Glue-On Shoes for Icelandic Horses
„The movement of both horses has improved significantly. The difference compared to going purely barefoot is definitely the secure break-over on any surface and the energy and impulsion with which both go forward.“
Hallo zusammen,
my name is Magdalena Müller, I am 25 years old and even as a little girl I only had eyes for horses. At nine I started vaulting to prepare for riding. At ten I switched to actual riding. Just a year later I discovered my favorite breed – Icelandic horses – and have been riding Icelandic style ever since. At 13 I got my first own horse, Helfari, who still belongs to my herd today and is now a proud 18 years old. With him I launched into competition riding and together we won quite a few prizes in the youth and junior classes.
During my final school exams, competition riding took a back seat, but afterwards I went directly to Iceland for a year. In Iceland I was able to further my education in Icelandic horse sport and this is where I found my two Goodsmith horses, Fanndis (9 years old) and Hlynur (11 years old), who have been with me in Germany for 5 years now. My five-gaited gelding Hlynur fra Hala is well trained in dressage and is also up for small jumps. Fanndis fra Hala is also five-gaited. When she came to Germany she first had a foal break and was then gently started. She has been in training for about a year now.
With these two horses I do a lot of orienteering and trail rides, as well as dressage and gait training at various clinics. Additionally, this year we also competed at smaller leisure competitions and are currently slowly starting with driving. All in all, we work very versatily – there is almost nothing I cannot do with my horses. Hence the test: Klebebeschlag for Icelandic horses. Can it work?
Seit Oktober 2018 nutzen wir den Goodsmith. Bis Juni 2019 standen beide Pferde in dauerhafter Offenstallhaltung mit befestigtem Paddock. Hier wurde gern rasant mit meinem kleinen Vierjährigen getobt. Seit Juni steht meine Bande tagsüber draußen (entweder auf Gras oder Paddock) und nachts geht’s dann in die Box. Jetzt im Herbst war hier ein kleiner Härtetest angesagt, denn die Paddocks sind zum Teil matschig. Wir hatten trotzdem keine Probleme und konnten den Klett immer gut mit Wasser reinigen. Die Haltungsform meiner Rasselbande habe ich umgestellt, weil ich wieder mehr zum Reiten kommen wollte. Meine Pferde sind deutlich entspannter seit sie nachts in Ruhe an Ihren Heunetzen knabbern können und nur tagsüber in der Gruppe stehen.
Even before the Goodsmith, the hoof situation of both horses was good. Hlynur has a slightly toe-out conformation on both front and hind, but the angles are good. His problem is slight sensitivity on hard ground and slightly porous horn. Fanndis' front hooves are slightly toed out and rather flat with little heel. She is nevertheless hardly sensitive. Before Hlynur got the Goodsmith, he wore horseshoes for about 1.5 years. During this time, however, I noticed that I was not progressing in training, as he always moved slightly restrained in the forehand.
Dies führte dazu, dass er stark spannig lief und wir große Probleme im Trab und Tölt hatten. Nach diversen Veränderungen am Beschlag inkl. dem Versuch sich mit Lederplatten zu behelfen entschied ich mich dazu die Eisen über den Winter abzunehmen, um den Hufen Erholung zu gönnen. Von diesem Zeitpunkt an wurden die Probleme beim Reiten weniger. Hlynur konnte aus der Schulter viel freier und mutiger nach vorne treten und sowohl Trab als auch Galopp waren schnell kein Problem mehr. Der Tölt wurde auch zunehmend besser und die Hufbrüchigkeit nahm ab. Da er auf harten Böden weiterhin fühlig lief, musste hier eine Lösung her. Wir entschieden uns zunächst für Scoot Boots. Die Schuhe saßen sehr gut, allerdings stellte die Ansammlung von Dreck und Feuchtigkeit im Schuh auf längeren Ritten ein Problem dar. Fanndis trug nie Eisen und ich wollte sie auch nie beschlagen. Auch sie bekam Scoot Boots für’s Gelände und kam gut zurecht.
Since I am a trained hoof care professional myself, I regularly continue my education and explore new products on the hoof protection market. That is how I came to Goodsmith in October 2018. I attended a Workshop , got certified and have been offering the Goodsmith as a service since then.
I fitted the Goodsmith to my horses myself. I originally became aware of the product through the TV show "Die Höhle der Löwen" and found the system exciting from the start. Hlynur has been wearing his Goodsmith on all four hooves since October 2018. I trim his hooves every six weeks. Fanndis has been wearing her Goodsmith since November 2018. Her hooves are also trimmed every six weeks. Now, after a good year, the front base plates on both horses need to be replaced. The rear plates will last another one or two trimming intervals.I chose the Goodsmith because, unlike hoof boots, it has no attachment on the hairy part of the horse's leg and is therefore permitted in Icelandic horse sport. The attachment that does not extend beyond the hoof capsule also contributed to improved movement in my horses. Additionally, I don't have to worry about my horses chafing in the heel area on longer trail rides. I personally use the Goodsmith very versatily, for example on trails to protect the horses from stony ground on long rides, but also in daily training to counteract excessive horn wear, or at clinics and competitions to achieve improved gaits.
For Hlynur I most recently tested the Perma-Variante of the Goodsmith, as there were still some big rides and competitions planned. Hlynur's hoof horn has recovered well over time and is no longer as brittle. The movement of both horses has also improved significantly. Both move beautifully fluid and eagerly forward. The difference compared to going purely barefoot is definitely the secure break-over on any surface and the energy and impulsion with which both go forward.
In summary, we were out and about a lot with the Goodsmith this year. We attended various clinics. In August, Hlynur was with me in Berlin for the Icelandic Horse World Championships and walked right through the city on various surfaces without any problems. We completed several orienteering rides. Last but not least, we completed our final competition for 2019 in early October and presented ourselves excellently. Hlynur won the Tölt in Harmony class and Fanndis took 3rd place. In the skill test (including a small jump) we again took 1st and 3rd place in the same constellation. Now we are slowly heading into the winter break, during which we will definitely do lots of trail riding and training won't be neglected either. My
Current conclusion on the Goodsmith: I am thrilled with the product and very happy to have found this solution for my horses. They both move excellently and I don't have to feel guilty about fully working them in training every day. We did have the occasional small problem here and there, but these were always quickly resolved. With the permanent version, two tabs once came loose from the hoof. I was able to reattach these with the XT-40 Kleber, which Goodsmith offers specifically as a small „first-aid solution“ , simply reattach within seconds. Even if a Velcro pad gets kicked off during play, you can really help yourself quickly here and have no horse downtime.
My client horses also consistently perform flawlessly on their Goodsmith and the owners are satisfied. I like to use the Goodsmith for example when transitioning from horseshoes to barefoot and can report very positively on this. But more on that another time. I will be happy to write a report from a professional perspective.
