On our website there are detailed instructions on "How to Apply 2″, 3″
& 4″ Cast" explanations on how, when and why cast are used. Equicast
is radically different than conventional shoeing methods, and as with
any new product, there will be critics and skeptics. Take a few minutes,
check out this website, read testimonials from satisfied clients that
have tried Equicast - EVA shoes on their horses' hoof problems. Google Equicast - read stories from all over the world about Equicast. How Equicast - EVA shoes are successfully treating many hoof problems, that other conventional methods were just not addressing. Check in every now and then; on new wrapping and securing methods. We are always updating new and better ways to apply Equicast which continues to increase the benefits of Equicast and our EVA shoes.
My
name is Dave Richards, founder of Equicast. I grew up in New
Hampshire, the son of a gunsmith. After serving my apprenticeship in
firearms and engraving in Pennsylvania to "carry on the family
business" I moved to back to a farm in NH and worked as a firearms
engraver. Having always been interested in medicine (and the outdoors)
I got involved in ski patrol, mountain rescue, and the rescure
department as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). I became involved
in shoeing horses after I purchased two draft horses to work with on my
sheep farm. As luck would have it, a former shoeing instructor from
Michigan State University, Edward Grove, (semi-retired) came over to
shoe my draft horses. In talking with him, he was interested in
learning how to carve metal and I became fascinated in the art and
science of shoeing horses so for the next year or so we exchanged ideas
and, ultimately, careers. After working with him and seeing how I could
incorporate both my art (engraving, stock-making) and EMT into one
career, I knew a change in my career was imminent. Skills that I
developed as a stock-maker and engraver helped develop an eye for
detail and adding a medical approach for anatomy, the mechanism of
movement and physics gave me an eclectic approach to shoeing. After
working in NH with farriers, trainers, veterinarians, and attending
area clinics for about ten years, I was ready to try the big league and
a warmer climate so in the fall of 1989 I moved to Southern Pines,
North Carolina. The timing was great and I was very fortunate, working
with many upper level riders, coaches, trainers, and horses of all
levels - from draft horses to dressage horses, ponies to race horses. I
worked with owners that had one horse in their back yard to trainers
that may have 30 horses under their control. I was in shoeing heaven.
The Southern Pines area with driving, dressage, hunters, and
Thoroughbreds is a very diverse horse community and has helped me
acquire a very across-the-board knowledge of horses.
Working
with other farriers, attending clinics, and developing my forging skills I believed that was the answer to many lameness issues, "hand made shoes." If I could make, wide web shoes, degree shoes, egg bars and heart bar shoes for "extra
support" (an industry standard) maybe these hand made shoes would
help with certain kinds of hoof problems. Unfortunately, these different
kinds of shoes did not seem to help and in some cases made things
worse. The next area (another industry standard) try pads there are pads for all kinds of problems - maybe pads might be the answer.
After many tries and a few successful cases, pads, that's the
answer. Then came the problem - they worked quite well in the beginning
but after a while things began to fall apart. Lost shoes, shelly-walls
and lower angles seemed to be happening on quite a few horses with pads
and/or special shoes. The search was back on! What's out here that would add
support to the whole hoof capsule?
After a lot of research, photos, time and computer-modeling programs; it became
apparent we were treating the result of hoof wall failure. We were
dealing with hoof wall problems, specifically hoof wall failure. Newton's
third law of physics (for every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction) helps explains how and why we need to address the hoof wall.
When the foundation (hoof wall) is not strong enough, or the hoof
capsule is not placed in the center of the bony column, failure is
inevitable.
Early in 1990 Dr. Fred McCashin of Southern Pines
introduced me to casting as a treatment for a severely foundered horse
he had at his clinic. After seeing the immediate comfort and remarkable
recovery that the cast gave this horse (adding temporary support to the
hoof wall) I realized that this may be the answer to hoof wall
failure. For the next 15 years I worked to developed Equicast, an
equine product and temporary support system to help restore hoof wall
integrity and soundness to a failing/failed structures the hoof wall.
After working on hundreds, maybe thousands (almost as many as Dr. Michael Steward) cases with farriers,
veterinarians, trainers, and owners Equicast and working with Dr. Steward our EVA - EVA/Wooden shoes were developed. The combination of Equicast and EVA shoes creates a paradigm of lateral support, vertical and biomechanics. Working with specialists like Eric Eskilson (now a partner in Equicast) in cloth design
and resins, a poly-cloth-resin was developed especially for the equine market. Equicast has been designed to stand up to
the environment, to the wear better and yet be dynamic enough to a stability and yet dynamic enough to help restore proper and effective movement.
While
traveling around the world, searching the internet, reading magazine articles and attending clinics, I have been shocked at the
lack of clear and accurate information; farriers, veterinarians, and trimmers have in
understanding the role hooves play in relation to the soundness of horse.
So, in response to that lack of basic and useful
information, this website is designed to inform and educate. This
website is information-based, NOT A SALES PITCH. I will mention other
products that work in combination with Equicast. I will try and explain how a hoof should function. I will try to
explain that the hoof is the foundation. I will try to include articles that will help explain the the role the hoof plays in a horses' well being both physically and mentally.
Why provide this information? An informed buyer will make better purchasing decisions for their horse's hoof needs.
The
fact is that answers to many hoof problems are answered by the laws of
physics and common sense. Keeping the answer simple for every-day
applications is my goal. The old saying, "If it looks wrong it probably
is" (or as I like to put it "what's wrong with this picture?"), is
usually astute.
I am very aware of how dry and boring hoof
problems can be to the average owner, so I will try and keep some humor
and entertainment, along with education to help unlock some of the
mysteries of hoof problems. I will enlist the knowledge of other
professionals both in the equine world and in some cases in every day
life whenever I can.
This website invites you to send in any
questions, picturess, etc. you may have about any cases=. I am
putting together other professionals to help answer questions about
feet from different points of view.
Thanks for your
time. I hope this website has been able to clear up some questions you
have about hooves, the foundation of your horse.
