Welcome to
The 5S Equine Sole Support System

An effective way to heal laminitis
AND treat hoof wall cracks

Unloading the hoof wall and laminae has revolutionized methods of treatment for laminitis and hoof wall cracks. Using these methods, the results are highly effective, consistent, efficient, predictable and inexpensive. In most cases, the hoof is returned to near normal condition. Reduction of the load on the laminae and the hoof wall is necessary for successful treatment and healing of ailments of the hoof wall and laminae.

The 5S Equine Sole Support System enables the farrier to control the load share between the hoof wall and the sole of the equine hoof. Specifically, the 5S System enables the weight bearing load to be reduced from the hoof wall and the laminae, while the load is cushioned and distributed comfortably onto the sole, bars and frog.

To learn about the 5S System, please select the various topics listed below:

Sole Support: Friend or Foe? It's a fair question!

After all, much of what we've been taught as farriers suggests that using sole support in the treatment of hoof ailments is or can be harmful to the horse.

At 5S we believe that sole support doesn't have to be a foe - in fact it can be a helpful friend in the treatment of certain hoof ailments.

But before we examine this topic more fully, let's establish some common ground:

• At 5S we support and practice many traditional and accepted farrier practices and hoof care techniques.
• While we have experienced a good deal of success in using sole support or load sharing in the treatment of chronic hoof wall cracks and laminitis, we do not and would not recommend using sole support on every horse or in every case.
• The 5S Sole Support System is intended for only a fraction of the actual horses you will care for in an average season.
• We stress the value of a strong working relationship between horse owner, veterinarian, and farrier.

In short, we believe that today's farriers do a lot of good in every aspect of proper hoof care.

However, we do differ from today's most established and entrenched positions on the use of sole support. Because we as farriers have been taught to fear the use of sole support, assuming without qualification that it will hurt the hoof tissue, the industry has missed out on one of nature's most effective paths to permanent healing. The use of a sole support system is for some horses with laminitis and hoof wall cracks the only sure road to reclamation and maintenance of healthy hooves. Let's examine why!

Load Sharing: A Basic Principle of Hoof Care

As farriers we pay a great deal of attention to hoof balance - and rightly so! Few principles affect the health of the horse and hoof as does establishing and maintaining proper hoof balance.

However, when dealing with chronic ailments of the hoof such as hoof wall cracks or laminitis, there is another principle that becomes critical.

The other principle is load sharing between the hoof wall and the sole. When you consider the anatomy of the hoof, it is quite clear that a horse's weight is transferred to the ground through the bony column via the coffin bone (P3). The hoof wall is attached to the coffin bone through the laminae. The hoof wall contacts the ground before the sole. Therefore, a high percentage of the load passes through the hoof wall and laminae. This holds especially true when the hoof is fitted with any kind of conventional shoe including a heart bar shoe.

When the hoof is healthy this poses few if any problems. The laminae and hoof wall can bear a great deal of weight under normal conditions.

When the hoof wall and laminae become overloaded, symptoms like hoof wall cracks or laminitis develop and there is a need to shift the load away from the hoof wall to the sole. Why?

As long as the horse's weight is being transferred through the laminae and the hoof wall, these tissues are "loaded" or stressed. If the stress is too great or the tissue is weak, that tissue will deteriorate with little chance of recuperation. The simplest and quickest way to initiate healing is to unload that tissue.

The only way to unload the hoof wall and laminae is to provide a means for the horse's weight to pass from P3 through the sole rather than through the hoof wall. By "sole" here we mean the complete sole area of the hoof including the bars, frog, sulci, and the sole.

At 5S, we like to refer to this unloading of the hoof wall as Sole Support. In effect, by transferring the horse's weight from the coffin bone through the sole of the hoof, we are providing a "crutch" that takes the load away from the hoof wall - allowing the healing process to occur more quickly and completely.

Horse Shoe Alone

Mud Pack or Snow Ball

Traditional Treatments

Traditionally, laminitis is often treated with the use of a heart bar shoe. During acute laminitis this may be appropriate when the sole is too inflamed to bear any load.

However, with chronic laminitis where the tissues are not inflamed, a heart bar shoe allows only a partial unloading of the hoof wall and laminae. As a result, while the horse may be somewhat more comfortable, it's hoof wall and laminae are still partially stressed and thus will not recuperate as quickly nor as completely. For complete healing of the hoof wall and laminae to occur, the load on these tissues must be minimized.

But doing so requires the sole to bear the horse's weight. Traditionally, this has been discouraged due to fears that bruising and abscessing will occur. Of course, such fears are legitimate if the weight is not distributed evenly over the entire sole area, if the sole is already traumatized and inflamed, or if the circulatory system over the sole area has been compromised.

Sole pressure points occur when too much weight is being born over a small area, causing tissue damage in that area.

While sole pressure can be damaging and must be avoided, sole loading is natural. When the load is cushioned and evenly distributed over the entire surface, pressure points are avoided and the complete load can be carried by the sole. The sole conditions itself by becoming thick and tough!

This occurs naturally when the wall is maintained relatively short and the sole cavity packs full of mud, snow, or debris. As you have probably observed, horses regularly face such conditions without damaging their soles or showing signs of discomfort.

When these conditions are maintained on an ongoing basis, the overall health of the hoof improves resulting in a strong wall and a tough sole callus. Indeed there seems to be a stimulation to the blood circulation within the hoof resulting in stronger, faster growth of hoof wall and sole.

Sole Support: Friend or Foe?

Now perhaps we can answer the above question more fully. By using sole support we unload the hoof wall - allowing healing of the hoof wall and laminae without damaging the sole in the process. As an added bonus, circulation is stimulated.

Sole support is indeed a friend!

Introducing The
5S Equine Sole Support System

Now that we've seen some of the benefits of unloading the hoof wall through load sharing, the obvious question becomes simply: How can a farrier effectively unload the hoof wall?

To answer that question, Sandy Loree developed the 5S Equine Sole Support System.

As a practicing farrier for over 20 years, Sandy observed that many horses with chronic hoof wall cracks and laminitis were simply not responding to traditional treatments.

When he realized that unloading the hoof wall was the key to successful treatment, he set out to create a system that was both practical and economical to use. After developing a system that worked well in treating hoof wall cracks and laminitis in his own practice, Sandy decided to make the system available to other farriers. The result? The 5S Equine Sole Support System.

The 5S System is ideally suited to treating chronic hoof wall cracks and chronic laminitis.

Using the 5S Sole Support System, the farrier can expect reclamation of chronic foundered feet and chronic hoof wall cracks, leaving a near normal hoof. The cracks will grow out, the laminae will reattach, and the walls and sole will thicken. Crushed and contracted heels will no longer be an issue and flared and dished hoof walls will disappear.

Overview of the System
The 5S Equine Sole Support System was developed to unload the hoof wall while providing soft sole support regardless of ground conditions. The laws of physics tell us that if a force is evenly distributed over a large area, the pressure on all surfaces of that area will be uniform and minimal. The 5S Sole Support System is based on this principle.

The system is simple: it consists of the 5S Insole, the 5S Supporter Pad, and the 5S Eliminator Pad.

The 5S Insole Putty is a two part compound (polyvinylsiloxane) which is mixed in equal parts by hand. The putty custom molds to the contours of the individual hoof sole cavity. It cures to a soft rubber texture in four to seven minutes. The cured insole provides a full arch support of resilient, conforming rubber utilizing the bars, frog, sulci, and sole. The sole is artificially extended to a flat surface level with the rim of the hoof wall. The load on the sole is cushioned and evenly distributed.

The 5S Insole Putty is a key component to the 5S System. The 5S Insole Putty is also invaluable as a packing or filler under any hoof pad, especially when dealing with poor quality, weak hooves.

The 5S Pad (Supporter and Eliminator models available) is constructed of tough tire-like rubber. It covers the entire ground surface of the hoof and encloses the 5S Insole. Its centre portion covers the sole and frog area of the hoof and is fitted to the inner circumference of a metal horse shoe. The pad's ground surface has a tire-like tread that provides traction for the horse.

More specifically, the Eliminator Pad has a 5/8" thick tread and thus effectively extends the sole beyond the thickness of a normal shoe. The entire load is "eliminated" from the hoof wall.

The Supporter Pad has a 5/16" thick tread and thus effectively extends the sole to the same thickness of a normal shoe. The load is "shared" between the sole and the wall.

By using the 5S Insole and a 5S Pad in combination, the horse's weight is transferred by way of the sole and frog, through the 5S Insole and 5S Pad to the ground. The hoof wall is successfully unloaded - the horse remains comfortable and able to perform many of its regular functions.

Now that you've been introduced to the principles of the 5S Equine Sole Support System, it's the right time for you to find out How to Choose the Correct Level of Sole Support, and Using the 5S Equine Sole Support System.

Once you've familiarized yourself with choosing the correct level of sole support and how to properly use the 5S Equine Sole Support System, it is very important to take into consideration Risk Management.

As the old saying goes, "The proof is in the pudding." To that end, we encourage you to read case studies using the 5S Equine Sole Support System.

The 5S Equine Sole Support System
is economical!

5S Products are available as an introductory kit, or may be purchased separately. The 5S Introductory Kit includes a pair of 5S Pads and enough 5S Insole Putty for 6 to 8 complete settings on a pair of feet. When the cost of the kit is spread over 6 to 8 settings, the average cost is approximately $25 per setting. The farrier's labor charges to the client will be extra.

The 5S Insole Putty is in containers of approximately 1,000 ml. per unit. The 5S pads may be purchased by the pair or in a box of six pads (3 pair). Please specify 5S Supporter pads or 5S Eliminator pads when ordering. Dealer inquiries are welcome. Wholesale prices are available.

You may order by contacting:
Hoof & Nail Farrier Supplies Ltd.
#3, 343 Forge Road, SE
Calgary, Alberta T2H 0S9 Canada
Phone: 1-403-252-1661
Fax: 1-403-255-1763
Direct E-mail
Web site: www.hoofnail.com

Thank you for your interest in 5S Equine Sole Support Products. If you have any questions or need additional information about our products, please post your questions and comments on our Bulletin Board. Or you may contact Sandy Loree directly at:
5S Equine Sole Support Products
RR #1, Site 12, Box 7
Olds, Alberta T4H 1P2 Canada
Direct E-mail
Phone: 1-403-556-2640
Fax: 1-403-556-8766

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