Polyflex shoes have proven successful with the following foot ailments, conformation faults and disorders:
• Heel soreness and sensitivity, horses prone to sheared heels and quarter cracks.
• Contracted heels.
• Large horses with small feet.
• Club feet.
• Upright pasterns; over at the knee.
• Thin hoof walls, sensitivity to nails.
• Shelly, brittle hoof walls.
• Slow hoof growth. Generally Polyflex shoes need replacing over the same time period as regular shoes to maintain correct alignment and balance however several case studies with slow hoof growth have not required replacing for eight weeks. This predisposition tends to be more prevalent during the winter months. Long term application has achieved superior results compared to a glued on rigid shoe which is inclined to “lock up” the heels over longer time periods, making the horse susceptible to contracted heels. The casting nature of the adhesive with a rigid shoe restricts the shock absorbing mechanism of the hoof which over time can lead to secondary conditions such as upper suspensory, shoulder and neck soreness. Polyflex shoes although designed to wear down, simulating barefoot tendencies, sustain their integrity over this period.
• Fitting Polyflex shoes have resulted in more comfort for some horses where foot soreness became a subsequent condition, which made diagnosis possible of an original disorder.
Navicular disorders have improved with several horses however we have not had adequate case studies to determine a pattern.
The application technique of the Polyflex shoe gives it another advantage over other glue on shoes as a minimum amount of adhesive is required for attachment which allows the hoof to breathe and grow more naturally. In many cases glue on shoes with cuffs or tabs tend to degrade the hoof wall over time.
The flexible qualities of the Polyflex shoe work well with adhesives resulting in less shear force which creates a superior bond and therefore allows for less adhesive to be used.
Polyflex shoes are not recommended for horses with severely under slung heels or old coffin joint fractures which require a shoe with more rigidity versus flexibility.
