Borium on shoes. . .

[Equine_Woman]

So does anyone else have borium on their horse's shoes? Sterling and I used to ride in the city full time so in high school she was shod with borium on her fronts and it was much safer to ride. I don't remember it being so expensive!!

We have to get borium on her fronts again this week because we are going to be riding on a lot of roads, for parades and the Stock Show Rodeo. I don't like for her to wear them all the time so my farrier made me a set that we will take off after all the parades and I'll just keep them until I need them again. The shoes he's making them out of are extra tough looking. . .he called them a lifetime set. . . we shall see. She's hard on shoes.

Farriers has borium gone up a lot in the last 10 years? It's going to be $115 for just the fronts! Sheesh. This has been a really expensive horse month here.

[Equine_Woman]

Oh and if anyone has a less expensive alternative let me know. . I considered adding duck tape. . lol (just kidding) I was reading about borium nails. Wonder if those would give enough grab. Our problem is the stock show starts up a VERY long paved bridge set at a pretty good angle. It's a scary hill. Last year I remember thinking there was NO WAY ON EARTH I would ride my horse up or down that hill with shoes on (without borium). People were slipping left and right. I was worried about the wagons on the way back. The drivers were sitting/standing on the breaks

[Buckpoco]

I always had borium on during the winter, until a couple of years ago when we went barefoot. Now I'm waiting for Cavallo to get the studs for their boots, as we use the Cavallo boots for everything.
I know what you mean about price EW...the shoes with borium (I used to get pads too) was a bloody fortune. Being barefoot is so much cheaper but we do need studs for the winter, or slippery mud.

[Equine_Woman]

Yeah I don't think I remember how expensive they are! lol. . . I'm glad I don't need them all the time! Sheesh!!! The one set is as much as my normal bill with her half set and two trims!!! (well almost)

I hated putting shoes on Sterling but even leaving the soles she's been really gimpy on trails for the last year. I just couldn't take it anymore. I bought boots but I just never felt safe in them. I could never let go of the worry that I could be doing harm by putting them on wrong, or not providing enough padding, or her loosing one while we were running and since we are doing barrels and playdaying I just decided it was time to get some shoes back on. It's been very liberating! I can load and go and not worry about how rocky the trail we're headed to is!!

[offgridgirl]

Yes I have been using Borium nails! It makes a world of difference. Here is the thread.

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9887&highlight=borium+nails

[Equine_Woman]

Are they a lot cheaper than the borium shoes?

[westmanfarrier]

The borium nails help, but will not hold up as long as the borium on the shoes. You might look into drive in tungsten studs. If you wear as much as you say borium on your shoes still might be the best bet.

[3equines]

One of my friends uses borium on her driving horses' shoes, her farrier basically welds a heel and toe caulk pattern on the shoes with the borium. Another friend uses borium shoes during backcountry season, the shoes last for about 3 or 4 resets, with them on the horse full time, so one set of borium shoes will last about 6 to 8 months. The extra cost pays for itself in the end. The rationale in both cases is to give extra grip on hard, slick surfaces like pavement, wood bridges, wet rocks, etc. My boyfriend and I are considering applying borium to our horse's shoes during the backcountry packing season, we have been weighing the pro's and con's.

On the other hand, another friend of mine who drives her horses is opposed to broium because she feels that it interferes with the horse's natural stride, in which the hoof has a forward sliding motion.

Hoof boots do give better traction and protection on pavement, especially if you use a closed-cell foam comfort pad inside the boot. When I was using Easy Boots on my horses, I never had one come off but most of our riding was at a walk and trot. I used the Epic and the Bare with gaiters, and the Old Mac without. We went through deep, sucking mud, snow, and rivers with them. I have fallen off the barefoot bandwagon because it simply does not work in my climate and for the kind of riding I do with my horses. Their feet never harden up out here and I struggled with stone bruises, abcesses, etc. during my barefoot experiement. I have never had a lame or bruised horse that is shod. Now I keep the boots around for a spare tire when I ride.

[grandmadeb]

Al just got his borium shoes and it was $200.

[Joey A]

My pricing for borium on the toe and heels (four spots) is $15 extra per shoe.

I've got my process down to a science now, and it takes me an additional 10 mins per pair. Then there's the cost of the drill tec, and propane.

[Dakota Sunrise]

Dakota gets borium on all four shoes. My farrier charges me $90, so with Beauty's trim each farrier visit runs me $110. Around here that's kind of expensive but I don't think it's too bad.

[3equines]

Its been awhile since you could get a regular old cold-shod job done on all 4 for $90 around here. The going rate for basic farrier service is around $100, trims around $45, front shoes $70 to $85.

Part of that is the business expense for farriers: shoes have to be mail-ordered by the box, business taxes are through the roof, and fuel costs/travel time all add up.

My boyfriend and I are doing our own shoing, I am satisfied with the outcome and my retired farrier is still willing to come out and give advice (I pay him for his time). There is still the expense of getting GOOD tools (the cheap kind make hard work), buying shoes and nails, and time - it takes about 2 to 3 hours to get one of our horses done, now, when my farrier could do it in 1 hour. You can sink $100 or more into a set of nippers or good hoof knife, but once you have it, it's around for a long time.

[Equine_Woman]

Dakota gets borium on all four shoes. My farrier charges me $90, so with Beauty's trim each farrier visit runs me $110. Around here that's kind of expensive but I don't think it's too bad.

Wow! That's cheap!!! My trims are $35 and the shoes are $115 for only a front set.

[offgridgirl]

Are they a lot cheaper than the borium shoes?
It cost me $40US for a box of 100nails. The farrier uses two nails/hoof....so it will be a while before I run out. I pay $100Can for 4 shoes,normally.;)

[3equines]

OGG: Do you buy your own shoes or does your farrier supply them?

[offgridgirl]

OGG: Do you buy your own shoes or does your farrier supply them?
My farrier hand-makes the shoes custom for each hoof. I get 4 months out of them give or take. I get new set of shoes this time around.:cool: