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pro Plastic

60% less weight	Excellent grip
Reduced energy consumption Less negative impact on the limps	High-quality plastic simulates the natural grip of barefoot hooves and allows the horse to fully develop its athletic prowess.

Shock Absorbing

Concussion is one of the main problems related to iron shoes.
Polyurethane hoof shoes absorb about 90% of the shock, similar to the bare hoof, while preventing high-frequency vibration, another side effect of iron shoes.
Due to the bar/bridge the frog has ground contact and is able to fulfill its duty as shock absorber, pump, tactile organ and stabilizer to the ligaments and tendon

Flexibility

Unrestricted function of hoof mechanism and dynamic
Free blood circulation in the hoof
Unrestricted horizontal and vertical stretch of horn capsule - steel shoes do not allow the hoof to conform to the ground surface; every uneven step affects the ankles directly (see animation)
The hoofs "Sense of touch" is not restricted - feeling the ground surface is the horses natural way to protect feet and ankles. Not everybody will accept that as an advantage!
No development of pressure while hoof is growing - plastic material "grows" (stretches out) with the hoof capsule

hoof dynamic (animation by Easy Walker)

plastic shoe	steel shoe

Durability

The durability of plastics is rather measured in distance than in time.
EquiTracks takes polyruethane shoes to the tested in Namibia and South Africa since 2004.
Minimum distance on endurance horses in Namibia: 200+km.
Maximum distance on trail horses in Namibia: 700 km
Plastics do not conceal bad hoof conditions like unbalanced feet, unequal load bearing or weak hoof walls but make you work on the causes of those problems instead. Consequently, wear and tear of the shoe depend very much on the shape and the condition of the hooves, the horse's specific motion, its weight and physique, the demand of work as well as the plastic composition of the specific product itself.
Polyurethane hoof shoes are available in different compositions and degrees of hardness. SHORE refers to the method with which the strength of the material is tested and the number indicates the hardness of the plastic material (as higher the number as harder the material). In general hard material wears down faster, while a too soft mixture wears down quick as well but also becomes too flexible. To estimate a plastic hoof shoe, one has to look not only at the shore degree, but also at the shape and profile of the specific product.

Reduced risk of injury

Various sizes and shapes available