I shoe alot of cutters and see every type of shoeing method imaginable at the shows. There were many losing their footing at the Ft. Worth finals due to the ground conditions. There were sliders, plains, caulks, trailers, rims, eventers, diamond competitors, etc. The practice pens also vary so much that a method acceptable in my area might not work 200 miles up the road. Also, each trainer has an idea, based on his training pen and past experiences at the shows. I received one last month from out of state that had diamond caulks on the rear, and was told he was such a hard stopper that he must be shod in that manner to keep from sliding underneath himself. I did as I was instructed and two days later was asked to remove them because the stop was too abrupt for the ground conditions. I do not extend or trailer a hind shoe and am never asked to do so by the trainers for whom I shoe, and, "knock on wood", none sore up. As I check their stops in the practice pen I notice the toes rotate downward into the dirt, creating the stop, and that the heels elevate slightly. I drill, tap and plug when sending them to a meet so the trainer can install a threaded stud if more traction is needed in the event the dirt is shallow with a hard pan, which is generally not the case. I always remember that tomorrow is "another day", subject to change without notice.