Equibuild or Equipak?

[grandviewqh]

I have a 9 yr old Quarter Horse who has had 3 quarter cracks in the past 6 years. His foot is currently crack free and he is in bar shoes. I would like to offer him some additional support/insurance in addition to the bar shoes to try and prevent him from getting another quarter crack. I know all the info about if they are not balanced they will still get cracks, but in this gelding's case we know he is level (from x-rays). He may be fine with just the bar shoes, but I would rather be safe than sorry. Which product would work better for what I am trying to accomplish? The horse competes in low level dressage and hunters (up to 2'6" jumps) but nothing beyond that. I was thinking Equibuild because it said it helps share the load of the hoof wall.

Many Thanks!
Michelle

[SlowShoe]

I usually use equipak, if its soft footing it should be fine. Equibuild will also work but i have not used it really to speak of so someone else should chime in. It seems the give that equipak has would work better in this situation to help absorb shock.

Have any pictures of the feet? Is breakover being addressed? Reducing mechanical forces on the hoof is important with cracks.

Best of luck,
Josh

[mmhorseshoeing]

Michelle
Equi-build is semi ridged and eui-pac is semi soft. Equi-Build is used when firm support is needed and Equi-pac is used for all other cases. In my experience if a horse has thin soles the Equi-Build is to firm and I use Equi-Pac. Other farriers have had great results with the Equi-Build on thin soles. I would use the Equi-Pac. Some of my dressage and hunter jumpers have equi-Pac in and they hold the ground very well and it seems to help with some of the stinging that they have with out it. Best of luck, John.

[grandviewqh]

Thanks for the responses! My horse does not get sore or have thin soles, I was more thinking about trying to take some of the load off of the walls (which equi build claims to do)

Michelle

[Dave Whitaker]

I personally have found the Equi-Build to be too firm for MOST general applications that I have tried. I think in two of my cases the "points" formed by the Equi-build at the bottoms of the sulci where too sharp and actually caused a "wedge" effect, pushing them into the foot rather sharply when the foot loaded. I have used BOTH the Equi-build and the Equi-Pac at the same time when I have needed firmer support or more abrasion resistance to the ground surface. I have a barrel racer that was scuffing the Equipac from the bottom of her foot about two weeks into her cycle. Tried Equi-build alone and she didn't go as well. I then filled the bottom of the foot first with Equipac stopping just shy of the foot side of the shoe, then filled the rest of the way, (to a foam board applied to the shoe),with Equi-build. Worked like a champ. She would go the whole 4 1/2 - 5 weeks in this set up, (this particular mare's normal shoeing cycle). Hope some of this helps you out. Dave

[grandviewqh]

That is a very interesting idea to use both products. I like it! Hopefully my farrier will too. :-)

[Kaydence]

I personally have found the Equi-Build to be too firm for MOST general applications that I have tried. I think in two of my cases the "points" formed by the Equi-build at the bottoms of the sulci where too sharp and actually caused a "wedge" effect, pushing them into the foot rather sharply when the foot loaded. I have used BOTH the Equi-build and the Equi-Pac at the same time when I have needed firmer support or more abrasion resistance to the ground surface. I have a barrel racer that was scuffing the Equipac from the bottom of her foot about two weeks into her cycle. Tried Equi-build alone and she didn't go as well. I then filled the bottom of the foot first with Equipac stopping just shy of the foot side of the shoe, then filled the rest of the way, (to a foam board applied to the shoe),with Equi-build. Worked like a champ. She would go the whole 4 1/2 - 5 weeks in this set up, (this particular mare's normal shoeing cycle). Hope some of this helps you out. Dave

Dave, an idea I was told about (haven't tried it yet) was to use that grippy mesh stuff that you see for the shelves in cupboards so the glasses don't slip around. Do you know what I mean? If I understood correctly, a layer of that stuff was put down first and then, in this case, filled with the equi-thane (the clear one is the one I mean. I'm getting switched around on if the equipac is clear or purple right now and my stock is out in the truck.) but I suppose it could be tried with the equi-build as well. I have been a bit cautious of the extra firmness of the equi-build and haven't tried it yet.

Cheri

[Dave Whitaker]

Cheri,

I know what material you are talking about..use it on the RV's shelves.

I'm not sure what they were trying to accomplish by using it against the foot. I don't see an advantage over using just the Equi-pac, (the softer stuff). I would be afraid that I would trap a fold in it somewhere and cause a pressure point. But we all have methods that we get to work for us and become quite comfortable with it. That's an idea I hadn't heard about...thanks. Dave

[Kaydence]

Cheri,

I know what material you are talking about..use it on the RV's shelves.

I'm not sure what they were trying to accomplish by using it against the foot. I don't see an advantage over using just the Equi-pac, (the softer stuff). I would be afraid that I would trap a fold in it somewhere and cause a pressure point. But we all have methods that we get to work for us and become quite comfortable with it. That's an idea I hadn't heard about...thanks. Dave

Hmmmm, the idea was presented in a conversation about really sore horses and that was to add an extra layer to relieve pressure.... I have to ask Bob to repeat some of the details on a further idea as he was talking about doing a layer of the shelf stuff with a layer of foam (and maybe a second layer of shelf stuff over that?) and then the equipac in one horse but it started to sound like too many layers and I figured if I had one that bad I'd refer it over to him anyway! :) I figured I wouldn't get any fancier than MAYBE trying the one layer of shelf stuff (what is the proper name of that stuff?).

Cheri