"There had been various plastic shoes on the market, but I wasn't too
enthralled with any of them. Wherever one provided support, it created
problems elsewhere. Quite often they were too restrictive - putting a
vice-like grip on the foot.
"Heart-bar shoes are perfect for
laminitis, they provide maximum support and are the closest we can get (on
even ground) to an unshod foot. The various 'kit' shoes on the market were
too Blue Peter for my liking - you had to bodge them too much. There
were all sorts of things that worked to some extent, and I started
experimenting."
Andrew began to work seriously on
the Imprint shoe when, after attending a British Equestrian Veterinary
Association laminitis conference at the end of the 1990s, he was asked by a
vet to shoe an acute laminitic.
"It was Saturday evening when we
took all the x-rays and measurements, and by late Sunday I had created the
basic principle of a plastic, adjustable heart-bar shoe. It was made from
different grades of low-melt thermo-plastic, which, at low temperatures,
could be moulded to the foot - and in the classic heart-bar shape," he says.
The shoe provided such instant
pain relief and was so gentle and non-traumatic to fit that the difference
was immediately visible. From the success of this first shoe, the system and
design evolved, until Andrew patented it in 2000 – for all hoofed animals,
not just the horse - and the company has gone from strength to strength,
with the concept constantly evolving.
When confronted with a laminitic
horse to shoe, Andrew explains that the crux of the matter is to provide
first aid by supporting the pedal bone, via the frog, to elevate the sole,
and correct the orientation around the pedal bone. The foot does not always
need work, but it is often necessary to trim the hoof gently to correct the
shape.
"A classic laminitic foot has
long toes, and the pedal bone inside is doing a nose-dive," he explains.
"The farrier works with a vet to re-attain the alignment and reorientation.
I always work on the worst foot first. I trim from an X-ray and the external
signs - an CX-Ray isn’t compulsory but in acute cases it’s wise to get one.
In chronic cases it’s not such a concern."
Andrew's main criteria for
developing the Imprint system are:
* to minimise trauma
* to provide a non-invasive, perfect fit
* to maximise support without compromising the natural functions of the foot
* to help shoe retention throughout the duration of the treatment.
"I'm just doing with plastic what
I already do with steel and aluminium. Often with laminitic cases the hoof
wall has come away from the foot, and so even if you were to attempt
conventional shoeing, there’s often no hoof to attach nails to," explains
Andrew.
There are seven sizes of shoe,
for remedial, therapeutic and orthopaedic purposes, all of which are
incredibly lightweight - the foal shoe, for example, weighs a mere 35g. The
rear of the Imprint shoe has a 'W' flexing bar, which allows full natural
movement but is bonded entirely to the hoof wall. The Imprint system - the
shoes (sold in pairs) and kit with which to fit them - is available to
farriers and vets, and although Andrew runs training courses, they are not
compulsory before use. Fitting is not complicated, but like any form of
shoeing, takes practice to perfect.
"The shoes are softened in hot
water, while I make three oval indentations on a clean, dry hoof, to form
dove-tail effects to receive the plastic - I call it a jigsaw puzzle or
button-on technique," he explains. The plastic starts to go clear,
indicating that it can be moulded to the perfect shape, before being fixed
to the foot with adhesive. Once in position, it is sprayed with Imprint shoe
freezer, and when cool (2-3min) the foot can be placed back on the ground
and the horse allowed to stand for 10-15min until the adhesive has hardened.
The whole shoe can be rasped and smoothed if required. After the first
application, Andrew makes a return visit, four weeks later, to trim off
excess foot and correct orientation once more.
Linda Belton is a partner in The
George Veterinary Group Equine Clinic in Malmesbury, and has worked closely
with Andrew and watched the evolving designs ever since he began looking
seriously at plastic shoes more than five years ago.
”There are two factors that make
these shoes so different: first, the flexibility about how you can build and
make the shoe. They are individual and very precise, without losing any
strength or support,” she explains. “Second, they provide huge comfort,
especially in laminitic cases, relieving pressure from specific areas. This
makes them very adaptable.”
Imprint shoes are designed for convalescing equines, so they are low-wear
and can lack grip on hard surfaces. "Since the shoes are only designed for
remedial cases, wear is not an important issue - the shoes normally last as
long as the foot trimming cycle. But I am working on the range," adds
Andrew. H&H
