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Clips (caps) for glue-on shoes
More grip, also for horses with lively movement
Anyone who has ever held a horseshoe in their hand probably knows them: the small triangular metal caps that protrude beyond the horseshoe and wrap around the hoof wall. On front hooves there is usually a single cap in the middle of the horseshoe (toe clip), whereas on the hind hooves there are usually two caps (left and right of centre = side clips).
But what purpose do these clips actually serve, and are they needed on glue-on shoes as well?
Function of clips on horseshoes
The clips (also called caps or stops) primarily serve to improve force transmission. When the horse sets down its hoof while moving forward, it "slides" a little into the shoe. To prevent the nails (and therefore the holes in the hoof wall) from being overly stressed, the clips are there: they absorb a good portion of the force so that the nail holes in the hoof wall do not take the full impact and the shoe remains securely on the hoof.
One or two clips?
A central toe clip fulfils this function wonderfully, since the horse slides forward toe-first. In addition, the toe clip interferes least with the hoof mechanism, since the hoof capsule does not widen at the toe but only in the lateral or rear hoof area.
So why then two side clips on the hind hooves? With side clips the horseshoe can be set back somewhat, so that the toe of the hoof extends beyond the front edge of the shoe. This makes breakover easier and prevents more serious injuries if the horse strikes its front legs with its hind legs. Front hooves shod with side clips can also be seen from time to time. The reason is simple: since a shoe with side clips can be set back, this can be advantageous in certain hoof situations or diseases (e.g. navicular syndrome).
In addition, the side clips fix the shoe more securely on the hoof than a single clip at the toe, especially with lateral rotational movements of the limb (shear forces), which occur more frequently in the hind hooves.
Because the metal clips are rigid, however, the hoof is also restricted in its flexibility. On the one hand this affects the hoof mechanism, and on the other the conical growth of the hoof. Because the hoof walls do not grow perpendicular to the ground, but rather the hoof becomes wider at the ground than at the coronet band. If, however, the hoof capsule is now laterally constrained by the metal clips, the walls can no longer grow conically, but only straight. Over time the hoof becomes narrower (or "overgrows" the side clips over time, i.e. the hoof walls break out).
The advantages and disadvantages of side clips compared to toe clips must therefore always be carefully weighed.
Watch out for injuries
Apart from that, the metal clips carry a certain risk of injury: if a horse loses a shoe, it often lies on the ground in such a way that the metal clips point upwards. If a horse then steps on it, this can lead to nasty injuries to the hoof.
And what about with glue-on shoes?
With a glue-on shoe there are no nails or nail holes that would need to be protected from overload when the hoof lands. Clips are therefore normally superfluous on a glue-on shoe. In addition: the hoof capsule is enclosed by the tab fingers like a crown, which also provides a distribution of force. Since the tabs are made of flexible plastic, they hardly restrict the hoof mechanism or the conical growth.
But with the tabs there is a catch: they can tear. This is not by chance, but rather a deliberately integrated predetermined breaking point; it serves as a safety mechanism in case the glue-on shoe gets caught somewhere or the horse steps into the shoe itself. In these cases it is explicitly intended that the tabs tear at the tab neck so that the hoof wall is not damaged.
This can also mean, however, that the tabs tear in undesired situations – namely whenever particularly high force impacts the tabs. This is the case, for example, when jumping or going downhill (here the front tabs on the hoof sometimes tear) or with heavy horses that turn a lot while standing (here the rearmost tabs of a tab collar occasionally tear).
For such "special cases", there is the option of also attaching clips to glue-on shoes. However, not made of metal, but of TPU – the same material as the base plates and tab collars. This means that these plastic caps can be shaped and welded on with the hot air gun in the same way as the other components of a glue-on shoe. This has many advantages: on the one hand, the number and positioning of the clips can be varied. They can be attached to the glue-on shoe where, for this individual horse, the greatest force transmission frequently occurs. This is often in the rear area of the hoof when the horse shows many rotational movements on the standing leg. They can equally be used as toe clips or classic side clips.
Because the plastic caps are stiff but nevertheless deformable to a certain extent, the hoof mechanism and the conical growth of the horn capsule are only slightly affected by lateral attachment. In addition, with the more yielding plastic clips the risk of injury is also significantly reduced compared to metal caps, in case a horse should lose a glue-on shoe and step on it.
Conclusion
Clips serve to distribute force better and to improve the hold of the (glue-on) shoe on the hoof. While toe or side clips are almost always necessary on a metal shoe, they are normally superfluous on a glue-on shoe. On a glue-on shoe, however, plastic caps can be individually attached as needed, and are then – due to their flexibility – less restrictive for the hoof capsule and carry a lower risk of injury than conventional metal caps.
Author: Nathalie Kurz
