Concave shoes

[Douglas Pani]

How many of you use concave shoes like the Scott Colsen? I have a few coming to try. I shoe alot of hunter/jumper and dressage and was told this is the shoe for that. Ive put on st croix eventers but not a TRUE concave. Whats everybody think.

Thanks,
Doug

[Jason Maki]

Doug,
I am not familiar with Scott Colsens shoes, but concave in general is wonderful. Light but sturfy( i guess thats a cross between sturdy and good on turf!) , ready made traction from the outside rim, the dirt, and the self cleaning cup that bites with each step. Once you learn to turn it, especially the toe bend, it wraps like butter. You can knit the toe to soften things, or leave it upright for big dig, you can weld it, pack it, whatever. You will need a stud punch for tapping, but thats easy. I have found I need to jump stock size from 3/4 to 7/8 a little sooner than with flat stock, because its difficult to "blow out" the shoe, though it seats very easy. You can also vary nail hole placement within the groove, to account for different wall quality( besides the normal pitch of the punch and pritchel). I have been crosspeening clips, but am working on mastering the bobpunch with the swoop to the outside, as this distorts the rim less. Like the interveiw with Billy Crothers said "Its loveley stuff"!
I'll close up the toe on a dressage horse alot behind, they spend a lot of time set down on their butts , and i like them to be able to slide a touch. I jumper, hunter pasture plug trail horse, or most other normal guys I'll just bareley knock the rim inside of upright. A badly run forward, collapsed foot I'll knit the front completley closed from first nail to first nail. ,making a quasi NBS shoe with a toe radius of that particular foot ( no pinching in the 'toe corner') I used to buy the Pegasaus concave, but after years of beating up poor defensless steel, have found, unless I'm in a huge rush, with concave, its nearly as quick to just wrap a peice around and poke six holes in it. That way the shoe is made for that foots personality. :D No, I'm not being paid for this endorsement. I love the stuff, though!
Jason