Full Range of Motion with Goodsmith

My Missouri Foxtrotter mare Larida, now 5 years old, has been wearing the Goodsmith on all four hooves since December 2022. Her hoof quality is overall quite good, as is typical for mountain horses. Last autumn, Larida became increasingly tender on her hind hooves. The rather wet autumn and our riding arena with coarse sand contributed to significant wear on the hooves. In addition, during the winter months Larida is kept in a stall, spending a few hours a day on a gravel paddock. She is exercised daily for 1–2 hours in the form of groundwork, lunging, the horse walker, and walks. Our paths consist largely of asphalt and forest tracks. She spends the summer months mostly out at pasture, with exercise several times a week, much of it on grass. After gradually increasing her training last year, I eventually had to reduce the intensity of exercise. Larida increasingly showed tension in the hindquarters and lumbar spine. Her heels were worn down and she was already walking on the sole.

So in December 2022 she received her first complete glue-on shoeing. Since a movement pattern that is as natural as possible is important to me, and I wanted to rebuild the hind hooves, I opted for the Goodsmith. She was also being started under saddle over the winter. I was lucky to receive the very first shoes with integrated grip fresh off the press, and they were able to prove their effectiveness right away in the snow. With a bit of help and support, and including trimming the hooves, it took me just over 3 hours to apply them.

The first steps in the Goodsmith immediately showed a more powerful footfall, especially on the hindquarters. That same day she moved well in the horse walker. After 5 weeks, I removed the shoes without much effort (they would have lasted considerably longer) in order to work on and correct the hooves. I was fascinated by how the hoof had recovered during this time and how a solar arch had built up again on the hind hooves. Muscle tension was also receding after just a few days. With additional help from physio- and osteotherapy and appropriately structured training, it was possible to bring Larida into her full range of movement.

Thanks to the Goodsmith, I was able to build up my mare well physically and muscularly, and I can continue to structure the training independently of ground conditions. In my experience, the workmanship and durability of the Goodsmith are very good. It is great that the shoes hold perfectly regardless of the surface and Larida's movement behaviour. With the Goodsmith we were able to increase training intensity again, the hooves are growing well again and are resilient. All of this contributes to her now being well on her way to becoming a healthy and capable riding horse.