STABILIZERS
The
STABILIZER's primary use is to afford protection to
a sensitive foot by adding rigidity to a shoe which may be
prone to bending, flexing or spreading. Besides
offering added protection to support a foot, it can also
be used with a bar shoe, window shoe, heartbar shoe and
egg bar shoe. The use of a STABILIZER is more
practical and faster than trying to fit a ready-made bar
shoe. This device can typically be used on foundered
horses, those with Navicular, run-under heels,
contraction, sheared heels, horses with weak hoof walls,
and tender or bruised heels. They also offer
protection to a fractured coffin bone.
The heel of the STABILIZER is shaped like an egg
bar to function in some ways like an egg bar and in some
ways better. Egg bars catch the ground when a foot is in
full extension, shortening the horse's stride and losing
the free and natural movement a show horse needs to
win. With the STABILIZER the egg bar is at
foot level (not ground level), and therefore it will not
catch while the foot is landing The STABILIZER also
affords more support in soft loose ground because it gives
more coverage in the heel area than does an egg bar shoe.
The STABILIZER is a very
adaptable appliance. To apply, the horseshoe is
first fitted to the foot. The STABILIZER is
then riveted to the shoe, nail holes drilled, and the shoe
and STABILIZER are then ready to be nailed
on. The shoe and STABILIZER in combination
make a very stable, strong yet light foundation to assist
the horse in working to its full potential.
The
STABILIZER is sized like aluminum racing plates:
4 through 12.
Bar Inserts
Performance
horses are judged on the way they move, how fast they move
or how high they jump. Horseshoes are selected for
various reasons such as protection, traction and
support. Often, however, the shoe best suited for an
event is not the optimum shoe for the horse. A case
in point would be to use an aluminum outer rim shoe on a
jumper. The shoe is well suited in some respects,
but the shoe will not be strong enough to resist the
forces applied to it. Harness horses use very light
steel or aluminum shoes, but it is sometimes found that
these shoes do not provide the rigidity and support needed
for the foot. Bar shoes are often used to add more
strength to the harness shoe but because they are narrow,
they don't offer much sole protection, and may cause
discomfort or lameness.
The STABILIZER is an aluminum insert that goes
between the shoe and the foot much like a pad. It
protects or gives pressure to the frog and also
incorporates a bar to protect the heel area. The
width of the rim around the outside goes under the shoe to
protect the outer edges of the sole. The insert may
be used as is or various sections may be removed.
The STABILIZER gives protection and support without
covering the entire bottom of the foot.
