Better than barefoot

RAZERHORSE
News
Stig H Johansson
2004, he was the first
to try the Razer shoe,
today he welcomes
Propad on the market.
New Swedish
research leading
to better
horse health
ERIK LUNDKVIST
Flagday for Razer
Founder of
Razer & Propad
After the victories at the 2014 Hambletonian
the Takter Stable reveals how they got there
Johan Untersteiner
Speed means nothing without control
Better than barefoot
Photo: Eva Larsson
Erik Lundkvist, founder
of Razer & Propad
Swedish research and
new materials reduce
injuries and increase
performance
Erik Lundqvist is the innovator of the
Razerhorse concept, which is based
on flexible shoes and hoof pads that
gives a more natural feel to a shod
horse.
– For me, of course, each customer
and horse are equally important, but
the 2014 Hambletonian, I will not
forget. I’m so happy for all involved
in the project and especially Bengt
Ågerup, who owns Trixton, the winner of the 2014 Hambletonian. Horses trained in Razer shoes and Propads
were alone in the stretch, they just
continued to increase the distance all
the way to the finish line.
The Razerhorse
concept is born
In 2000, Erik Lundqvist began to
question why injuries occur so extensively and why shoes and Pads look
like they do. At that time his own
horse was injured in a rear knee and
was diagnosed with severe recurring
hoof lameness.
– I built my own prototypes in the
garage, until I understood the whole
function of the hoof. Years went
by finding a flexible material that
could be shaped with a hammer. The
intention was not to disrupt function
the barefoot hoof offers in landing,
traction and rollover.
Years of testing with different
materials the design was created and
completed. Erik went to Bahco Tools,
a quality tool company in Sweden.
Stig H Johansson was the first to
test the new prototype. Professor Lars
Roepstorff at the Swedish University
of agricultural Sciences led a study
on the step symmetry with different
fittings. Horses selected by Stig H Johansson were filmed with high speed
camera.
Erik believed that horseshoes and
pads on a healthy hoof should not
lock the heel. The hoof should not
be a barrier in the performance.
Breeding increases the likelihood
of speed, load increases with speed,
therefore, it is extra important to
have the right equipment with high
quality.
Razer Vs Standard shoes, what does the innovator say?
A simple question can get a complicated answer. In my point of view, it is important that hooves are trained to withstand
the high loads from racing. We should stick to what qualities the hoof has. In my opinion there are 3 main ones to follow:
1. – The hoof capsule leans backward to slide
= X°
2. A Thin grip wall
The frog is pointed to not hinder the slide. The hind
capsule is angled backward more compared to the front. It
tells me that naturally the hind foot shall slide longer than
the front foot during landing. The rear sliding foot goes
forward to carry the weight. When the hind hoof allows
sliding, the horse moves effortlessly ahead, more weight
will be put further back and that improves the traction.
The slow motion camera shows us that a hoof-pair lands
approximately 3-4 times per second in a race.
If the hoof is allowed to slide as with Razer, it reduces the
number of steps and increases the effort in the race that
can be crucial in the finish.
The frog’s role is to obstruct the
downward movement on the short
pastern bone in the load phase and
carry the weight of the horse, it
unloads the capsule and heel. pressure
of the frog increases the flow of fluid
and blood. The frog also holds up the
heel area witch make the rollover easier. It protects the flexor tendons and
the tendons stabilizing the joints. The
earlier the frog stops the down ward
movement of short pastern, the faster
the flexor tendons and muscles will be
ready for the acceleration phase.
A barefoot hoof and RAZER
has a narrow grip wall that
falls easily through the surface to the solid ground, the
frog and sole get immediate
contact with the ground.
Razer, full groundcontact
Standard shoes are too wide and therefore floats on the
surface.The frog is elevated from the ground surface and is
therefore late to absorb the recoil shock. The delayed hoof
mechanism slows the turnaround, stress the ligaments and
delays the acceleration phase.
Traditional shoe, no groundcontact
3. Individual vertical movements
The hoof acts as a split rear axle on
a car I call it “Individual vertical
movements”.
Razer, balance the joints in slopes and
uneven ground.
The frog splits the capsule in the heel
The hoof capsule is split in the heel by the frog. It allows
ws
the two sides of the hoof to flex in, out, up and down
wn
individually. The heel is composed of elastic tissue
sue which
plays a crucial role to keep the joints balanced.
ed. If thee horse
hor
h
orrssee
lands on uneven surfaces with one half of the hoof
hooof
o it
it will
willl
wi
stop the movement, while the other half co
continues
on
nttiin
nue
u s too go
go
straight downward.
Standard shoes lock the hoof.
If you lock this function with a non-flexible horse shoe the loaded hoof half
will stop while the other half of the
hoof rotates downward. Stabilizing and
suspensory ligament is the first to get
stressed. The faster the horse runs, the
more centered landing and more load is
made against the outer hoof half. The
dosage increases the load and it only fits
a certain speed. The hoof is not prepared
for the vertical stress that arises barefoot
if you have trained in standard shoes. If
the horse is not able to carry his weight
centered, it will not be up to speed. The
gist of the design, material quality and
substantive function is critical to the
health condition and speed.
Johan Untersteiner
The Untersteiner Show
Johan is one of the most successful
drivers in Sweden and has not only
experience at national but also at international racing competitions. The
greatest triumph was in Kentucky
at The Red Mile when he broke the
world record with Giant Diablo.The
activities on the farm and Halmstad
racetrack is already in full swing
after the move. It blows downwind
of Untersteiner and many want their
horses in training there. He already
has 67 horses in the stables, and more
are on the way in. Johan is humbled
by all the success and laughs amused
at what happened at the races a few
weeks ago when Swedish television
renamed the V-75 races The Untersteiner Show.
Open to new ideas
He has many to thank for the knowledge that makes him who he is today.
– Dad is of course one of my role
models, he has always been there and
supported me. Roger Wahlman has
also meant a lot to me, he is a master
when it comes to young horse training. Obviously I learned a lot from
others but I always try to look for
new ideas and solutions. I keep trying
to develop in training and in the approach of the horses. If the ideas run
out of, it quickly becomes lull.
Running with Razer
The hoof health is fundamental said Johan, horses are born
barefoot, putting on a standard
shoe is changing conditions.
– I learned to shoe at Hultman,
but leave everything except tap shoes
to Petri Tarrimaa, my farrier. However, I have opinions about what
the horses to be shod with. All our
starting horses currently using Razer
Shoes, it has a good shape, provides
a good traction and glide in landing. Web substrate also plays a role,
for example if the track is bad, it is
more closely how the hoof looks. At
a perfect track as Halmstad, it is not
quite as important. Razer shoe has an
advantage in the inferior paths with
very compacted material. I think it is
the best shoe on the market.
The horse in balance
– When I balance the horse, I try
to get it to move rhythmically. An
individual needs a rounder step
and another has trouble lifting the
feet. During the winter I will test
the Propad, I do not have much
experience myself but have heard
from many others that are spot on
by horses trampling through and
to maintain a good hoof function.
There is much to operate in a stable
with many horses. All are involved
in the business to go around and for
me it is important to work with the
best in their fields. The cooperation
between the attendants, trainer, farrier and veterinarian is invaluable.
“It`s Not just a sports
it`sa way of life”
Johan Untersteiner
Text and photo: Eva Larsson
After a year in Stefan Hultmans stable
and 10 years in Roger Wahlman stable the circle is closed. Johan Untersteiner and his partner Paula Pettersson, has chosen to move back home
to family and friends in Halmstad.
Besides The cooperation with Peter
Untersteiner and the task as second
driver in the stable, Johan together
with Paula started to build their own
business in the courtyard of Holm.
The horse industry in Sweden is a
multi-billion dollar industry. When
you come to Halmstad racetrack you
understand that the family Untersteiner contributes to a large portion
of the sales. Peter runs one of the
largest training activities within the
racetrack. Approximately he has 150
horses in training and it is not difficult to find the Untersteiner stables.
Catharina, accurate
consistent and persistent
It is a special energy between Catharina Johansson and her horse
Youana. A charming combination of
modesty and strength. When we meet
Youana and her stablemate Youlo (a
half-sister, by Euro Staro Crown),
she is impatient to get out. It is not
Youana who stands for modesty,
Cina describes her as a catapult. And
her biggest victory testifies it. Their
victory in the Breeders Crown where
Youana flew with unused “flexible
blinkers” and earplugs left. Cina let
Youana determine some and take
initiative on her own to strengthen
Jouanas confidence.
Tough upbringing
Youana had a difficult childhood with
a pinched nerve up in one shoulder
making her threw the front leg when
she trot. She was treated by veterinarian for three months without
results. The muscle had during that
time disappeared and the bone was
sticking out. Now Catharina started
treating Youana with laser, massage
and stretching. Youna slowly became
Text: Eva Larsson
Conny Svensson
skor stjärnorna.
Text and photo: Eva Larsson
better and gently started exercise with
her as a yearling .
– It went very slowly in the beginning, demanding nothing, just
praised her. Despite the bad start in
life Jouana earned as a three year old
100,000:-.
Catharina
Johansson
and Youana
Only the best
Not to give up, to be consistent and
accurate, is Cinas forte says Calle
Johansson. She is meticulous and
always choose the best when it comes
to horses.
– When I go into the barn in the
morning I decide to be positive,
horses feel so clearly our signals and
I want the energy between us should
be harmonic. Youana require much
training, every third day, she goes on
straighttrack, seven rounds, always
with a heart rate monitor. Five days a
week she is lunged, walked and run.
However, she does not like that I ride
her. It’s not just the training that Cina
is accurate.
– I choose the feed that is natural.
Basically there is a haylage with four
grasses and herbs, no heated feed
pellets
Like Razer philosophy
Cina is also careful with hooves so
Youana and Youlo shoed only with
Razer Horse products.
– Youana have sensitive feet and I
fell for the philosophy behind Razer,
allowing hoof touched naturally.
What I notice with Razer is that
Youana moves smoothly, it also prepares the hoofs better before the race.
”With the
Razer shoe
she moves
smoothly”
Is that not
just the most
gorgeous
foot you’ve
ever seen?
Wow! This
foot belongs
to Father
Patrick, a
champion
Standardbred
Trotter.
Razer and Propad is one
of the most important
things that happened in
the horseshoe industry
Conny Svensson from Gotland
started his farrier career in 1982, he
has worked with Jimmy Takter since
1991 and has shoed some of the most
memorable horses that been on the
racetrack.
– Moni Maker is probably the one
that gave the strongest impression.
She crossed the Atlantic eight times
and I followed her to seven different
countries. But today it is about five
of Takter teams favorites Trixton,
Nuncio, Lifetime Pursuit, Shake it
Cerry and Father Patrick. They have
all been trained and prepared using
Razer / Propad.
To prepair the hoof for the load
that occurs in a race is a given in
Takter stables. Conny says “Razer
and Propad is the main thing that
happened in the horseshoe industry, “we have to become more open
If you want to get your horses in the winner’s
circle, the Razer Shoes and Propad will get you
there more often, says Conny Svensson.
to the new technology, traditional
horseshoes lock the hoof. He sees
that both strength and quality of the
hoof improves with Razer/Propad
Even horses previously shoed with
traditional shoes improved, and of
these some individuals require more
time than others. Conny have worked
with Razer Horse products during
10 years and has learned to balance
different individual steps such as
horses running down. Propad is a safe
solution and Propad nowadays is used
as standard pad
Fetlock are pressed down
too deep
Traditional shoes are too wide and
floats on the ground surface, the frog
and sole does not reach the ground in
time. The result is that the hoof wall
and heel carries the weight while the
pastern and fetlock are pressed down
too deep. Another advantage is that
Razer does not require more than 4
nails. Conny changes nailholes at the
next shoeing and uses almost never
the heel/last nail hole, Conny says “it
saves wall and nails
“The hooves
develop as
they get to go
barefoot “
Provides strong hooves
With the Razer Shoes and Propads
in training and preparation, I felt we
went into the Hambletonian at best
possible way with all five of our horses. Razer shoes are unique that they
are flexible and follows all necessary
movements of the foot. They maintain shape Flexibility, provides the
right resistance and does not rotate.
A shoe should not be too compliant,
lose its shape or warp. A traditional
horseshoe locks the foot, while Razer
shoes allow the foot to move and flex
naturally while providing support and
protection, it provides strong hooves
to better cope with barefoot racing.
Razer is a low profile shoe with an
edge grip, making it more efficient at
several different surfaces.
Conny Svensson:
“If you want to get your horses in
the winner’s circle, the Razer Shoes
and Propad will get you there more
often”
Bengt Ågerup is one of the horse
owners who have horses in training
with Takter.
”It is easy to explain the benefits of
Razer, the shoe acts as a sneaker and
we have seen results both in Sweden
and in the United States. We can train
the horses more effectively, a horse
who has not been hurt performes
their best.
Hambletonian, a flag day
for Razer Horse
Hambletonian was a memorable day
for those who use Razer Shoes and
Propads. Lifetime Pursuit, winner of
Hambletonian Oaks has been shoed
with Razer Shoes for over a year.
Trixton, winner of the Hambletonian, trained and prepared Razer /
Propad. Natural Herbie winner of
Vincenne Invitational with Propad
around. Other top horses in Takters
stall trained and / or competes with
Razer’s Shoes and Propad is Father
Patrick, Nuncio, Tellitlikeitis, and
Uncle Peter.
Jimmy Takter
Naturally all horses are born with
a hoof capsule that is split in the
heel by the frog, which allows
the two sides of the hoof can flex
in, out, up and down individually.
When I realized this, it became
evident to me that the Razer
must be made of a flexible material to support these basic movements to stay healthy. The Razer
shoe is made with unique flexible
tool steel that follows the movements of the hoof capsule yet
strong enough to hold its shape
once it is fitted to the hoof.
Razer is thin with a narrow outer
rim that easily sinks into the
ground surface. This gives the
right contact of the frog and sole
to the ground similar to being
barefoot.
Razer reduces injuries and increases performance.
”When I realized that the frog splits
the hoof capsule in the back to allow
one side to move up while the other
moves down it became apparent to
me that a shoe had to be designed
to coexist with this basic function.
This will reduce the strain on joints
and also balance the landing on uneven ground and in sharp turns.
Razer is therefore made with flexible spring steel that gives the horse
a barefoot feel while the shoe protects and supports the hoof making
Racer better than barefoot.
The hoof glides on the surface
during the landing due to its wedge-like shape in the toe. The glide
extends the length of the stride and
reduced the recoil effect.
A thin rounded toe on the shoe is
very important for the glide.”
Daniel Redén, stable Zet
”I use the Razer shoe in
combination with Propad
on many horses in training.
I have seen a great change in
horses that have little “sloppy
legs “when the whole hoof may
work and increasing blood
circulation. Razer shoe is the
absolute best shoe on the market one wants to come near by
barefoot in races.”
- Daniel Redén, stall Zet -
Support
PS
Propad Support
PSS
ProPad has been designed with
a flexible frog support to fill the
void between frog and ground
when the horse is shod. The
frog support is flexible because
of its accordion-like design it will
not put pressure on the frog at
rest.
Propad
Support Soft
PSXS
Propad Support
X-tra Soft
When the horse is shod the
bottom of the hoof is too high
off the ground and will not get
the proper ground contact, all
weight will be on the hoof wall.
ProPad on all four hoofs
Commonly pads are used on
front feet, since most weight is
on the front. But all hoofs work
the same way, so it’s equally
important to compensate for the
suspended frogs behind.
ProPad works on all breeds of
horses. Don’t wait for injuries!
Compensate for the lack of
length and
function of the frog with Pro Pad
on your horse
before an injury occurs.
ProPad Soft has a softer material imbedded in the frog support
and heel. This will effectively
reduce shock and vibrations.
Remember that horses shod
traditionally with iron or aluminum shoes that have problems
with
sensitive feet or joints
ailments may need a
break-in period. Use
caution until the joint, frog and
sole is trained and your horses
feel comfortable.
ProPad reduces injuries and
increases performance.
”ProPad has been designed with a
flexible frog support to fill the void
between frog and ground when the
horse is shod. The flexible frog supports extends the frog and works
as a shock absorber. It unloads the
hoof wall and improves circulation in
the hoof.
ProPads unique accordion-like
design allows the frog support to
follow all movements of the frog
without causing pressure at rest.
ProPads gives the horse a barefoot feeling when shod.”
Innovator Erik Lundqvist, Umeå, SWEDEN
“Premiere
Race for
Razer;
Shaft beats
the Swedish
record”
Stig H Johansson, first to try
the Razer horse shoe in 2004
Today he velcomes Propad on
the market.
Razerhorse visited the Alby farm of
Stig H Johansson. Though it is 30
degrees, Solvalla is racing tonight
and the farm is full of activity. Stig H
Johansson has extensive experience
with a number of different horses and
their movement patterns. Through
the years, as a professional horse
trainer, Stig has been impressed with
the Razerhorse concept and became
one of the first to test the Razer horse
shoe. Shaft was the horse used to test
and Criterion for the 2004th Race
ended with an unexpected Swedish
record for Shaft, wearing Razer shoes.
Stig, who was not driving the horse
himself, smiled and said, “unbelievable, what a traction those shoes gave.”
The Propad is surely
welcome
Stig, having used Razerhorse products for many years now, is equially
impressed with the Propad by Razer.
For Stig, the Propad has been led
to nothing but positive results.
“We’ve tried everything through
the years with horses running down
but nothing really functioned as
well as the Propad” said Stig. “We
tried wedgepads to achieve ground
contact but it did not work. We tried
eggbar shoes, but it didn’t solve the
problem.”
Stig went on to to talk about
how the fetlock falls to deep and it
wasn’t long before they were wear-
ing holes in everything. After only a
few months of training Stig felt the
Propad function was surprisingly
good. One of the horses in training
was running down a lot and horses
with this particular concern can be
totally incapacitated. The Propad became the solution, which was surely
welcomed.
Text and photo: Eva Larsson
Young horse
training in Roger
Walmann stable
Fostering the stars
Per-Erik Pettersson , started working
with horses at only twelve years old.
He has been in Solvalla for 20 years
working with many notable trainers
and been head trainer at Bally Keane
House Stud in Ireland. Today we are
heading to Roger Walmanns Sköld-
nora where Pettersson trains their
young horses. The road down to the
farm is bordered by fields with curious
young horses, all excited to see what is
happening, much like in kindergarten.
Pettersson just finished with the morning workout and looks a bit frozen.
“Today there will be some extra
work, we have three trainers out
sick, says Per-Erik, but we still try
to keep on our workout routines.
We keep ourselves warm while he
makes coffee and he begins to tell us
about the training.
Patience and love
“There are some important things in
terms of training a young horse that
I work towards.From the beginning,
the horses are together in the pasture,
where they stay until training starts.
I take the time to build a good relationship, get used to the horse using
routines, get to know your horse
by learning to read it. The more to
manage the horse, the more responsive and willing the labor becomes, it
works well and strengthens the horse’s
confidence”.
He goes on to tell me they have
just received a horse that is both
afraid of humans and other horses,
but does not believe that it should be
a problem when the horse is in with
other young horses. Their confidence
grows as he is brought up in ranks
with the others in the heard.
It is important they think
training is fun
He lets the horse set tempo and
explains it is very important not to
rush them or demand too much.
You want them to be able to handle a workout without a trainer
bringing out a whip or otherwise
ways to force it to perform. The
colt can become resentful to training and workouts. Per-Erik says to
pay attention to the ears and eyes.
“We train with other horses, they
also learn from each other and
will think training is more fun.
He goes on to explain if the horse
are bored, they will not be as
open to working with the trainer
and be around people in general.
“Young horses are unable to express
clearly when they are tired so train at
a leisurely pace around an hour every
other day. They should still have
enough energy to be able to work
and train the day after otherwise they
have been worked too hard.
Shoes or barefoot?
There is much debate about running
barefoot. The common thoughts
however among trainers is that
young horses should go barefoot
as long as they can. Per-Erik starts
training when they are 1.5 years
old and let them run barefoot
as long as possible until the fall.
“It is important to go as long as
possible to maintain a strong hoof
function. When the ground becomes
frozen, we put on shoes and small
sprigs. The shoes with spikes raise the
frog though which then loses contact
with ground.
Pettersson noted that using
Propads during the winter training
helps to maintain good hoof function and support allowing the frog to
make contact with the ground and
work properly. Propad also allows for
full hoof function allowing training to
continue as usual.
Propad prevents injuries
“We also have no problems with
bulbshifts which are common with
using traditional shoes.If it´s been
rainy and wet, we remove the Propad
for a couple of days. The Propad is
very durable and we mount it several
times, it saves money and time.”
Breeding has changed
We went for a walk and visited the
pasture, a bunch of long-legged
young horses crowding around PerErik who kindly motions them off
softly, everyone wants to sniff at him
and you understand that he enjoys
the company. He boasts about the
breeding today and compares it with
when he started training.
Breeding has changed that you
no longer weigh colts longer to get
them piling, he says.
Lasse Punkari comes in and we
talk about other training aspects.
Lasse feels it is essential to get
your horse used to drinking from
a bucket so that they are comfortable taking water that way during
competition. I’ve seen a horse that
did not drink and became dehydrated and had to have IV rehydrations.
Lasse says, it is best to give a horse a
protein- rich hay such as haylage.”
”I strongly
believe in the
pad for my
purposes in
young horse
training”
Barefoot vs Shod:
Get the Best of Both
Worlds with Razerhorse
The horse has a perfect design by
nature. Horse owners, however, often
ask for more than that design can
handle; this is where horseshoes come
into the picture. What if you could
have the best of both worlds: natural
barefoot function AND the protection needed to do the job at hand?
That would be a no-brainer, right?
Razerhorse is a hoof care company that has combined science and
technology to create two products
that mimic the natural function of
the hoof while offering protection for
performance horses. Razer horseshoes and Propads are clearly the
second best thing to being barefoot,
and some would argue they are even
better than barefoot!
Barefoot and Razer hoof print.
After battling lameness issues with
his own horse, Razerhorse founder
Erik Lundquist began looking for
an alternative to the traditional steel
horseshoe, which locks the horse’s hoof
in place. Research and development
was carried out in cooperation with
Uppsala University “Hippologum”
National Institute for Equine Research
in Sweden, and in collaboration with
Veterinary Associate Professor Lars
Roepstorff and Master Farrier Michael
Berg. With the aid of gait analysis
software and high speed video, they
developed a tempered tool steel horseshoe that mimics the function of a bare
foot.
Razer shoes quickly rose to popularity
in the Swedish equine shoe market,
and another product, the Propad, was
created. This polyurethane hoof pad
gives the horse the feeling of being
barefoot while wearing a shoe. Not
only does it act as a shock absorber, its
unique accordion-like design allows
the frog support to follow all frog
movement without causing pressure
when at rest. Benefits of the Propad include: increased comfort due to shock
absorption, proper weight distribution
by removal of weight from the hoof
wall, and increased blood flow due to
appropriate frog-to-ground contact.
I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying,
“No foot, no horse.” Razerhorse’s
goal is to reduce injuries and increase
performance by giving your horse the
most natural function possible.
Standard shoe hoof print.
Petri Tarrimaa shoeing his first horse
32 years ago and has since worked
at various trainers as Veijo Heiskanen, Olle Goop, Untersteiner, Kari
Lähdikorpi and Stig H Johansson.
“2004 was the first time I came in
contact with the Razer shoe. The first
horse I was shoeing with Razer was
Shaft. He surprisingly won the crite-
rion trial and finished second in the
final. Third was the Pirate Copy even
he had on Razer shoes. I also remember the first big race winner, with
Razers, that was rotation in Finlandiaajo 2005. Pato, Solvato, Quarcio
du Chene is other horses I shoe with
Razer. I was among the first to test
the Razer shoe and it has been a bit
up and down with the quality, but
now I think it feels better than ever”.
The shoe is gaining ground
in Finland.
“I have spent a lot of time in Finland
this year. I have met trainers and
drivers all running on Razers. Markku Nieminen, Antti Teivainen, Ari
Moilanen and Kari Venäläinen are
some of them who had success with
Propad and Razer.
Farrier Tips
– Propad helps to prevent injuries. If
the horse already has hoof problems
such as hoof cracks, low heels, if the
frog is thin and the hoof is too small
I usually use Propad. Razer RW is
good for horses with knee problems,
the rollover goes easier and saves
the front knees. SP, I usually use at
the rear, it allows the foot to slide in
landing and gives a good grip that
saves the hind fetlock. The shoes
have become much easier to shape
compared to earlier, but as a farrier
it is more important to get the hoof
to work than to think about how
difficult shoes is shaping into. The
function of the Razer compared with
other shoes is obvious, the frog will
sink down into the ground through
the seam is so narrow and it gives
the good grip. Already after the
first month I can see how the hoof
strengthened.
Petri Tarrimaa
Text and photo: Eva Larsson
Petri Tarrimaa about
the new generation
flexible hoof products
Installation of the Propad
Farrier
Petri Tarrimaa
Cut the sole at the toe,
fit the toe clip. I leave the
pad beyond the shoe
and the forward rounded
off tight to the shoe. It is
important that the shoe does
not fit over the Propad rear
flexing area.
I then continue to nail the
hole at the back. Use Mustad
ASV-nail or Capewell
An easy way to lock the pad
is to fold the seam outwards.
Cut the seam, saving five
mm and hammering down
gently to the pad. Another
way is to add double-sided
tape between the shoe and
the pad behind the last nail
hole.
Cut the pad tight next to the
shoe. To the right you can
see how a mounted pad of a
hind foot might look like.
The picture bottom right is a
pad mounted on a front foot.
If necessary, cut out the central part of the pad. Round
off the rear opening. Do not
open the pad too far back
which increases the risk of
dirt and stone to come in
below the pad. If it should
happen it’s easy to pull down
the pad and flush or clean
underneath.
Propad in a ”pilot study”
The pasternbone
rearward
Mike Berg, journeyman farrier with
doctorial jurisdictions has, during
the years 2013 and 2014, conducted
several studies in which he looked at
the pastern bones downward movement in the loading phase. Hooves
have been shod with traditional shoes
with and without Propad. This has
been compared to barefoot. Studies
show that the pastern bone got less
downward movement with Propad.
The frog that usually hangs in the air
when shod (especially on hard surfaces) will instead be forced downward
by the pastern bone directly to meet
resistance. This brought forward
hoof mechanism and will decrease
the stress on stabilizing ligaments and
tendons which is seen as favorably.
Power is distributed
centered
The study used a special load indication film to find the answer to the
hoof zero point in the loading phase.
The film reveals load areas and what
we see is that the power is distributed
more centered under the hoof when
the frog does not need to fall down
for support. The result is that the
stress on the hoof capsule and heel
regions are reduced when barefoot or
shod with Propad.
Horses shod with Propad can
increase their performance because the
mechanical movements in the hoof is
an important part of the fluid/blood
flow to and from the hoof and leg.
Another performance-enhancing
effect could be that the acceleration
phase is brought forward when pastern bone and vertebral bone “fetlock” does not sink as deeply.
Results of the studies
The study shows that Propad give the
frog a direct contact with the ground
and therefore a more natural hoof
mechanism when the horse is shod,
similar results as barefoot.
Propads middle portion is movable.
When there is no load on the hoof
there is no pressure on the frog while
standard pads have constant pressure.
Standardsko
Hållbarhet
Michael Berg
Master Farrier Uppsala Sweden
Standardsko
med Propad
”Decreases
stress on
stabilizing
ligaments
and tendons”
Professor Dr. Lars Roepstorff, department of
veterinary anatomy and physiology, Swedish
University of Agricultural Science.
Razer in a ”Pilot study”
Step symmetry
In conclusion speaks pilot study to
Razer shoe has an impact on the
horse’s movement patterns that look
more like walking barefoot than the
movement pattern seen when the
horse is shod with a traditional sko.
Furthermore, our hypothesis that the
reason for this is due to better attachment provides a more symmetrical
walking which in turn may be both
more economical from an energy and
more efficient from a speed standpoint. The pilot study also indicates
that further studies can be conducted
with accelerometer- respective inclinometer technique.
In conclusion must be emphasized
that this is a pilot study that neither
the purpose nor has the opportunity to prove any causal connection
or hypotheses about the effects on
performance or durability. However,
it is an important first step towards a
larger study that has the best possible
chance to succeed prove the effects we
believe Razer have.
X cm
The findings and
conclusions can be
summarized as follows
1. Generally perceived symmetry of
the movement pattern that better
(smoother) with RAZER compared to
hoof shod with traditional shoe.
2. The results indicate that the correlation is good. It is estimated that
above all the grip in connection with
load phase final part (rollover) appear
to be influenced positively by the
Razer
Traditional
RAZER compared to hoof shod with
traditional shoe which in turn makes
the horse’s running becomes more
symmetrical. In this case, measured
with the relatively simple measure
diagonal disassociation (the difference
between the diagonal pair of legs
step).
3. All three horses measured diagonally disassociation correlated to it by
Stig H perceived / assessed effect.
The study was conducted under the
direction of Lars Roepstorff
From SLU participated Professor
Stig Drevemo and Associate Professor
Christopher Johnston.
Text and Photo: Eva Larsson
Lutfi Kolgjinis farrier
is worth gold
Lutfi Kolgjinis training camp, Vomb
Nygård, lies in the southern part of
Sweden on a 194 acre plateau of sand,
a perfect place for training of horses.
Genetics and talent
go hand in hand
“My main interest is to study blood
lines, genetics and talent go hand in
hand. With talent, I mean a horse
that is early, that’s why I look for
bloodlines. If no man interfered with
the natural selection would only the
fastest survive “It is the genetic grains
of gold within the breed Lutfi want to
find and match together.
It’s not just breed that has gotten
better says Lutfi, but also race track
substrate, and expresses it as just
Lutfi Kolgjini can do ” a ballerina
can`t dance on a fucking muddfield”
the horses are flight animals and are
created to be explosive over a short
distance.
Do not agree with that
speed kills
Lutfi is against barefoot in
the competition for young
horses.
How do you train young horses?
“When the horse comes in from
the pasture in August the training
begins. We take it easy with jogging barefoot in 3-4 weeks, then it
becomes a round at the 2.5 km long
sandy trail that extended up to 3-4
turns depending on the individual. In November, we run the first
quick jobs. Some wise people say
speed kills, but I do not agree, they
must not be empty, but otherwise
Shoes or barefoot?
“We run barefoot during the first
period to get a strong hoof, then we
need to put on shoes. I am against
running barefoot with young horses
in the race.
– We have run with Razer and
Propad some time now and I like the
philosophy behind them both, it is
an exceptionally good alternative to
barefoot horses in races.
Didier Vankeirsbilck is the one
who shoes horses at Lutfis camp.
He is pleased with the Razer shoe
and it is easier to shape than before. He shows how easily he molds
the shoe on a three legged anvil.
“You can`t beat hard and it is best
to flatten the shoe often to pass. Didier points out that short shoes in the
heel is a disaster, the hoof grows but
not the shoe and results in the horse
cramp up to the cross. If the horse
tramples off his shoes, it’s easy to put
on boots in the paddock.
The frog and
sole must carry
the weight
In Blenarp Didier and his wife
Pia have their own paradise with
six horses. All have now Razer and Propad under the hooves.
“For me there is no doubt about
the importance of the hoof, the frog
should carry the weight, not the hoof
wall. If you have regular shoes Propad
are efficient, it helps the hoof and
frog to work properly.”
With over 30 years of experience
in farriery Didier has now taken
over the Farrier shop in Skåne AB.
“I have everything here that may be
needed for the farrier. What I see
clearly is a change in thinking in
prevention and hoof health. More and
more farriers, trainers and owners see
the advantage of flexible shoes and
Propad sole must cover the frog and
heel.
Didier in his
Farrier shop
Didiers favorite anvil.
pads where the hoof may get stimulated and be working as it should.
Unfortunately tradition and habit
impedes, you simply work with what
you can and are used to. This technology has not previously existed,
but now the Razer Horse made a
shoe and a pad that does not lock the
natural function and it is incredibly
important to be involved from the
beginning. Many believe that shoes
must be wide to support and carry
the horse.” Didde shows a shoe that
his grandfather made and explains.
“Back in the old days he made
narrower and lower shoes in good
metal that flexed. I think they knew
the frog and soles would carry the
horse instead of the shoe.”
Text och bild: Eva Larsson
Farrier Tips
New diagnostics
simplify work for vets
Equidx is a mobile endoscope system
for veterinary use in horses. Although
it is mainly used to diagnose horses
that are suspected of roaring, it can
also be used in many other applications.
Once mounted on a horse the
endoscope can be controlled remotely
with the associated Equidx iOS app.
Through the application the user is
able to watch a live stream from the
endoscope camera, steer the camera
and record videos which later can be
used for analysis and diagnosis. The
recorded material can easily be edited
within the app and sent through the
iOS email application. The Equidx
application can also control other
features of the endoscope such as
cleaning of the lens.
• Fully portable system, no need for a
treadmill
• Lightweight and thin endoscope
(less stress for the horse)
• Control the endoscope remotely
with your smartphone
• Interactive and intuitive control of
the camera
• A combination of a high resolution
camera, advanced lighting equipment
and the possibility to clean the lens
results in razor sharp images
• Share the recorded material instantly through email
• Complies with the CE directive and
American standards
• iOS app available at App Store
Equidx endoscopes is today used by many very
famous trotting trainers in Sweden and the USA.
www.nxt2b.com • [email protected] • +46 (0)18-50 74 44
razerhorse.se
RAZER & PROPAD – a winning concept
”Really good products. I use the Razer Shoes on
all racehorses and nowadays I just use Propad, it
works best.”
- Markku Nieminen -
”Propad is a superior pad, we can train horses
harder and they stay fresh”
- Daniel Redén -
”After I tested Propad for the first time, I will not
use any other pads on my horses”
- Jimmy Takter -
Read more at razerhorse.se
We have set the
bar on top
We have during the past season on Razer Horse
planned and done our outmost to reach the highest
goal, which is to be at the top on the podium in the
most prestigious races. This became evident during
Hambletonian then trained razer horses ran away
from their competitors. Trixton, Nuncio, and Lifetime Pursuit trounced its rivals. It has taken us ten
years of testing, Research and intricate manufacturing to come here, where we are today.
Great success with several worldrecords is a testament to what we have always believed in. It is no
doubt anymore. Razer Horse has turned to the best
in each area; stables, trainers, farriers and owners.
We set the bar on top in the horse industry, it is time
for all to leave a millennial tradition with inflexible
material and take a leap into the future. In this edition you can get acquainted with some of those who
have chosen to collaborate with us on Razerhorse.
www.razerhorse.se • +46 (0)70-300 44 25 • [email protected]