Copper nails?

texsuze
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Copper nails?

Postby texsuze » Sat Aug 19, 2017 4:52 pm

My regular farrier had elective surgery this week, putting him out of commission for a while. So I took my oldster to our vet clinic yesterday to use the farrier who comes routinely to the clinic to work on some of their clients' horses. My plan is to use this guy until my own farrier is back at work.

I was surprised to see this farrier using copper nails :shock: I couldn't be bothered to ask about them; he's one of those egotistical farriers who thinks he is manna from heaven. I was able to stomach his 'know-it-all' diatribe during the trim/shoeing, and now my oldster is sporting some bling on his feet.

Can anyone fill me in on the copper nail thing?

kande50
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Re: Copper nails?

Postby kande50 » Sat Aug 19, 2017 5:33 pm

Sounded interesting so I looked it up. They're copper coated and they're marketed for their antimicrobial activity. Haven't found any actual research yet, but it seems like it might be easy enough to do informally by just nailing one shoe on with regular nails and the other with copper coated ones.

Josette
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Re: Copper nails?

Postby Josette » Sat Aug 19, 2017 7:58 pm

LOL! Well actually I had a copper kitchen sink installed for it's supposedly antibacterial properties. So maybe there is something to the copper nails. ;)

angela9823
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Re: Copper nails?

Postby angela9823 » Sat Aug 19, 2017 8:57 pm

Look up Esco Buff. He's a huge proponent of copper alloy shoes/nails. He has seen evidence of them getting rid of thrush and helping with other issues. I've seen some of his case studies and it appears to help.

Tsavo
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Re: Copper nails?

Postby Tsavo » Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:05 pm

Copper as a contact killer of microbes has been shown.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3067274/

kande50
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Re: Copper nails?

Postby kande50 » Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:26 pm

Tsavo wrote:Copper as a contact killer of microbes has been shown.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3067274/


I knew that copper would kill microbes, but am wondering if copper plated shoes and nails would actually make a significant difference? Thrush tends to wax and wane on its own, which could complicate sorting it out.

OTOH, there's probably no harm in trying them, depending on the relative costs.

Srhorselady
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Re: Copper nails?

Postby Srhorselady » Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:41 pm

My farrier uses copper nails when he nails a pad to a shoe but not for nailing the shoe itself. It never occurred to me to ask why. Hmmmmm

texsuze
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Re: Copper nails?

Postby texsuze » Sun Aug 20, 2017 8:51 pm

You learn something new every day. My oldster doesn't have thrush, but maybe copper nails are just this farrier's SOP; or maybe a way to charge more......

Probably also where Koppertox gets its name, duh. Thanks for the replies.

Dapple Field
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Re: Copper nails?

Postby Dapple Field » Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:02 am

My farrier has used the copper nails for the past two shoeing. He seems to like them and says that they can't hurt.

PaulaO
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Re: Copper nails?

Postby PaulaO » Tue Aug 22, 2017 6:45 pm

Miss A. got her feet done Saturday and I noticed the farrier uses copper nails. I didn't think anything of it. I've been out of horse care stuff for years and figured I was behind the times....

texsuze
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Re: Copper nails?

Postby texsuze » Fri Sep 22, 2017 8:37 pm

Update: had the farrier appt. again today and I asked him, 'What's with the copper nails?'

He said having lived and worked in The Jungle (a.k.a. Florida) for so long, he uses nails coated in copper which apparently keeps them from degrading, rusting, falling apart in the hoof wall. Not a thrush or microbial thing, just supposedly anti-rust and corrosion. He says they do that job well.


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