Hoof Care Tools, Supplies & Techniques: Horseshoe Types

Vocabulary flashcards covering different horseshoe types, styles, and patterns from Chapter 4 of Natural Balance Hoof Care.

Keg shoes

Horseshoes originally sold in wooden barrels or kegs (now sold in boxes) that have a basic shape meant to be shaped into either a front or hind pattern shoe.

Plain keg shoe

A horseshoe turned or forged into flat, rectangular stock, typically featuring a nail fullering (crease) and punched with 4 nail holes on each side.

Rim keg shoe

A keg shoe with a continuous crease all the way around the ground surface, designed to eliminate weight, provide traction, and reduce leverage by bringing the pivoting surface closer to the bone.

Barrel shoes

A specific variation of rim shoes where the outside rim is noticeably higher than the inner rim.

Polo plates

A variation of rim shoes designed with the inner rim higher than the outer rim to take leverage reduction to another level.

Front and hind patterns

Pre-manufactured variations of plain and rim shoes shaped specifically for front or hind feet, introduced within the last 20 years or so to prevent the improper hoof capsule distortion caused by unshaped keg shoes.

Aluminum shoes

Lightweight, easy-to-work-with shoes originally manufactured primarily for the racing industry and increasingly used for specialized performance horses.