caballus wrote:OK ... would like to know if anyone here has used Epona shoes and if so, how were they? How do you like them? For what reason did you use them? How do you remove them (if glued on)? Is the application fairly simple? Etc. etc.
--Gwen
I've posted before on them. I've used them since Feb 2007 on one horse and since Mar 08 on the other. I like them really well and more importantly the horses like them. I use them for general riding (my horses both do 50 mile endurance competitions). I don't glue them on because they don't stand up to miles and miles when glued. And, I believe if glued you really need to limit the moisture in which the the hoof comes in contact. I use 2-3 nails per side depending on the horse. If you're going to glue them, you need to do any shaping to the shoe prior to it's application. If you nail them on, you can easily rasp the excess shoe on the foot. They have a gillion sizes, so there is no need for lots of material to be taken off the shoe.
The DVD shows the glued on shoes just being pulled with regular shoe pullers. With nailed on shoes, I use crease nail pullers to remove the shoes if I'm going to reset them so that the metal stay doesn't become bent while removing them.
The easiest application is to apply a bit of glue to set the shoe where you want it and then add a few nails to hold it in place.
Their hoof packing is an awesome product. Be sure, if you use it, to get the anti-bacterial granules to add. They really make a difference! Be generous with them when mixing them in.