Erin’s experience with FormaHoof has been life-changing for her and her beloved horse, Spirit. Despite having no prior experience with the product, Erin’s farrier was able to confidently apply FormaHoof after enrolling in our available FormaHoof Academy courses.
The results were immediate, and Spirit’s hoof structure has improved dramatically since the application of his first set of FormaHoof shoes. As a long-time equestrian and barefoot believer, it was wonderful to stumble across FormaHoof, while doing extensive research into OTTB hoof problems.
My then 8-year-old OTTB, Active Spirit, aka Spirit, the Red Prince, kept coming up lame in the fore end. He came to me a week after his last race, and because I was already doing ground rehab work with him, this unexplained lameness was quite worrying.
So, we started an endless round of vet examinations, x-rays, nutrition evaluations, and exercise program changes, before we discovered a thin sole problem that had been caused by over-trimming. He also had a small “ski tip” at the front of his left-fore pedal bone.
Now that the problems had been identified, I took the opportunity to do extensive online research during the lock down to see how best to approach his hoof rehab. It was during my research that I came across an article which mentioned how beneficial FormaHoof had been in resolving thin soles. This quick mention alone, in one of the hundreds of academic and industry articles I read really stuck with me.
I contacted FormaHoof and was extremely surprised to receive a call from FormaHoof CEO, Alex Papantoniou. After a very long and detailed chat, I was convinced that this was the route I needed to go to give my Red Prince the chance of a pain-free life.
However, it wasn’t until I moved back to Sicily from the UAE that I was able to find a farrier with the skills and knowledge to be able to confidently use Formahoof. Although Francesco, my new farrier, didn’t have any prior experience with FormaHoof, he prepared himself by watching the available videos in the FormaHoof Academy, examining the products, and doing a ‘dry run’ set up.
He then flawlessly put on my boy’s first set of Formahoof horseshoes. The change was immediate! He stepped out beautifully, was completely balanced, and had a light, easy walk and trot. It was simply amazing to watch!
Spirit is now on his fourth set of FormaHoof horseshoes and the improvement in his hoof structure is quite incredible. He now strides out confidently and moves beautifully. Thanks to FormaHoof and our farrier Francesco, we’re ready to hit the Western Dressage show circuit, both in-person here in Italy, and online in the USA.
If you’re facing similar challenges with your horse’s hooves, don’t hesitate to give FormaHoof a try. With the help of the FormaHoof team and your trusted hoof care provider, you can give your horse the chance of a pain-free life and get ready to hit the show circuit like Erin and Spirit. Contact FormaHoof today to learn more.