Vettech Sole Guard...anybody?

I'm wondering whether anybody has tried the VETTECH sole guart (www.vettec.com).

It looks to me as if it would be a good product for a horse with a thin sole but would not help a horse which was landing toe first due to caudal heel pain.

And if a horse has thin soles, then its probably 90pc likely that it would have heel pain because the back of its foot would be inadequately developed.

Anybody got any thoughts on this, or - better still - had any experience with it? We can't get it in Australia YET but it will be available soon. I'm wondering what sort of horses it might work for.

- Rebecca
www.gobarefoot.com.au
www.typepad.gobarefoot.com

Comments

[Lysane]

I haven't used it personally but I know of several people who have used this product with shoes for rocky rides (instead of adding pads). My understanding is that the clear stuff is a little softer and the black stuff is harder. At an APEX clinic this weekend, someone mentioned that the harder black stuff can cause bruising on the sole if it is made completely level with the bottom of the shoe. I'm guessing it might have an impact as well if it were used to fill in the bottom of a bare hoof.

I've been wondering myself whether this product might have any use on a bare foot or with boots.
Are you thinking of using it in your boots in the place of pads? Or just on the bare hoof?

Lysane

[Lysane]

I forgot to mention...have you considered using Hoof Armor? www.hoofarmor.com

Lysane

[rebeccascott]

I'm not thinking of using it really...just wondering what applications it works with. Because I think there is a flaw in the approach...in that if the horse has a thin sole then it probably has weak heels as well. And so I would think that if somebody applied VETTECH SOLE GUARD or HOOF ARMOR then they might THINK that the hoof was being protected but that it wouldnt be being supported. And support is probably just as important as protection to a horse with a compromised hoof.

- Rebecca

[Lysane]

O.k. I see what you mean. It would protect the sole, but not necessarily give you a heel first landing. I know some people have used hoof armor all over the bottom of the hoof and up onto the heel bulbs, but I've never tried that myself. I think the pads with boots would still be the best for getting a heel first landing consistently.
I am working on a foundered pony these days and the owner did not have any boots and was looking for an inexpensive solution - I tape the pads onto the bottom of the hoof with duct tape wrapped around the hoof - pony went from shuffling and limping to a heel first landing and even a canter in the field when she was turned out...

Lysane

[Amy Sheehy]

I was also curious about this... I have a horse in my care heading off to training and he still NEEDS his boots & pads for work and building up his frog & digital cushion especially on the rocky trails he is heading to but the trainer, although a very nice lady, is very “set in her ways” and thinks barefoot is crazy and will lame horses. The owner is worried about if the trainer will use the boots or if they will be put on correctly (we all know even if the boots fit correctly they won’t necessarily stay on in deep mud if they are not tightened properly) so she was asking for alternatives – I thought of the vettec sole guard for the barefoot horse but I worry about anything that would stay on the hoof for a long period of time because it is not allowing the sole to shed and breathe as nature intended so what are the other consequences??? I had tried hoof armor about 6+ years ago and didn’t notice any difference. Personally I believe boots and pads are the way to go. They are the only way to help build structure and comfort so the horse can land comfortably and confidently in his heels and best of all there are no “weird” side effects – they won’t cause a stone bruise that is for sure!
Amy

[Ronald Rhoades]

We have two horses that we can't keep shoes on. Finally let them go barefoot and one became sole sore. Finally resorted to Sole-Gard in conjunction with shoes and the horse moves like a 5 year old. It helps the shoes stay on, but he normally looses one about the 4 week mark because the material is shed with the natural shedding of the horses sole. I can't rave enough about it. I went from having a horse that I couldn't ride half the time to a horse that is not afraid to step on anything!

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