# Steel vs. Aluminum Shoes?



## smrobs

I think that aluminum shoes were designed for horses who do better with a very light weight shoe like racing TB's. If I am not mistaken, I think most of them wear aluminum. I personally prefer steel because when I do shoe my horse, it is because I am doing a lot of high impact actions (running and roping) on rocky or very hard ground. I need the hardiness of a steel shoe that will last a long time and not get bent or anything. For someone who does not need the security of steel or the low weight of aluminum, I think it is all a matter of preferance. If your horse is doing well in steel, then why change it?


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## LDblackhorse

Well I can give you a good opinion on both since I work with thourgbreds and ahve done other disiplinces.

First and foremost yes aluminum is lighter but they worp easier and need to be changed more often. they are generally used for throughbred for there light weight. But they get shod every 4-six weeks. Most of the time they get new shoes before they race. that can be every two weeks. but it rarely goes that often. You also have to consider that the average race horse is only out of there stall may be two hours at most and spend the rest of the day in the stall. 
One other thing is that your black smith may charge more, the cost of aluminum is higher then steel.

As for steel it is more pratical for every day riding. Since the average riding horse goes out in the paddock and deal with rocks and harder surfaces. steel can take it alot better. they will also last longer. it can also save you money because they can generally be reset for another use. so they can almost go 12-1 4weeks were as aluminiums need to be changed each visit 6 weeks because they warp easier.
that and if you have a heavier type breed aluminum will not with stand the weight well and you will end up haveing a spread shoe.

also they weight of the shoe isn't that much diffrent. my horse performs on them just fine

I hope this was helpful for you


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## CJ82Sky

I've had experience with both. Aluminums like some said are often for racing (you won't see steel shoes on a race horse) but they are more expensive and wear down sooner. Depending on your farrier they can be anywhere from $15 - $50 more for a set.

I have used them on my OTTB after trying him barefoot for years with much discomfort on his part. His feet were too small and beat up to accept steel shoes w/o a risk of them being torn off. The aluminums were lighter - so easier for his foot to hold as well as if they DID get torn off based on his lack of hoof, there would be less damage to the remaining wall. The negative is that aluminums also have awkward vibrations - i.e. the impact w/the ground causes an odd reaction in the way that the energy travels as compared to steels. Don't believe me? Take an aluminum shoe and a steel shoe and tap on concrete and see how it feels in your hand in how it vibrates from the impact. The difference is minimal, however to some horses it makes a difference and they may move differently on harder surfaces (less of an issue in softer show-ring type footing). Some horses are also more likely to have reactions to the aluminums in the form of abscess (my OTTB of course who absecess if the wind blows in the wrong direction did...nothing major, and less than when he was barefoot, but once we switched to steels and he had enough hoof, he was fine).

Again the difference is minimal. The way it affects your horse's movement is also minimal. Bear in mind that if you go with aluminums, that you will need to have your horse reshod more often, and they offer less support/protection to the hoof wall b/c of the lighter weight and different metal so often not as good for horses w/crappy feet - other than like I used them - one set to get his feet some protection until they could hold a steel shoe.

It's really in my opinion a matter of persoanl preference. Good luck!


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## Chella

I say barefoot, better control better traction better everything. Shoes stop the horse from fully feeling and functioning.


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## CJ82Sky

Chella said:


> I say barefoot, better control better traction better everything. Shoes stop the horse from fully feeling and functioning.


agreed - IF the horse can stay sound barefoot. MOST can, but some TBs (as well as other breeds) have issues. Unfortunately breeding the soundness back INTO a breed is far harder then breeding it out of the breed.....


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## Nutty Saddler

Very interesting to read about peoples experiances with shoes etc.
I live in what is mostly a dry area , and all of mine are barefoot. My farrier , who learnt his trade in Canada would argue that the need for a shoe or not would depend ,in part , on climate ,diet and work . Horses feet where I live have a tendancy to be very hard due to there being little moisture in the ground , in fact one of my horses who is barefoot now never went barefoot in the UK .


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## Spyder

CJ82Sky said:


> Again the difference is minimal. The way it affects your horse's movement is also minimal.


 
Interesting that I switched from the normal steel to the aluminum ones on my former dressage horse. He had chronic seedy toes and found that the aluminum were not only more comfortable for him but they altered his gait less than the steel ones. He had to have shoes or his feet would fall apart. I got way too much lift/knee action with the steel ones and a more natural gait with the aluminum ones.


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## IrishRider

Spyder, let me ask you this....was the difference in your horses gaits noticeable enough to make you place higher in shoes, etc. I ask this because that is the sole reason these ladies at the barn are all of a sudden telling me that I need to do it. One of them even said "Maybe you would start getting first instead of seconds and thirds". B! Last time I looked second and third wasn't bad, and this coming from a lady that HAS aluminums and places no higher than fifth every time. (ok my rant is over).

But I just don't know if I can justify the cost. And it's not like I'm going to the Olympics or anything, just local shows. And I think there are just some horses that move better than others. One of the horses I am up against is a super expensive horse. I would hope for that kind of money that she would move better than my horse, you know? So are aluminums really going to change my horses gaits so dramatically that I beat out a $50k horse? My gut says no but I like hearing everyone's stories and opinions.

CJ82SKY, why do some horses have reactions to aluminums?


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## smrobs

Honey, I don't think it really matters which you choose. Sometimes, you get a horse that performs better with lighter shoes but they are few and far between. If you are happy with your horses feet the way they are now, then I wouldn't worry about changing because honestly, I don't believe either that it will improve a horse's gait enough to place higher in the ribbons (most of the time). You could probably have your horse barefoot or in those big clunky boa boots and still go out there and whoop that girl any day.  Maybe she is jealous and thinks that if she can get you to spend more money without really seeing any improvement then she will get her revenge or something, I don't know. I don't understand people sometimes. I personally wouldn't worry about it because if you are in it to have fun and that is what you are doing, that is what matters.


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## IrishRider

I agree smrobs. It just makes me mad to think that people give bad or unnecessary advice just to be rude. I'm glad that there are places like these forums to help gather information from people that actually want to help out.


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## upnover

The ladies at your barn may be annoying but it is not BS. Aluminums are lighter and the majority of horses do move _at least_ slightly better with them as opposed to steels because generally you get a floatier movement with less knee action. imagine if you were walking around with light shoes on, and then imagine what it would feel like if you had really heavy shoes on. Your legs would go more up and a little less out (hence more knee action). There isn't a huge weight difference but it is enough to affect a horse's movement. if i remember correctly you show hunters, right? remember in hunters movement is very important! They won't change a terrible mover into a great one but but it can help a horse that gets 2nds and 3rds win the hack. One of the horses I'm showing just got steels put on and he was a pretty nice mover before. Now? Eh. He's just ok. Most of the better movers I know are in aluminums (i'm talking people who show frequently and/or go to rated shows). Yes, they are more expensive but if it can help their horse move better and win the hack? Lots of people are willing ot pay more. Whether or not you are willing to pay extra for it is totally dependent on how important it is to you! If you're happy with steels and fine with 2nds and 3rds and/or don't want to pay extra? I'd say stick with the steels. If you were showing a lot and trying to find ways to ribbon higher in the hack, I'd say try the aluminums. Don't feel pressure from some obnoxious women at the barn! 
Also, yes, aluminums do wear down faster then steel but not so fast that they're on a different shoeing schedule then others. Every single horse at our barn gets their feet done every 6 weeks no matter what they wear and the aluminums hold up just fine. Our farrier makes all of them though, I don't know if that makes a difference. The keg aluminums might be thinner, don't know! 
Anyways, I've never met a horse that does worse with aluminums. It's always at least the same as steel, but usually better. All the horses I know who switched from aluminums to steel do not move as well as they did before.


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## Spyder

IrishRider said:


> Spyder, let me ask you this....was the difference in your horses gaits noticeable enough to make you place higher in shoes, etc. I ask this because that is the sole reason these ladies at the barn are all of a sudden telling me that I need to do it. One of them even said "Maybe you would start getting first instead of seconds and thirds". B! Last time I looked second and third wasn't bad, and this coming from a lady that HAS aluminums and places no higher than fifth every time. (ok my rant is over).


Hard to say but as posted here............. 



upnover said:


> The ladies at your barn may be annoying but it is not BS. Aluminums are lighter and the majority of horses do move _at least_ slightly better with them as opposed to steels because generally you get a floatier movement with less knee action. imagine if you were walking around with light shoes on, and then imagine what it would feel like if you had really heavy shoes on. Your legs would go more up and a little less out (hence more knee action). There isn't a huge weight difference but it is enough to affect a horse's movement.


I do believe I got a better quality movement but it was done originally becuse of the seedy toe and mine were designed much like barrel racing shoes for better grip. I figured I just got an extra benefit out of it.

It was my farrier that suggested it and I also got a discount as they were the only shoes he wore after. I was also very careful where I rode him and again because of his underlaying condition I stay away from hard or sandy type of ground.

Although a lot of knee action should not be discriminated against I personally know it often is.


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## eventerdrew

I had aluminum shoes on my OTTB mare for as long as she was competing. She never had anything else. Now that she's retired, she's barefoot. She has surprisingly good feet for a TB.

My 3/4 TB 1/4 Shire was barefoot for most of her life until last year when we started jumping consistently. and even then, she only has fronts. At first, we tried the aluminums (she had frog support pads as well. The farrier said she needed more heel) and she burned through them too quickly. He could never reuse the shoe for another shoeing. So we switched her to steel (still with the pads). At first, I hated them. They made her gait choppy. But then we took the pads off when she had a good enough heel but kept the steel shoes and found that it was actually just the pads that were making her gait choppy. now she has a great gait with the steel shoes and she's not burning through them as quickly. Keep in mind that this horse had size 3 feet!


ETA: the draft X has quite a bit of knee action and the steel shoes haven't affected that at all.

I think it totally depends on the horse and what the horse is expected to do.


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## upnover

Spyder said:


> Although a lot of knee action should not be discriminated against I personally know it often is.


Depends on what discipline you're in! I don't know a lot about desired movement for dressage horses but I do know that a horse that's considered to be a good dressage mover isn't necessarily a good mover in the hunter world, and I think knee action has a lot to do with it (not positive on that one though). A good hunter should have an efficient long ground covering sweepy stride that doesn't waste energy/length of stride by going "up", you want it to go "out". The purpose of a hack class is to determine the suitability of a good horse out in the hunt field: long efficient stride, quiet and pleasant ride, etc. Whereas (from what I hear) dressage people want more suspension, and I'd have to think a little knee action would be ok. 


Question, how common are aluminums in the dressage or eventing world? They're a dime a dozen in the hunter world. The bigger the show, the more common they are.


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## Spyder

upnover said:


> Depends on what discipline you're in! I don't know a lot about desired movement for dressage horses but I do know that a horse that's considered to be a good dressage mover isn't necessarily a good mover in the hunter world, and I think knee action has a lot to do with it (not positive on that one though). A good hunter should have an efficient long ground covering sweepy stride that doesn't waste energy/length of stride by going "up", you want it to go "out". The purpose of a hack class is to determine the suitability of a good horse out in the hunt field: long efficient stride, quiet and pleasant ride, etc. Whereas (from what I hear) dressage people want more suspension, and I'd have to think a little knee action would be ok.


In dressage some knee action is fine but too much (aka like hackney is accepted but with reluctance by many judges). I basically didn't want the way my horse moved to be changed in any way as it was both comfortable and just the right mixture of flat vs knee action.




upnover said:


> Question, how common are aluminums in the dressage or eventing world? They're a dime a dozen in the hunter world. The bigger the show, the more common they are.


I would say fairly rare. Most prefer the standard flat shoe. I just found that the FLAT shoe tended to cause slippage to my half arab's stride and the barrel racing one gave more gripe and the aluminum allowed my horse its most natural movement.

My present horse has normal steel flat shoes and his feet are a farriers dream. Correct in size,wear and toughness. Even the back wjite feet are strong and sturdy so no reason to do anything special. I had him barefoot doing medium level dressage until he was 8 when I started serious jumping.


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## IrishRider

I'm just kind of torn. I wonder if maybe I shouldn't try it for the next show and see if it makes an improvement and if it doesn't just switch back to steel. Is it a bad thing to switch between the two?


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## eventerdrew

I agree with Spyder. A horse's movement (such as knee action) shouldn't be changed by the shoe.


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## smrobs

If you are interested in trying it out just to see if it makes a difference, it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Just consider if you are willing to shell out the dough to have them set and if you don't like it, have the steel re-set. There is absolutely no harm in trying.


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## IrishRider

So EventerDrew, you are saying that the way my horse isn't going to be changed just because of a different shoe? I just want to make sure I understand your comment correctly. 

Good point smrobs about being ready to change the shoes if I don't like them.


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## eventerdrew

what I'm saying is that your horse's gait SHOULDN'T change. But that doesn't mean it won't. If you find that your horse's gait is different when you put on the new shoe, i would talk to your farrier about switching shoes the next time


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## IrishRider

Gotcha. Thank you.


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## Barrel_racer_0

My farrier suggested aluminums for me and my barrel horse but I personally think they did nothing for us and they are extremly easy to ruin you cant go on trails rides with them.


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## IrishRider

That's what concerns me as well, is the fact that people are saying that they wear out faster. I can't afford to pay double the cost for shoes, twice over.


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## upnover

sounds like it's not really worth it to you! forget about those obnoxious women and be happy with your steels!


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## Taylor

Horses tend to have better flatter gaits with aluminum simply because its less weight to pick up its a lot like how they would move barefoot on nice soft footing. . . it can improve the movement but is not a miracle cure for a bad mover. The aluminum shoes are more expensive and definitely wear down faster because its a softer metal. I have been told that the aluminum for long term is not great for their feet it supposedly weakens the hoof a little making it a little more brittle. There is also a titanium shoe which is a happy medium we have put a lot of Titanium on our show Hunters and Equitation horses and have been very happy with them the only problem is that titanium shoes are hard to get in larger sizes so if you have a larger footed horse it may not work. They are lighter than steel but stronger than aluminum and i believe less expensive.
I would see if your farrier can get the titanium to try. Good luck!!


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## eventerdrew

flatter gaits aren't always better, though!


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## IrishRider

I haven't heard anything about titanium. I might ask though just to see what they say. My horse is actually a nice mover, but she does have a little more knee action than this other horse in my division, so that horse always places ahead of her in the flat classes.


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## hotreddun

IrishRider said:


> So I was wondering who uses what on this forum, aluminum or steel horse shoes? Why?
> 
> Some of the more annoying ladies at my barn think that if I put aluminums on my horse that she'll move much better and then I'll "win all of the classes." This sounds like BS to me. I know they are much more expensive than steel shoes and I have read that they wear down much faster. And these are the same women before that told me that I didn't have to worry about aluminums for my horse. Now all of a sudden they are pressuring me.
> 
> What do you guys think?


I had aluminum shoes on my guy before I went totally barefoot. They are lots lighter and therefore in theory will make your horses leg movements easier. They also do wear faster...which mimics the natural wearing process of a bare hoof a little more allowing for a normal breakover point throughout the farrier cycle. Mine were $90 for front hooves only every 6 weeks. We reset them (new shoes) every other trim.

Of course now Im barefoot...which is by far the best choice for my horses...


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## upnover

titaniums are _significantly_ more expensive then aluminums!!! titanium in general is a more expensive metal. but i think it might be hard to work with as well. a few years ago some horses at our barn wore them, i dont think our farrier even offers them anymore. 

eventerdrew- flatter gaits are generally more desirable in the hunter world. 

irish- if your horse and this other horse were very close and she just barely won each time, the aluminums could (could) help you win. but if her horse is just simply a better mover there are no shoes in the world that will help that!


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## Taylor

You may want to try Titanium shoes. They are hard to get in larger sizes but are lighter than normal steel shoes and more durable than aluminum. They give you the same benefits as the aluminum and I believe they are a little cheaper depending on how difficult they are for your farrier to get.
The only class that changing to an aluminum would really possibly help in would be an under saddle class, and it only shows off the horses natural movement so if you happen to have a horse that naturally has a lot of knee action there's not a huge reason to switch from steel. 
The aluminum shoes can be pretty hard on their feet also. 
Good luck with your shoeing decision : )


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## equineeventer3390

My horses have aluminum shoes unless they have some kind of problem. Aluminum shoes make a big difference in movement. My horses move so much better in aluminum. They are about 10 more dollars for me than steel so not that much different in price. But, you can't reuse them like you can the steel so instead of paying for shoes every other time you pay every time. I notice a big difference in my horses movement in aluminum vs. steel.


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## IrishRider

$10 more dollars is not that big of a difference. Unfortunately, I don't think the price difference would be that minimal for me. I need to have her feet done soon so I have a lot of questions for the farrier.


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