is between?

About the drying, you use a heatgun? Trim the foot use a heatgun and apply the Superfast immediately without putting the foot on the ground?

Yes Sir


I'm interested if this holds up it may make a lot of things a lot easier.......
Held for 4 weeks in the client's backyard, literally the backyard.

[Ronald Aalders]

Thanks Jake and Jaye! :D


Ronald Aalders

[cdnshoechic]

Used it for a few minis and foals with problems. Kinda like arts and crafts for farriers. Made hind wedges for an older mini, was tricky the first few times. We drilled little holes for drive in studs with a cordless drill once they were set and shaped cause she kept slipping around on the snow. Another dwarf mini got medial extensions, she was so crippled her knees crossed over. I thinks shes about a year now and straight enough theyre no longer worried about putting her down. We do that one on her side, it makes applying a lot easier. Also do some foal extensions with it. Unfortunatly I get to hold the foot and Tracy applys, and she has ****py aim! They usually stay on at least 4-5 weeks if not longer. It's kinda nice if at least one falls off because they can be hell to get off otherwise.

[khfs]

This past winter my mini discovered how to tip over my big horse's feed bucket, dumping all the feed on the ground much to his delight. Needless to say, he had a bout of laminitis. I made Superfast shoes for him and poured in Equipak CS (what I had handy) to protect his feet from the jagged icey ground. I had to peel everything off at 6 weeks. I did put a heat gun to his feet, dried them, then dried them some more. He was on 24 hour turnout in the snow and then in the mud. He really liked his fancy new sneakers with gel inserts and was back to his fiesty self in two days. I plan to use this same set-up on any future mini laminitis cases now that I've done some research and experimentation on my own horse. I was worried it wouldn't stay on for a week but I had to really work at getting it off at 6!