The use of horseshoes on horses has been done for centuries. Horseshoes were devised by farriers as a way of preventing the natural process of hoof wear (Horses were usually driven hard and fastback in the day and got plenty of use). They were used in battle, as a method of civil transportation, in carriages etc. Needless to say, before the advent of the automobile, horses were a very popular way of getting from point A to point B. The process of shoeing horses was so prominent back in the day when horses saw a lot of work, that the process is still thought of as completely essential today. However, iron horseshoes might not be necessary anymore. Especially because horses for the most part don’t do nearly the same amount of work that they used to and are usually ridden for pleasure, they spend their time usually relaxing in the stables with some hay, or just enjoying themselves some nice grass out on the meadows.
Iron horseshoes just aren’t as necessary as they used to be, and most horse owners are looking for an alternate material to shoe their horses with. Many horse owners are finding that plastic is a great alternative. We will be exploring a bit into plastic horseshoes in this article so if you would like to buy some, go over to the link above to check out some of the best horseshoes that money can buy.
So, what are some of the reasons that you might want to consider when deciding between iron and plastic when buying horseshoes next time? Well for starters, Plastic actually doesn’t set the horn capsule into a rigid structure. Plastic is a lot more flexible than iron and as such, acts as an extension of the horn Capsule of the horse. This means that the horse is able to grip the ground far better than a horse shod with iron horseshoes. As a result, the horse’s joints end up in far more natural positions when riding, and this guarantees horse health. This is fantastic because many horses suffer from joint and ligament problems that can easily be traced back to the use of iron horseshoes. Plastic horseshoes allow the impact of the horse’s gallop to be dispersed throughout the foot, and this lessens the likelihood that the horse will develop all kind of joint problems in the future.
Another benefit of plastic horseshoes is that they allow blood circulation in the hoof. Because the horn capsule isn’t constricted into a particularly rigid shape, Blood is free to flow through the horses’ hooves. This circulation of blood is important for a horse’s hoof health because blood is what carries nutrients to the hooves.
The benefits of plastic horseshoes are very significant and should definitely be considered by any horse owner. Plastic horseshoes are more natural for the horse to wear than iron horseshoes and are more appropriate for the kinds of lifestyles that they now lead.
