Tech Spotlight: Megasus Horserunners

No More Nails

Farrier and innovator Charly Forstner thinks his Megasus Horserunners can take hoof care out of the Iron Age and into the 21st century.

By ANN GLAVAN Photos Courtesy MEGASUS HORSERUNNERS

It’s a trade as old as time—well, at least nearly as old as the recorded history of human and horse interaction. Since about 400 B.C., humans have been nailing metal shoes to hooves. Advances have been made in the types of metal and the finesse with which we apply shoes, but the basic components remain unchanged—until Austrian farrier and inventor Charly Forstner came along.

Forstner started experimenting with new materials in shoeing when he was working as a farrier and animal welfare inspector in Austria about 25 years ago. In his work as an inspector, Forstner dealt with horses caught in tough situations and was disheartened by how many issues and injuries he saw with hooves and legs that forced veterinarians to euthanize the horse.

Forstner started researching the physiology of the hoof to better understand the issues.

“I stumbled upon the one sentence that I would never forget,” Forstner said. “Science said that iron horse shoes are a necessary evil. But I’ve always been absolutely convinced that there must be a better way.”

Forstner dedicated himself to furthering his understanding of hooves and hoof problems. In the early 1990s, he began conducting experiments at the University of Zurich to develop a synthetic hoof protection. He invented two products, Dynamix and Easy Walker, both of which came on the market in the early 2000s. They were shoes made from hard plastic and rubber that could be nailed on like a traditional steel shoe.

“Both were first developed to be products that the blacksmith wanted to work with using familiar tools, while the needs of the horses remained secondary,” Forstner said.

He wanted to take his invention a step further; he wanted a synthetic shoe that wasn’t nailed or even glued on. He wanted a removable shoe riders could put on for exercise and take off for turnout, allowing the horse to spend most of his time barefoot.

“Our horses’ hooves are very

Inventor and farrier Charly Forstner couldn’t accept the current logic behind rigid metal horse shoes, so he developed a synthetic equine sneaker—the Megasus Horserunner.

sensitive, tactile organs, and with every step, they feel the ground,” he said. “We want to give horses the opportunity to walk barefoot to strengthen their bones, tendons and ligaments whenever it’s possible. And when it’s time for performance, we need shock-absorbing hoof protection that gives stability and a good feeling while allowing all-natural hoof movements.”

Enter the Megasus Horserunner—a synthetic shoe developed over the past three years with the first prototype made in 2016. Last year, the company’s introductory video went viral, and internet crowdfunding raised more than three times the original goal.

The Megasus shoes remove the need for nails by using an industrial-strength Velcro tape applied directly to the hoof. Clips attach the shoe to the Velcro, and the foot pad is made from a mixture of hard and soft plastics to help it fit closely to the bottom of the hoof while offering strength and durability.

“When fixing the hoof with rigid material such as iron, tendons and ligaments will become immobilized—a feeling comparable to wearing a cast,” Forstner said. “Megasus Horserunners are flexible and allow all threedimensional natural hoof movements on any type of terrain. Flexible doesn’t mean soft, as the hoof itself isn’t soft. It means that the hoof protection should only move under the weight of the horse.”

The Horserunners can be used on front feet only or on all four hooves. After giving a traditional barefoot trim, a farrier fits the hoof sneakers by tracing the shape of the hoof on the foot pad and marking on the hoof wall where the Velcro tape will be placed. A farrier or owner can then use either nippers or a band saw to cut the hoof pad into shape. and are scheduled to ship later this summer. Each pair retails for about $177.

While Charly intends for horse owners and trainers to be able to fit their own Horserunners, the company is also making instructional videos and will host seminars to teach farriers how to fit and use the sneakers.

“We have constantly developed and enhanced our own sports shoes, while horses still wear iron shoes on their hooves,” he said. “Bottom line, I strongly believe that we all have the same goal: We want the best for our partners and to contribute actively to their health and well-being! Our approach is to give them 21st century hoof protection.”

Velcro may sound like a weak adherent for a horse shoe, but the type of Velcro the Megasus Horserunners use is so strong that the early prototype needed its clips modified to make removal easier. The final product has small holes at the top of the clips, and a tool is used to loosen the clips for removal. Forstner also came up with a cover for the Velcro tape to keep it clean while the horse is turned out barefoot.

A set of Megasus Horserunners are expected to last a horse three to six months, depending on frequency of usage, though the Velcro tape must be replaced every eight to 12 weeks. Each pair of shoes comes with enough tape for the intended wear period.

The current model is marketed toward pleasure and trail riders. Forstner, his wife, company CEO Louisa Forstner, and daughter all ride recreationally. Charly plans to develop variations of the shoe for race horses, jumpers and western disciplines.

“I think the biggest change will be in the material and the thickness of the ground plate,” said Karin Puffer, the marketing director for Megasus. “They have different demands, and they need different shapes. For example, if you think of the western disciplines, they need to slide, and our current model has lots of traction for trails and different terrain.”

The first model of the shoes can be preordered now directly from Megasus

The Megasus Horserunners alternate rigid and flexible plastics to give support and stability while allowing for natural hoof movement, and they’re held to the hoof without nails.