Imprint shoe offers

maximum foot support

Andrew spent many years developing a remedial shoe and created an adjustable plastic heart bar shoe for an acutely laminitic horse on the request of a vet in the late 1990's - by 2000 Andrew had patented his design. "The benefits of the Imprint shoes are that they are bonded to the entirety of the lower margin of the hoof wall without nailing, holding the foot and supporting it whilst allowing flexion of the foot in the same natural way as the unshod foot" he explains. "The Imprint shoe is infinitely adaptable and can be custom formed for each unique case.  All this is done at a low temperature (60°C.)  The Imprint shoe also allows lateral flexion of the foot, which does not constrict circulation and development of an immature foot. As it is biodegradable, the shoe becomes more flexible as re-shoeing/ trimming time approaches."

Andrew always advises asking your vet or farrier if the Imprint shoe is applicable in the case of each horse. 

Case study

Gail Jupp from Middlesex used Imprint shoes on her 16 year old laminitic mare when the horse was seven months pregnant.

The mare had previously experienced a number of attacks of laminitis and her condition had progressively deteriorated.

Open toed steel heart bar shoes had been fitted and radiographs showed rotation of the hoof capsules - the mare was on two sachets of 'bute' a day. "She was very uncomfortable and unwilling to walk far or turning without difficulty" Andrew explains. He performed remedial farriery by remodelling the mare's rotated front hoof capsules, then fitted Imprint Therapeutic shoes, enabling her to stand in comfort with the minimum of trauma. Throughout the treatments the mare's condition improved despite the severe deterioration in her feet prior to commencement of treatment. She was comfortable in the shoes, but totally dependant upon them as without she was unwilling to bear weight on the feet. After 5 visits of 6 week intervals the mare had foaled, and moved freely without the shoes. "The Imprint shoes worked well for my mare, and they got her through her pregnancy" explains Gail.

Reproduced by kind permission.  © 2004 Horse

The mare's hoof during

remedial farriery

The same hoof fitted

with Imprint shoes