State-Of-The Art Plastic Horseshoes

State-Of-The Art Plastic Horseshoes LIVESTOCK Horses/Mules 28-5-11 When Kristy Watson's horse developed a tendon injury, she went looking for plastic or rubber shoes that might help the injury heal. She found several on the market but none of them were exactly what she was looking for so she decided to make her own. "I designed the shoe I wanted and after consulting with a farrier, came up with the Ground Control Horseshoe," Watson says, adding that her brother, a plastics engineer, helped create them. The 1/2-in. thick horseshoes are made of the same poly material used for skateboard wheels and last as long as metal shoes. They come in black or clear and fit sizes 000 to 2. The shoes are nailed on like metal shoes. Watson says her shoes are the only ones with a frog protector. "It does two things: It protects the frog when you're going over rocks and it also stimulates blood pressure," she says. "When a horse walks bare footed, the frog always touches the ground but when the horse has shoes on, the frog doesn't get stimulated naturally. Our shoe pumps the blood and increases the endurance of the horse that way." Watson says riders immediately feel the benefit of her shoes. "When you're riding, you can feel the shock absorbing quality of the shoe through your horse. You can trot on the road and it's like the horse has tennis shoes on." The shoes cost $8 each plus S&H. Contact: Kristy Watson, Ground Control Horseshoes, P.O. Box 2331, Boerne, Tex. 78006 (ph 877 872-2846 or 830 248-1097; email: info@plastichorseshoes.com; www.PlasticHorseshoes.com).

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