BV-1. Weak, flared or cracked Hoof Wall: Twin™ Shoe with Kevlar cuff application.
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When transitioning horses that have a very weak hoof wall, a flared hoof wall or a hoof wall with a crack into Twin™ Shoes, we can temporarily strengthen the hoof wall by applying a Kevlar cuff and still be able to use the Twin Shoe, allowing time for stronger hoof wall to grow in while the weak hoof wall grows out.
BV-2. Thin Soles: Twin™ Shoes with silicone sole protection.
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When dealing with thin soled horses an extra layer of protection can be applied to the sole without the need for a pad and without interfering with the function of the Twin shoe.
BV-3. Sole and Frog Support: Twin™ Shoes with flexible mesh.
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Bartek Equine developed a flexible mesh that holds silicone or urethane in place without interfering with the function of the Twin™ Shoe. This allows the farrier to provide extra support or redistribute the load across the ground surface of the hoof when needed.
BV-4. Hoof Stabilization: Twin™ Shoes with heart bar.
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Although the Twin™ shoe and the shoeing guide is developed to protect the hoof while allowing the natural hoof mechanism to function, we understand that with certain hoof problems or feet pathologies there is a need to stabilize the hoof and its related structures temporarily (e.g. coffin bone fracture, corn, …). In these cases, the Twin shoe can be modified quite easily by welding in a heart bar piece. The extra clips, with their larger size and specific position already present on the Twin shoe comparted to a traditional shoe in combination with the last nail hole being placed farther back makes it the perfect shoe when stability is needed. Obvious in this case the shoe would not be cut through at the toe.
BV-5. Pads: Twin™ Shoes have perfect clip height for pads.
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Although we do not recommend “regular” pads with Twin™ shoes as they would interfere with the function of the Twin shoe when cut through at the toe (it is allowing flexibility of the hoof), the Twin shoe can still be used as a traditional one-piece shoe when the farrier has a need for a protective pad (e.g. sole bruising, pedal osteitis, …). In fact the larger sized side clips compared to the traditional side clipped shoes accommodate for the loss in side clip height when adding a pad to the shoeing package and as such the clips can still do what they are intend to do, it is stabilizing the shoe on the hoof.
BV-6. End of Cycle: Pulling off Twin™ Shoes.
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Although pulling a Twin shoe is very similar than pulling a traditional shoe, the farrier should be extra careful not to damage the hoof wall during the process.
BV-7. Splitting: How to split Twin™ Shoes after nailing on.
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The final step in the Twin™ Shoeing process is cutting through the remaining material left in the already deepened grooves between the toe clips. This splits the shoe in two separate branches allowing the shoe/branches to move with the hoof so the normal hoof mechanism is not restricted by the shoe. Care should be taken not to cut into the dorsal hoof wall or sole as this could potentially lead to the development of a vertical toe crack.
BV-8. Immediate Effect: Relaxation after being shod with Twin™ Shoes.
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It is good to realize that whenever a horse hoof is on the ground it is in an expanded state (slightly bigger), when it is of the ground it is in a neutral state and when pushing off maximal contraction takes place. So when a horse is shod, the shoe is nailed or glued on in a neutral state (lifted of the ground), that means that as soon as the leg is weightbearing the hoof will expand slightly. For this reason, the horse experiences a tight feeling when shod with a one-piece shoe, like when we are running around in a shoe that is just a hair to small.
The Twin™ Shoe clearly, brings this problem (created by a one-piece, traditional shoe) to light, as we see a clear relaxation once we move from a one-piece shoe into a two-piece shoe by cutting the shoe through at the toe, at this point we take the tension away that the horse experiences and it shows that by licking, blinking, yawning, rolling with the eyes. So, a Twin shoe is always a perfect fit as it moves with the hoof, this in contrast to a traditional shoe that binds the hoof and gives the horse tight feeling.