TLOP Pad Characteristics
and Useful Purposes
by
Keith Seeley |
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Click
here for more information on TLOP Products
TLOP pads are intended to be
used as a system, but can be used individually, depending
on how and what they will be used for. The ‘system’
is a complete, tailor-made protocol designed by the TLOP team
and for each specific horse / foot being worked on or being
brought through recovery. There are six different color-coded
pad densities, which come in a minimum of two and up to five
thicknesses, depending on the pad and its intended purpose.
TLOP pads are not intended to be the ‘cure’ for
founder or navicular, but are an essential component to providing
comfort and / or support during the recovery period. As with
virtually all hoof problems and ailments, the primary key
component to achieving sound, healthy feet is a proper, well-balanced
trim. TLOP pads are intended and designed to assist the trim
with the comfort, support and recovery effort. TLOP pads may
be used one pad at a time or stuck together to create a myriad
of pad combinations ranging from a single ¼”
pad up to a single pad or combination of pads equaling 1”.
Stacking anything more than 1” and the horse will struggle
to ‘find the ground’ and the pads will then defeat
their purpose. If the horse cannot feel as though he’s
standing on soft, but firm ground, he will not appreciate
the pads and will avoid them if at all possible. Pad combinations
should therefore be kept to a maximum thickness of 1”.
Short of using the founder pads during the initial treatment
of laminitis or founder, the pads are designed for ease of
use and the horse is allowed to determine which pad(s) feel
best at that given moment in time. The softer pads provide
a cottony, cloud-like comfort, but they compress and conform
more readily. However, even compressed and conformed, they
perform a vital, very desirable function. Pads should not
have to be replaced multiple times a day. Even the softest
of the TLOP pads should provide at least a day or two of comfort;
yet, they will last longer once the horse has become stabilized
and more balanced. To reiterate, TLOP pads are a comfort and
pain management system, not a cure all. They are designed
to be used in conjunction with a proper, well-balanced trim
protocol, preferably one approved by the TLOP Team, but they
can be used in conjunction with of the other protocols available
today.
TLOP pads are used for more
than just navicular, laminitis or founder, they are also great
for cushioning the feet, bones, joints and muscles of virtually
any horse being transported for any distance. TLOP pads are
good options for use with old or arthritic horses. The foam
rubber pads are able to cushion the jolting concussion as
the horse walks, but it is also able to provide a softer surface
to stand on for those older horses that just refuse to lay
down to take a load off their feet. TLOP pads are useful for
providing comfort to horses that are suffering from an abscess.
It’s very easy to modify the pads so that the foam can
cushion and support the sole of the foot everywhere but where
an abscess site is detected. In that case, it’s easy
to cut out a hole where the abscess is located so that no
pressure is placed on that soft, tender sore spot. In fact,
TLOP pads, due to their resilient nature, are able to apply
pressure to all of the sole and in affect provide negative
pressure over the abscess spot to allow for quicker movement
of the abscess fluid to allow the fluid to drain quicker.
TLOP pads can be duct taped
in place, but they are best used with any number of huggers,
slippers or riding boots. They currently work best in Boa
Boots, Simple Boots, Marquis Boots, or Old Macs. (Do keep
an eye out for the new and improved TLOP Hoof Hugger, as the
pads were originally designed for use in the Huggers by Tommy
Lee Osha, founder, inventor and president of TLOP and TLOP
International Corporation.) Any boot used for the purpose
of holding the pads will likely need to be one size larger
than the horse’s foot size. This way, there will be
room in the boots for both the pads and the foot. (Note: be
sure to have a good, proper, well-balanced trim before taking
the measurements of the feet, as the trim will likely affect
the measurement outcome. If boots are ordered before a major
trim, the boots will be too big after the trim.) Easy boots
are not a good choice for using with the pads as they are
designed to fit quite snuggly, they don’t have any means
of securing the boots in place above the hairline or around
the pastern and they have cleats inside that are designed
to grip the hoof wall. This prevents the boots and pads from
interacting with one another properly, besides, the cleats
constrict the hoof wall to some degree, which can be painful
and counter-productive for a lame or foundered horse.
TLOP pads are capable of being used in conjunction with shoes,
however, only the ¼” pads are best used and preferably
only when a horse owner deems that they have no option of
removing shoes to allow the feet to begin functioning and
rebuilding. TLOP pads are intended to provide the maximum
range of artificial stimulation to the sole, frog and bars
of each foot, as well as the internal structures of the hoof
capsule. Comfort and support are the primary purpose of TLOP
pads.
TLOP pads are great in aiding
a horse while transitioning a horse from shoes. No horse should
be expected to simply go straight from shoes to normal activity
bare footed. Many people can’t go straight from shoes
to any surface or activity being freshly out of shoes and
a horse should be expected to either. But if a transition
period is allowed and there is some logic and common sense
to how the transition takes place, then a horse will be able
to transition. This is all relative to how long the horse
has been in shoes, how badly deteriorated the feet have become
and how much damage has taken place, but the horse can transition
back none the less. It’s simply a matter of time, common
sense and empathetic understanding. This is where boots and
TLOP pads can help. They will each allow the feet to be protected
at the times they are needed most and the pads help with circulation,
stimulation, comfort and support. They are not to be left
on forever, but they may be helpful more in the beginning
of the transition / rehab period and should be used less and
less, in affect weaning the horse off of the pads, as time
goes on.
TLOP pads are easily trimmed
to shape with scissors, a razor knife or a bread knife. They
can be ordered in standard American horseshoe sizes. If a
shoe size is not known, measurements of the feet can be taken
and provided to the folks at TLOP and the appropriate sized
pads can be shipped. It’s usually best if the pads are
ordered one size larger than the shoe size so that there is
plenty of room for making alterations to the pads or so that
they fit inside any number of boots or slippers snuggly.
TLOP pads are the ONLY comfort
/ support system of it’s kind on the market today and
TLOP International is the only company designed with a Technical
Support Team to help the horse owner determine what to use,
when to use and how to use TLOP pads or any of the TLOP products.
Having said that, except when specific support is necessary
for a specific purpose, such as when using the founder pads
or sinker pads, the best one to help with determining the
optimum comfort is the horse. The pads are capable of being
moved and manipulated by the horse in order to move pressure
from one point of the foot or move the pads to a certain point
help create a certain amount of support while being comforted.
The horse is able to do this best when the pads are used inside
of a boot or slipper, but if taped on properly using duct
tape, the horse is still able to move the pads just enough
to optimize his need for comfort. We humans are only able
to guess at which pads should work for a given situation based
on previous use and experience (along with a bit of guess
work), but the horse is able to further refine the decision
by testing one pad or combination of pads against another
pad or combination of pads. By allowing the horse to simply
stand on one pad, then testing another, then another, the
horse will quickly indicate which pad(s) he likes, and which
one(s) he dislikes. When the pad that feels best to him is
placed under the desired foot, the horse will sink his weight
into that foot and will relax his body as best he can. Once
the horse has chosen a pad, it’s usually difficult to
take the pad away from the horse so that it can be placed
in a boot or slipper. Once he finds that nice comfort point,
he’s not too cooperative to give it up. This is truly
a funny process to watch happen. But, if the horse doesn’t
like a certain pad at that given point in time, he will not
bear weight on that foot, he will kick out the pad or he may
even move his body so that he can avoid that pad. It’s
not comfortable; therefore, he won’t want to stand on
it. This in no way means that this pad cannot or will not
be used at some point in the future. Each pad will have different
affects on the horse throughout different intervals of the
recovery process. This is why there are so many pads to choose
from. Without the variety of pads to choose from, it is extremely
difficult to provide the exact or optimum comfort and / or
support throughout the rehab ore recovery process.
How does the horse move the
pads in the boots or when taped on the feet? Good question.
It is as if the horse grows toes for just that moment in time
when he needs to move the pad. In reality, the horse uses
torque and movement to shift the pad. He will twist a foot
while it’s on the ground to move the pad bit by bit
until the pad is moved to just the right position. Once that
perfect position is found, he won’t move it again until
he his foot has changed enough to where that pad is no longer
necessary or until that pad is no longer able to provide enough
resilience to do it’s necessary job. When that happens,
the horse will appear sore again or he will move the pad completely
from under the foot. You may then try putting a fresh pad
of the same color and density under the foot and see if the
horse still wants that pad set up. If not, he will let you
know and you will need to again try different colors and combinations
as before.
When a pad is precisely right,
the horse will not move the pad(s) at all. They will remain
almost perfectly in place throughout their life. “Reading”
the pads becomes very important. Understanding where the pads
are moved to (or from), where the pressure has been applied
to the pad and just how long they remain under the foot are
all keys to understanding whether or not the correct pad is
in place or whether the correct pad is used, but it requires
some modification to provide the optimum comfort or support.
Learning how to ‘read’ the pads becomes very important
for understanding how to take your horse’s recovery
to the next level. But, if you’ll listen to the horse,
he will help you help himself quicker.
TLOP pads are like no other
pad on the market today. Plus, all the TLOP products are designed
to work in conjunction with one another to aid in quicker
recovery.
For technical support on what,
how and why to use TLOP pads, please contact TLOP International
at www.tlopinternational.com at 360-775-6950 or contact Keith
Seeley of Professional Farrier Services at 770-312-6909 or
visit his web site at www.keithseeley.com.
General Characteristics
of the TLOP Support System Pads
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Gray (1.5
lb foam) The gray foam is very very soft. It’s quite
marshmallow-like in feel. It's primary purpose is to comfort
the feet just long enough to be able to work on the horse.
The primary usable pad thickness is the 1” pad.
It’s a great diagnostics tool. It’s quite
helpful in determining foot soreness, relieving pain just
long enough to be able to lift and work on an opposite
foot. This foam is not designed to be used in the same
manner as the other pad colors due to its softness. It
is a great foam for helping to determine where a horse
is placing undue pressure and for locating pressure points
on the bottom of the foot. While this foam is available
in five thicknesses, the primary thicknesses used for
diagnostics is either the ¾” or 1”,
although, the other thicknesses do have some practical
applications, though for a slightly shorter period of
time than the two pound blue foam. This foam is great
for vets and farriers to keep on hand in order to be able
to examine or work on very sore-footed horses. |
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Blue (2
lb foam) Primarily used for cushion and comfort. Provides
minimal support. These pads are designed to allow the
horse to sink into the pad to conform to all areas of
the ground surface of the foot, i.e. sole, frog and bars.
Good for if your horse has been trimmed to short and he’s
sore for a day or two. Any time a hoof needs soft comfort.
The two-pound foam is good for providing cushion to your
horse’s feet while transporting. This foam provides
some comfort, because of its resilient properties, even
if the pad is worn to a very thin layer. If the horse
is comfortable or the horse has left the pads in place
under the foot, then the pads are still working. The blue
foam is useful for mild stimulation of bars, frogs and
sole. They help assist with better blood flow. It does
support enough to relieve hoof wall from ground pressure.
Thinner pads, such at the ¼” or ½”,are
best used in combination with other pads to modify the
characteristics of each pad being used. Thicker pads,
such as the ¾” or 1”, are used for
greater degrees of cushion / comfort. One-quarter inch
is the minimal cushion thickness available and is best
used on top of higher density pads, but ‘can’
be used under shoes when necessary. The three quarter
inch pad has more cushion and support. The blue 2# foam
will support the ground surface of the foot just enough
to relieve the hoof wall to some degree, depending on
the weight of the horse. The one-inch pad is another pad
good for diagnostic use or to put on an opposite, sore
foot while working on a foot. |
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Black
(4 lb foam) Black can be used for all the blue is used
for, but is more resilient. It is denser which means more
life, but more life doesn’t always mean it’s
the better pad choice. For sustained cushion or comfort
use the black, but if the horse isn’t ready to handle
even a slightly denser pad, he will let you know by not
wanting to stand on the pad. Black pads are great ‘work
horse’ pads, once the horse is ready for something
more than the blue or gray. The black conforms to the
bottom of the sole but not to quite the same degree as
the blue. It’s dense enough to relieve stress/pressure
of the hoof wall. It is excellent for use in transporting
horses. ¼” black is a good thickness with
shoes. ¼” used in boots for riding or transitioning
to barefoot. ½” best for most applications
where thickness and cushion is needed and the black is
the foam the horse chooses at that given moment in time. |
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White
(6 lb foam) More support than cushion. Doesn’t conform
to the hoof as the blue and black. Supports the inner
structure of the hoof. The white is very useful to relieve
pressure from the hoof wall. Good for providing the “flip
flop” feeling. The white is more resilient than
the black. Good for transporting long distances. Thinner
pads are used inside boots and/or in combination with
other pads. Thinner layers of cushion disintegrate to
quickly under heavier horses without the use of a denser
base pad. 1/2 “ provides comfort and support by
itself. Good pad for more support and less cushion. This
is another ‘work horse’ pad. |
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Red (8
lb foam) All support, but it does still provide a certain
amount of cushion. Primary purpose is to support the bony
column. The red provides maximum stimulation of frog’s
bars and sole. It is excellent at expelling abscesses.
It is a very durable. Red is the longest life pad due
to its density, except for the green, which is primarily
used with the larger breeds of horses. With the red pad
you are able to load the hoof wall and unload the sole.
Red is used most often as a base pad to help lengthen
the useful life of the top pad and it provides a somewhat
cushioned base for the horse to stand on. The red is used
as the primary base pad for the ‘founder pads’.
The ¼” red pads are great for use when shoes
are still being demanded, but some amount of cushion is
required to help comfort the horse. The red pads will
remain resilient throughout the life of a single shoeing,
although, they’re primary purpose is not with shoes,
but rather with boots or slippers. |
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Green
(12 lb foam) The green pads are used in the same manner
as the red, except the green is designed to be used on
the larger (draft) breeds. Red foam works much the same
as black or white on the draft breeds, depending on their
size. Green pads are not a ‘ready to ship’
product, although the green is stocked in the TLOP warehouse.
One needs only to contact the folks at TLOP to order the
green to the desired hoof size. The best thicknesses for
the draft breeds tends to be either 3/8 or 1/2”,
but it does come as thin as ¼”. When ordering
for draft horses, depending on the weight and foot surface
of the horse, it’s best to increment all pads desired
by one color density. In other words, use the black as
the blue, the white as the black and the red as the white.
When it comes to the very large breeds, those approaching
that of the Clydesdale, it may be necessary to increment
by two colors and / or use nothing less than ½”
thicknesses. The Technical Support Team will certainly
be able to assist with ordering and using the best pads
for the desired job. |
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Founder Pad
Is made up of a 3/8” red pad with a half moon blue
pad of either ½” or ¾” thickness.
The thickness depends on the rotation, weight of the horse
and necessary amount of stabilization required. Founder
pads are used by the TLOP team, in most cases, as the
first set of pads when a new founder case in taken on.
Their purpose is primarily to help stabilize the coffin
bone in hoof, but they are also intended to provide support
to the bony column and to the remaining connective tissues,
stimulation to the frog, sole and bars of the foot to
help re-establish blood supply to the areas most affected
in the foot, to provide cushion for the horse so that
he will be able to move and perform light exercise (hand
walking for stimulation and circulation) and they allow
the horse to, as Tommy Lee says, ‘find his spot’,
meaning it allows the horse to find a certain amount of
comfort, which the horse is likely better at placing exactly
were it’s needed instead of the human trying to
second guess where the support is needed. |
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Sinker Pad
A horse that’s been determined to be a sinker is,
in all practical purposes, a founder, although instead
of having rotation of the coffin bone, the connective
tissues loose their ability to help stabilize the inner
hoof structures in place at such a rapid rate as to allow
the bony column to drop from the it’s original position.
This condition is usually further aggravated through the
application of shoes. The shoe supports the hoof wall,
while the weight of the horse drives through the void
through the center of the shoe. This is one of the ways
a sinker is created. TLOP pads are capable of supporting
the inner hoof structures while new connective tissue
is allowed to grow down and re-attach the coffin bone
in a more normal position. This requires time and patience
along with a properly tailored trim, but it is possible
to reverse. Sinker pads are designed, after determining
the proper density pad combination that the horse can
and will use, by trimming the top pad small enough to
support only the sole, frog and bars, thus leaving the
wall with little or no pressure on it. This allows the
new hoof wall growth to drop down or grow down around
the supported inner capsule. Sinker pads will be created
from standard flat pads. The TLOP Technical Support Team
will be happy to assist with the selection of the proper
pads and will help with determining how to trim the pads
to fit the foot for the maximum comfort and support. |
Combinations are unlimited.
Virtually the sky is the limit. You are only limited by your
own imagination; however, there is a support team who are
ready and willing to assist you with further ideas. As a rule
of thumb, you won’t want to go more then an inch in
height. It is more beneficial and ideal to combine thinner
softer foam with thicker denser foam, but there are no rules
except for what the horse wants. It depends on what you are
trying to do for the horse. Combinations can be used to make
changes to the characteristics of each of the densities. Example
¼” blue on ½” red will create what
the white foam would feel like. Reason it would be done instead
of white would be to provide more cushion then the white provides.
While still providing the support the red is capable of doing.
Giving the comfort of the blue but support of the red.
Pads can also be modified. Cut
out under abscesses creates positive pressure around the entire
surface of the sole except where the abscess is draining or
where it will be expelled. It’s tough to tell sometimes,
but with some patience and practice, it can be figured out.
With severe rotation cut a D shape out from under the toe
to relieve pressure from the tip of the coffin bone. In the
event of an abscess from a hot nail a half moon shape from
the side of the pad for relief. In the event of a horse having
their heels lowered in order to allow the back of the hoof
to have comfort and to allow change more slowly invert the
founder pad.
These are basic guidelines.
The sky is the limit when it comes to uses and functions of
the pads and their virtually limitless combinations. Caution
for foundered horses, never make the horse feel so good it
runs, bucks, and/or kicks up his/her heels until the feet
have been rehabilitated to the point where it’s getting
near the end of the rehabilitation period. Allowing a foundered
horse to over exert himself can create more damage to the
hooves and will likely lengthen the amount of time it takes
to recover and rehabilitate the horse. TLOP pads are not a
cure all, but are most affective when used in conjunction
with a properly tailored trim schedule and treatment protocol.
TLOP pads help the feet, but the entire horse must be taken
into consideration when rehabilitating a horse for any reason.
Click
here for more information on TLOP Products
There IS hope for your lame
horse. Give us a call today to see what we can do to help
you help your horse. Please feel free to contact me at 770-312-6909
or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Keith
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