Handmade Aluminum Shoes
The American Mustang is a very durable and agile animal. The Discovery Channel says the feet have thick walls and are chipped off by rocks, not on the Mustangs I have worked on. The sole is very course, the wall is strong but about 5/16 of an inch thick. The lamanai is about the width of a number 5 nail, this tight connection is a natural control line allowing the weight of the animal to break off the wall evenly. It's like putting a pine board in a vise and breaking it off. This foot becomes the business of the farrier, when through selective breeding, finds itself on a modern show horse.
Now the sole is relaxed somewhat, also the walls are growing faster because of diet, the foot is still light and strong. This type of foot, usually cutting, reigning, working cow horse, is why most of my aluminum blanks are not punched for nail holes, the thick aluminum shoes must be punched much closer, also almost vertical because of the straight wall, also smaller nails, usually a 4 or 4 1/2. On most breeds the same shoe should be punched much courser by adjusting the angle of the nail. This will accommodate a much thicker wall and lower wall angle.
By making my own aluminum shoes I'm able to place my nails wherever I choose, the size and type nail that I feel would be best for each horse. Also I can adjust the angle of the foot and the type of shoe I want. When using an aluminum wedge or aluminum eggbar wedge, much thought must be given as to why I'm doing this and apply the shoe accordingly. For example, if you were to nail an eggbar wedge on a navicular horse (great choice). But if this horse has contracted or rolled under heels, you should trim these heels to a reasonable and healthy point, replacing the angle with the wedge of the shoe. This will force the heels outward with compression of the foot, otherwise the shoe will add leverage to an already bad situation. The aluminum wedge can be used not only to increase the angle of low heels, but to replace the angle of weak heels.
The last few years I have even began shoeing elk hunters the same way I have always shod fox hunters, with wide web aluminum. My mountain men friends tell me they are less likely to slip on rocky trails, and they don't make as much noise.
The aluminum I use is aircraft grade 6061, I crease nearly all of my shoes and install wear bars, except when I will roll a toe and/or sliders. I like to use a crease puller to remove shoes, and I personally think it looks better than wretching a foot with pull offs, just personal opinion. The wear bars will interfere with a rolled toe, especially after a little wear, they however add life to an aluminum shoe, with some horses getting at least 1 reset, sometimes more.
Gravel roads are the biggest problem for aluminum, but they are hard on steel shoes also. Aluminum sliders are like any sporting equipment, some athletes are very successful using them, some not. With some sliders I like to use a square toe in front, not the drastic toe on some bought shoes, but the smaller Bud Beaston type toe to get the front feet off the ground, usually a 5/16 or 3/8 shoe. The horse and rider will do better if the front end is not bouncing. Occasionally you will get a horse that really loves his work, and seems to hate cows. This is the horse that will bring the crowd to their feet. This will be because of breeding, training and riding, but it sure feels good if your initials are on his shoes. It's nice when a shoer loves his work also.
Occasionally one of my cowboy customers will ask me "why are you buffing the feet and polishing the shoes? This horse is going straight to the roping arena". I tell him I don't care about that, she is going to look nice when she leaves here.
Thank you,
CJ
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