LIKE BAREFOOT, BUT WITH PROTECTION
FLEX-STEP horseshoes are the most natural and comfortable shoe that your horse can wear, and they will provide outstanding protection.  They are, minimize shock and concussion, reduce severity of injuries upon interference, reduce fatigue, permit natural flexing of your horse's feet, and reduce corns and bruises.

All FLEX-STEP horseshoes are patterned to assure good clearance between the sole of your horse's foot and the ground to minimize stepping on rocks or other foreign material and bruising the sole of your horse's feet, Figure 7.  The inner web affords even greater protection for your horse's feet.  Further, FLEX-STEP horseshoes are designed with a flex strip to hold the shoe together while permitting natural flexing of your horse's foot.  The flex strip, fitting flush against the frog, maintains natural frog pressure and pumping action.  If desired, the inner web can also be easily trimmed, Figure 8. 



HYGIENE & FOOT CARE
You use the same tools to clean your horse's feet - water, a brush, and hoof pick.  You will find that your hoof pick will slip readily under the inner web to remove packing or debris that may have collected.  In the heel area, simply flex the shoe to remove material from between the frog and bars.

FLEX-STEP Horseshoeing Procedure

1.  Nip off hoof as you normally would.  Pare out sole and frog only enough to remove damaged areas.

2.  Rasp off hoof and sole - special care should be used to make sure that the foot is flat.  (High and low spots will cause excessive wear).  In instances where the foot has an unusually concave sole, it may be desirable to pack the horse's feet with pine tar and oakum, or some other suitable packing material, to keep small rocks or other foreign material from collecting under the inner web of the shoe.  Or, the inner web may be removed (Figure 8); although generally the web will provide more protection if left in place.


3.  Select the shoe that fits, or the closest oversize shoe, shape to length and around heel with nippers.  (Note:  In cold weather, warm shoes before shoeing; it will ease nailing and shaping).  However, FLEX-STEP shoes are non-brittle even in sub-zero temperatures.

4.  Use smallest possible regular horseshoe nails, (normally No. 3 1/2 racehorse to No. 5 city head is sufficient).  Too large a nail will cause throwing of shoes.

5.  Place shoe on foot in desired position.  Start nailing with toe nail.  Drive nails directly through shoe.  Do not drill nail holes.  Guide nail so it does not lead.  Clinch nails with clinch block (alligator type clinchers will not work).  Countersink nail heads well into shoe.

6.  Figure No. 9 - Suggested nail pattern will vary according to shoe size.  Always have a nail in the toe or two nails about 1 1/2 inches apart.  If carbide studded nails are used, place at X marks.

















7.  FLEX-STEP shoes do not cause lameness.  If lameness should occur within a few days, you have probably unknowingly quicked the horse.  Nails should be removed and reset in proper position.

8.  Trim the contour and angle of hoof wall with a very sharp pair of nippers.

9.  Shape show with hoof rasp.  (Do not rasp shell; this causes drying out).  MAKE THE SHOE FIT THE FOOT - not the foot fit the shoe.