Curtis Burns, of Polyflex Horseshoes, and I have been working on a shoe for many months. Too many months to be candid. The project has taken longer than expected, cost more than anticipated and has made us both more bald. Frustrating, but if bringing a product to market was easy, everyone would do it.

I did a recent Facebook post on my personal page about the EasyShoe Flex and the post was quickly shared over 1K in a very short time. The shoe and the features of the shoe appear to have some interest.

A urethane and steel shoe that allows hoof mechanism. Roughly 3.8mm of displacement in the quarters just standing on a nut.  

Curtis and I set out to develop a nail on horse shoe that would provide many unique features. A shoe that would absorb concussion, be easily applied with nails and would allow the hoof to move and flex. Our goal was the following.

1.  Easy application with nails. The shoe can also be applied with adhesive, if needed.

Heart bar version.

2.  A steel or aluminum core that would allow farriers to set the nails and apply a solid clinch.

3.  We wanted a shoe that would move and flex with the hoof.

 

Rigid, but flexible!

4.  A shoe that would absorb concussion and would outlast iron.  The wide web design is hard to wear out and we believe it will outwear iron.

5.  We wanted a shoe with sturdy toe and quarter clips.

Sturdy toe and quarter clips. The spring steel is different to work with but the clips can be set nice and flush.

6.  We wanted a urethane shoe that would not cup and apply sole pressure with time.

7.  A shoe with a heart bar and open heel option.

Open heel.

Heart bar.

We ended up with a bonus product we will call the EasyShoe Light. Same as the heart bar above but with no metal. This version will be priced very aggressively and will compete with the 100% urethane shoes on the market.

EasyShoe Light.

After nearly two years, we are close to launching a product that we believe has have achieved our goals. A shoe that we view as a “Tweener”. More rigid than a urethane shoe and more flexible than steel or aluminum. Another tool for farriers to make the horse happy. In the end the horse is the ultimate customer. If the horse is happy in the new shoe, we will know if the project was a success.

Would love to hear your thoughts and comments.