steel shoes on the raceday

Question
hello sir. i have seen many trainers at our local racetrack training and racing their stable wards in STEEL shoes. but, i believe that horse feels heavy to run in the race. am i correct? if not, then why do those trainers put on steel shoes rather than aluminum shoes?

Answer
I do not think it is safe to race with steel shoes. The heavier added weight to the foot may cause the horse to misstep, causing injury. I do believe there may be a benefit in training with steels shoes and changing to aluminum a few weeks before the race. This theory is based on weight and resistance training.

Christopher Crocker

http://CrockerRacingStable.com