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September 2016 THE HORSE TheHorse.com
Frog support pads help horses that
need bony column support, such as lami-
nitic horses, says Kraus.
In addition to causing the frog to
share a portion of the load, reducing that
placed on other areas of the hoof, these
pads help maintain the position of the
frog relative to other structures of the
hoof, says DuBois.
"There also are pour-in pads," adds
Kraus. "These consist of a two-part mix
of polyurethane that is poured into the
sole after the shoe is nailed on. This
sticks and molds to the sole and provides
protection and shock absorption."
He says the most common pads he
uses are flat plastic pads made from poly-
urethane.
"Flat leather is also used commonly,"
Kraus continues, "and is preferred by
some farriers in some areas. Leather is
more hooflike and plastic more consis-
tent under moisture conditions. Leather
gets soft and deteriorates in excessive
moisture."
Most often pads are applied in pairs,
front or rear, to maintain symmetry,
says DuBois. "However, many different
combinations can be used based on the
situation, such as in cases of mismatched
hooves or of limb length disparity."
He adds that most snow pads go on
just the front hooves, but he does have
clients that prefer putting snow pads on
all four.
Farriers typically replace the pads with
a horse's normal shoeing cycle, every four
to eight weeks depending on the time
or year and region of the country, says
Burns.
Don't Forget the Packing
All pads—with the exception of rim
pads—need some type of packing be-
neath to help prevent debris from migrat-
ing in and becoming trapped, says Kraus.
Proper packing typically involves a filler
such as pine tar compound, oakum (a
fiber soaked in pine tar), or a liquid
urethane product that the farrier injects
into the space.
Without proper packing materials,
trapped dirt and debris can encour-
age anaerobic (not requiring oxygen to
survive) microbes to grow, which is why
farriers also apply an antimicrobial, such
as copper sulfate, beneath the pad, says
Burns.
"The misconception that lingers today
is that pads cause thrush," he notes.
"That may have been the case 15 years
ago, but today an antimicrobial can be
applied to keep the foot healthy. In fact,
now pads can actually be used to treat
thrush."
Possible Problems
Most pads are problem-free if applied
properly, says Kraus, but he notes that
"nothing is foolproof around horses.
Most pads require packing to help prevent debris from becoming trapped beneath them.
Packing materials range from traditional pine tar-based products to liquid urethane.
PAM
MACKENZIE
Packing It In