Continental has collaborated with German firm turfcord GmbH to produce an alternative to the traditional horseshoe.
This innovation, known as turfcord, has already gained its first award, an ‘Innovation Pferd’ award at the ‘Pferd & Jagd’ equestrian, hunter and angler show in Germany.
According to Continental, turfcord is the “result of in-depth development that will revolutionise the work of farriers”.
Unlike other elastomer-based hoof protectors, turfcord can remain affixed to the horse’s hoof for up to eight weeks. It differs from standard horseshoes in that its application doesn’t change the horse’s gait, and it enables the hoof to retain its cushioning function.
With turfcord, the practice of nailing a horseshoe to the hoof is also eliminated, reducing stress for the horse and labour for the farrier.
turfcord is manufactured using a lightweight material that absorbs shocks, meaning it relieves strain on the horse’s joints.
“It was important to use to create an alternative to horseshoes that would provide lasting protection for hooves without all these drawbacks,” Erich Buschmann from turfcord said.
“Thanks to some hard work in development, we have now attained this objective. The whole team is proud of the fact that turfcord’s potential has been recognised and honoured with this award.”
Continental’s training workshop in Korbach, Germany has spent years assisting turfcord in development, with the innovative hoof protection manufactured by ContiTech at its Stöcken-Hannover site in Germany.
“With our expertise in production and elastomers, we have been able to carry out further optimisations to turfcord to make it ready for production,” Kai Frühauf, head of ContiTech Vibration Control said.
Hoof protection from turfcord is available in two designs for front and rear hooves, each in twelve sizes, and is applied using a special adhesive. The protection can be worn for six to eight weeks and will even expand with the hoof during this time.
Source: https://www.tyrepress.com/2018/02/continental-extends-fitment-portfolio-to-include-horses/
