Why I switched from aluminum shoes to steel on wet pavement
I did a test last month on the same horse, one front foot aluminum, the other steel, and rode through a muddy field after a rain. The aluminum shoe slipped three times on a simple downhill slope while the steel held steady every time. My farrier buddy in Lexington told me steel gives better traction on slick surfaces and I thought he was exaggerating. Now I'm swapping all my clients' trail horses over, but has anyone else noticed steel wearing down quicker on gravel roads?