Customizing Duplo Composite Shoes with the Le Czar Spreader

No two hooves are shaped quite the same, and an off-the-shelf shoe doesn't always match the foot in front of you. One of the big advantages of Duplo composite shoes is that they can be adjusted. The modified Le Czar Horseshoe Spreader makes that adjustment quick, controlled and repeatable.

The Le Czar is a classic farrier spreader that Duplo Canada modified specifically for composite shoes. Instead of reaching for the next size up, you can often reshape the shoe you already have so it fits the hoof properly.

See It in Action

The best way to understand what this tool does is to watch it work. In this tutorial, Caro Lucas of Duplo Canada shows how to make a shoe wider, shorter, rounder or asymmetrical. She also covers the tool's limits, and when hammer-and-anvil work is needed for further changes.

Video by Caro Lucas, Duplo Canada, from the Duplo Frank – Composite Horseshoes YouTube channel.

What You Can Do with It

• Fine-tune the fit. Shape the shoe to follow the individual outline of the hoof, rather than settling for close enough.
• Adjust one side at a time. Widen one branch while narrowing the other, for hooves that aren't symmetrical.
• Reshape instead of sizing up. Make a shoe wider, slightly shorter and rounder. That often saves you from going up a size and then cutting away the supportive synthetic material at the heels.
• Carry fewer sizes. Because one size can be adjusted to cover more hooves, you can keep a smaller range on your truck and spend less time fitting.
• Work with control. The handles give good leverage, so you make adjustments gradually using your own strength.

Which Shoes It Works With

The spreader is made for Duplo composite shoes with flexible heel sections. It generally works on sizes 118 to 170, depending on how much force you can apply.

It is not meant for shoes with a continuous, ring-shaped metal insert. Those shoes aren't designed to be spread this way.

Not sure whether a particular Duplo model can be adjusted? Call, text or email me and I'll help you check.

Tips and Where to Get It

• Go in small steps. Spread a little, check the shoe against the hoof, and repeat. It's easier to add width than to take it back.
• Read the safety instructions first. Please review our Safety Instructions before using the spreader.
• Pair it with the right finishing tools. The SELL Clincher "Duplo" has a narrower bottom lever that fits the nail groove, and the TFS Nail Pullers get a secure grip on well-seated nail heads.

The modified Le Czar spreader is available in our store: Le Czar Horseshoe Spreader for Composite Horseshoes, $145.

Questions about fitting or which shoes to pair it with? Call, text or email me anytime at info@equinehoofsolutions-usa.com.

Kathi van der Gugten, Equine Hoof Solutions