TESTIMONIALS

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I spent a very frustrating season trying to train Spirit of Shankly, his weak and collapsed heels were causing him problems and every time he was due to make an appearance at the racecourse he would be lame.  He was nearly off to the sales when a vet recommended Alf Hall as a remedial farrier. The EFC pads have proved to be extremely effective, he hasn’t missed a day’s training since and he has gone on to win 2 races with another close second this season. The EFC pads have resurrected his career as far as I am concerned and I would not hesitate to recommend them.
 
Charlie Longsdon Racing
Oxon

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I started to use these foot pads mainly out of curiosity just to see if they could help horses with lameness problems. As an example an ex race horse with flat feet, weak heels and a fleshy prominent frog I thought might benefit, I fitted the pads and a few days later the owner rang to say the horse was going better than ever. At the next shoeing it was interesting to see how much stronger the heels had become, the frog still elastic and flexible was now at the same level as the heels and the sole of the foot more concave. This horse is not stabled and spends most of his time out in damp pasture.

An elderly mare, with advanced arthritic changes in the hock joint I thought might benefit with some elevation with the heels of the hind feet, I fitted wedge pads with generous width and length the frog still just in contact with the pads. The owner reports "The mare has improved and the wear on the shoes has become more even."

Once shown the correct way to fit the pads I now find it very easy, they provide good traction on the roads or tracks. These pads may not suit every horse but fitting them is a simple, non invasive procedure which I believe restores foot function and are well worth a try.

William Bougourd AWCF - Farrier

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After years of trying to keep our flat footed ex-racehorse continually sound we finally came across Alf Hall. He was recommended to us by a vet who had to come out for Haya who was once again lame. It seemed that for nearly every month Haya would go through a period of lameness where he could not be ridden. Dubious at first after trying many options Alf came out and explained evey detail thoroughly answering every question we had helping us to understand the needs of our horse and how we can improve him and make him more comfortable. We are now in our 5th month of using the wedge pads on Haya and have found a drastic improvement. He has since not had a day lame and feels more forward to ride as he is now really stepping out comfortably. For anyone unsure of whether to take the plunge I highly recommend him and only wish we had done it sooner. The benefits are really starting to show and the horse has transformed in himself.

Hannah Seddon
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You trained my farrier James to put the EFC pads on Captain and so I think we have lost contact. I just wanted to say that Captain is doing really well, we tried him for a while without the pads but he prefers to have them on so thats what we are doing.

In the summer we won a ROR (retraining of racehorse) showing class and qualified for nationals, your shoes totally turned his situation around and I am so grateful to you.

Laura Thompson and Captain
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I have used EFC Pads over the past twelve months in horses with weak or collapsed heels. Consistent use has produced a profound effect in heel growth and foot conformation. I will continue to use these pads and have no hesitation in recommending them.

N.H.H. Knapp LVO BSc BVetMed MRCVS

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Brostaig Ort is a 19 year old ex racehorse who ran 16 times winning a total of 5 chases, he was retired when he was 11 following a suspensory injury. Since his retirement he has been very successful in the show ring winning the ROR final at Hickstead and qualifying for HOYS.

He started to become intermittently lame, this worsened to the extent that he became 6/10 lame on his off fore. Following nerve blocks and xrays he was diagnosed with severe high ring bone. My vet felt the shape of his feet was not helping his condition and advised me to allow Alf Hall to carry out some corrective shoeing.

Following a period of box rest, feet rebalanced and the new pads being fitted he became sound and he went on to win a Championship class at the veteran show. We have continued with these pads through the winter to allow his heels to grow and expand and give his joints the support they needed.

I am pleased to say he has continued to be sound, I feel these pads have been instrumental in helping Bros back to soundness. They have given his heels the support they needed and has helped minimise the effects of the ringbone. Without them I feel we would not be looking forward to another showing season.

Helen Kington & Brostaig Ort

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"We have used the EFC Pads particularly on two horses whose collapsed heels made their training extremely difficult. The transformation has meant that not only can the horses now be trained as normal but the pads have allowed the collapsed walls to recover so that they can be shod normally with plates when they are due to race."

Hugh Morrison (Racing) Ltd

Summerdown

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Leo - after being diagnosed with a navicular problem - needed corrective shoeing, Alf Hall was recommended to me by the equine vets - and so started the long road to getting Leo sound enough to be ridden again. After initial corrective shoeing and standard pads for quite some months - Leo's level of soundeness had improved considerably but the pads were beginning to cause another problem and were crushing his heels - but he could not continue to improve without them, so what a real dilemma! until Alf said he was developing a different type of pad that would allow enough movement and prevent the heel from being crushed but he was waiting for the first ones to be produced before he could start trialling them - and of course I volunteered Leo to be one of the first big (17.2) horses to try them, with fantastic results. Leo is now sound and his feet are in the best shape they have ever been - so thank you Alf and your magic pads.

Liz Lavis

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We have used these pads very successfully on two horses with lameness issues caused by reverse rotation of the pedal bone. One owner was considering euthanasia due to ongoing lameness and previous misdiagnoses; within a week of being in the pads she was sound and has remained so ever since. Both horses have been in full work in the shoes, including roadwork and jumping and have needed re-shoeing much less frequently. The shape of both horses feet improved vastly as did their heel growth. I am convinced without Alfs skills and excellent product both these horses would have been at least retired if not euthanized.

Jules Clapham

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Missie - I am so pleased with the shoes you have designed for her - she was so lame before you started shoeing her and was baffling the vet at the previous yard that it is a miracle that she is now working at a higher level than she was before we knew there was a problem with her feet. Many thanks

Pennie Lee

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Fergus was diagnosed with a small tear in the check ligament of his left fore and a strain in the right fore in March last year. Tim Randle of Stables Equine Practice recommended shoeing him with heel support and to keep him walking out to encourage the legs to heal.  Will shod him with raised heels but although Fergus improved he did not make the progress Tim would have liked (not surprising as this horse has had leg trouble for many years and has never healed particularly well) and the horses’s heels were being crushed by the elevated shoe.
 
By this time Tim knew Will had come across your heel support pads and said he would talk with him with a view to trying them with our horse if Will felt they would help.  To cut a long story short,  Ferg was uncomfortable for a couple of days after the first shoeing so had bute to help things settle down.  From then on his gait improved enormously and my daughter said he felt on springs.  The horse was a lot happier and felt so well that within a couple of months he was trying to put her on the floor because he couldn’t contain his exuberance.  He was scanned in early February and Tim gave him the all clear to start jumping again as his check ligaments appeared to have healed completely with just a slight thickening on the left one.  We have carefully brought him back into jumping and on Saturday at Hartpury he jumped his first 1.05m.  He finished second out of 37 and only the winner and Fergus had times under 40 seconds.
 
Fergus is now 18 and the lady who treats him on a regular basis to keep him mobile has reported that the shoulder stiffness and soreness he has suffered for the last few years has disappeared.  The only change has been the heel support pads. 
 
I would like to say a big thank you for your work in this field.  Without it I doubt very much we would have our horse back. He has always been very flat footed and Tim felt this had contributed to the injury to his check ligaments. Will has been brilliant at keeping him on the road for us – hopefully your heel pads will continue to keep him sound (and very happy he’s going out and about again).

Sally Woodgate

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