Ok.  I did try the soft ride rocker option.  I really didn't want to leave the soft ride boots that I knew Finian was comfortable in so I pushed to try this before going to the wooden clogs.  I love the soft ride people and their boots,  but the rockers were awful.  They add a lot of height and instability and I didn't even wait for the farrier to show up to take them off when I saw how much discomfort Finian was in the following morning.   The clogs that Bettina uses are nothing like that.  My farrier actually planed them while they were on his feet to ensure they were flush with his feet before the casting material was put on.  They did x-rays prior to the trim, after the trim, and after the clogs were put on.  I really fought doing this - and I have to admit that I was wrong.  I think Finian would have been fine with the correct trim in his soft rides - but I do think the clogs sped things up and he was galloping around without my having to worry about him flipping a boot off and damaging his hoof.  Having said all that if someone wants to try the soft rocker option - I hesitated to give them to my farrier to use with other horses because I thought they were so awful - but if I can figure out where I put them, with the proviso that I would never recommend them, I am happy to give them away.
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Sandra on Vancouver Island, B.C.
December 2018