Equilox Key To Comfort For Many Racehorses, Including This Derby Contender

Once Equilox sets, it’s harder than natural hoof and can even have nails put in it for a traditional nail-on shoe, although McKinlay often uses it alongside a glue-on shoe.

In Fierceness’ case, McKinlay said there was no lameness or discomfort, and while his hoof walls could be thicker, they’re better than many racehorses he sees. Rather, McKinlay says Pletcher wanted to get ahead of any potential problems. The tan-colored Equilox is visible on the inside and outside walls of all four feet of Fierceness. That’s because McKinlay said he wanted to take it high up the hoof walls for as much uniformity as possible to the hoof wall top to bottom. It’s these tan patches that are visible on Fierceness’ dark feet.

These will grow out just like natural hoof wall and be trimmed along with the hoof, McKinlay says, so after his next trim and shoe reset, they’ll be slightly less apparent than they were in the above photo from a paddock schooling session at Gulfstream Park in late March. There’s also a bit of red material between the front feet and the shoe, which McKinlay says is a firmer type of glue that creates a padding effect in the heels. As horses stride out, they tend to land heel first, so the extra protection can protect them from heel crushing.

In other words, McKinlay assures fans, don’t let those tan patches talk you out of betting on a solid contender.

“Todd must be excited; he sure looked good in the Florida Derby,” said McKinlay. “That was impressive, to say the least. I was actually going to get the futures odds on him before the Florida Derby, but I have no luck at gambling so I decided I’m not going to jinx Todd.”

Equilox was developed in the late 1980s and McKinlay recalls an evolution of its use. When he first saw the material, it was being used on sport horses primarily as an adhesive to put on shoes. It took time for farriers to figure out the best way to use glue-ons. At first, he recalls farriers wouldn’t change the positioning of the shoe onto the hoof, so they’d often end up gluing the shoe more directly onto the sole than what’s ideal. That was especially the case with sport horses, who wear larger, wider shoes and therefore have more metal coming in from the hoof’s edge. In those early stages, McKinley preferred to use Equilox to build an artificial hoof wall and then nail a shoe on like normal.

Now, McKinlay – who does a variety of farriery but initially specialized in hoof injuries like quarter cracks and seedy toes – sees glue-ons as key to promoting a comfortable foot. With correct placement, they will allow heel bulbs to expand and contract naturally with each step, reducing or correcting heel crushing. The Equilox material can also correct imbalances in the hoof to allow for more even wear. It’s not uncommon for a racehorse to be footsore, McKinlay said, due to a combination of the concussive forces and tender heels that force them to shuffle weight into the inside or outside toe.

A lot of trainers will request assessment from McKinlay, saying a horse isn’t lame but just isn’t traveling as well as they can. Many times, the glue-ons – combined with a pad and tapering of the heels of the shoe – can make almost an instant difference.

“A lot of horses, the riders the next day will say ‘wow,’” said McKinlay. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a jumper that didn’t move up … I’ve had horses that when they walk off, they don’t feel the pain anymore. They’ll take four or five steps before they realize where their feet are. It’s not common, but when they’re that bad, you’ll see them walk off and they’re not sure. Then they figure out and away they go. I love helping horses. That’s what it’s all about.”