ray363•1mo ago

Used to hate aluminum shoes until I tried them on a wet track

I was always a steel shoe guy for like 15 years. But last spring I had a client with a thoroughbred who kept slipping on the grass track at Churchill Downs. An old timer named Pete finally convinced me to try aluminum event shoes on her and I swear she stopped slipping completely by the next week. Anybody else stubbornly stick with one metal and then regret not switching sooner?

3 comments

3 Comments

cooper.phoenix1mo ago

Stubbornly stuck with steel for years. Aluminum shoes made my horse way more confident on wet turf. Wish I had switched sooner, it's a no brainer.

the_sandra1mo ago

Aluminum wears faster, have you checked how often your farrier visits now?

elizabethhayes1mo ago

Switched my mare to aluminum fronts about two years ago and honestly never looked back. She was always so tense on soft ground with steel, like she was waiting to slip. Took her first ride in the aluminum shoes and she just marched right through the wet grass without hesitation. Yeah they wear faster, I'm on a 6 week cycle instead of 8, but that's a small trade off. I figure less stress on her joints is worth the extra farrier visit. Plus I've noticed way less soreness after hard workouts on turf.