Ground Control Horseshoes

07/09/2025

When I’m not painting, I’m shipping out my Ground Control Horseshoes. Thank you to all my horseshoe customers for supporting my art habit! These are the 4th of July orders going out while I was in Rockport at the Art Festival this past weekend.

We live in Bergheim Texas just three miles from the area along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country which has been hit so hard with devistation from the recent flooding. Please continue to pray for families with lost loved ones.

In 1992 I moved to Kerrville right out of college at Michigan State University. I lived in an apartment just a couple blocks from the current flooding. At the time I worked as a cartographic designer at Gousha Mapping Company in Comfort. I heard so many stories from colleagues who had lost children while in the camp along the Guadalupe river back then in 1987. It’s sad to have a similar situation this past weekend.

While in college I worked at Camp Newaygo in Michigan. I can only imagine the psychological impact and tragic circumstances of getting awakened by a flash flood in the middle of the night and trying to rescue the children. 😢

Thank you to all the hard working volunteers, fire departments, sheriff deputies, police, mounted patrol, search and rescue organizations and others in our community for all you do. It warms my heart to see the community pulling together for recovery and clean up and makes me proud to be a Texan.

~ Kristy McNelly

06/27/2025

On April 24, 1922, John Otterman parked his horse-drawn cab for the last time on a New York City street. At 72 years old, he had been driving passengers since 1882—through rain, snow, cobblestones, and change. But that day, with the growing roar of motorcars and yellow taxis taking over the city, Otterman stepped down for good.

Beside him stood his 25-year-old horse, his partner in the trade, whose tired eyes had seen decades of gaslights, streetcars, and skyscrapers rise around them. For forty years, they had trotted the same streets that now blurred with machines and horns. Their pace, once normal, was now obsolete.

He wasn’t bitter. Just quiet. The photograph taken that day doesn’t show fanfare. Just a man and his horse, standing still while the future rushed past them.

This was more than a retirement. It was the closing of a chapter—of the sound of hooves on pavement, of leather reins and spoken directions, of patience. Otterman didn’t just carry passengers—he carried time. And when he walked away that day, an era went with him.

Not every ending makes headlines. But some are worth remembering all the same.


~Old Photo Club

04/23/2025

As the saying goes, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. When considering hoof care, it certainly applies to shoeing horses, as well. In American Farriers Journal’s “The Many Ways to Shoe a Horse, Vol. 1” Laura Gillespie, CJF, APF-I, of Athens, Ala., and Mike Hayward, APF-I, of San Jose, Calif. provide a comprehensive overview of several shoeing applications and the various options for achieving the desired outcome.

Check out the contents in this special report!
Sidebone Shoe Reduces Leverage
Several Options for Providing Frog Support
Protecting Wounds with a Hospital Plate
Protecting Heels with the Onion Shoe
Options for Collateral Ligament Injuries
The Many Ways to Shoe a Horse
Whether you’re looking to reinforce your current techniques or explore new approaches, this special report offers valuable insights you won’t want to miss.

Download your free copy of "The Many Ways to Shoe a Horse" by American Farriers Journal at this link:
https://lessiter.omeclk.com/portal/wts/uc%5Ecnc-ez9%7Cbbk69a9mr26ncrC%5EDckgHQv-%5E82L%7El

04/01/2025

Have a great Easter weekend on the trails. Happy riding!

03/21/2025

Thank you to our new customers in Kansas that just bought some Ground Control Horseshoes at EquiFest of KS brought to you by Kansas Horse Council!

03/11/2025

Who else loved the book “Misty of Chincoteague”?

On this day in 1962, a famous filly named Stormy was born.

On March 7, a catastrophic nor'easter had hit the middle-Atlantic with the strength of an extremely intense hurricane. This storm put Chincoteague Island underwater, killing three people and resulting in devastating loss of animal life.

About 800 Chincoteague residents were evacuated by helicopter as the tides destroyed homes, businesses, and roads.

But at the Beebe Ranch, a pony named Misty was about to give birth.

Misty was the real-life pony on whom children's author Marguerite Henry based her 1947 novel Misty of Chincoteague.

Ralph Beebe, owner of the Beebe Ranch, stowed Misty away in his kitchen before evacuating by helicopter.

He returned to the island to find untold destruction... and Misty, safe and sound in the kitchen.

Beebe brought Misty to an animal hospital in Pocomoke City, Maryland, where she gave birth on March 11th to a chestnut pinto filly appropriately named Stormy.

In this photo, a newborn Stormy stands with eight year old David Finney, the son of veterinarian Dr. Garland E. Finney Jr.

Marguerite Henry would go on to write another Misty book called Stormy, Misty's Foal, which covers the events of the Ash Wednesday Storm and the perseverance of the islanders.

02/27/2025

How would you like to trim a 🦒 giraffe’s hooves?

02/27/2025

Come see our Ground Control Horseshoes booth at location L2 at the EquiFest of KS brought to you by Kansas Horse Council March 21-23, 2025. Can’t wait to see you all there!

02/20/2025

💜 Are you ready to celebrate Mardi Gras? 🎉

📣 Also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras originated in medieval Europe and is celebrated by feasting, parading, and throwing beads. The tradition was brought to Louisiana by French settlers in the 17th century and is now celebrated in many cities around the United States. My horse, Zeus and I participate in the Mardi Gras parades in Texas too!

🐴 26 years ago, I invented urethane Ground Control Horseshoes to keep my horse safe and sound. I want them to help your horses too! With Ground Control Horseshoes, you will have peace of mind knowing that your horse will have great traction when riding on slippery streets, especially during a parade when the horns are blowing, flags are flying and beads are being thrown! The last thing you want is to have your horse slip and lose traction in those situations.

➡️ Your horse will have added shock absorption too, which is great for any sore footed horse that also needs a therapeutic shoe. They are lightweight, protect the frogs, have a recessed nail channel, have a rolled toe for ease of break over, stimulate blood flow to the legs, and they are durable, so your farrier can reset them. Plus, they come in cool colors like turquoise, pink, and lavender! They are perfect for all disciplines of riding with proven performance for over 26 years. Made in Texas, USA. 🇱🇷

Still using metal horseshoes? It might be time for a change.

Laissez les bons temps rouler: A Cajun-French phrase that means "let the good times roll" and don't forget to leave a little sparkle wherever you go!
- Kristy McNelly, 🎨 artist, equestrian, and Ground Control Horseshoe Inventor

For more information go to our link below or see it in our bio.
🔗 Plastichorseshoes.com

12/17/2024

Thank you EquiFest of KS brought to you by Kansas Horse Council! Kristy is the inventor of Ground Control Horseshoes.

12/08/2024

🐴 We hope you and your horses are having a great start to your holiday season! Our shipping schedule this month has some changes. Please plan ahead and place your orders for Ground Control Horseshoes prior to December 15th, as there will be no shipments going out the following week before Christmas. Thanks for understanding and have a Merry Christmas!

www.plastichorseshoes.com

08/06/2024

"Study the Science of Art. Study the Art of Science. Develop your Senses - especially learn how to See. Realize that everything connects to everything else."
- Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

How does an Artist Design a Urethane Horseshoe?

A little background: In 1999, my horse, Hickory, had torn a ligament in his leg and was in need of special horseshoes to help him recover. I tried several horseshoe options on the market at the time.

As an artist and graphic designer with a little scientific background (flashback to 1987 high school science challenge) I actually used the the "scientific method" to come up with my own "best horseshoe". Through my experimental research, and the help of my brother, John, a plastics engineer, I invented my own horseshoe right on my Apple computer using my Adobe design program, Illustrator. Prototypes were manufactured and testing began. I added the frog protector and the rolled toe for better break-over. The patent was filed and obtained.

I think the stars aligned when Ground Control was born 25 years ago. The first shoe to come out of the mold was black, and we still make those today in our town of Boerne, Texas. We now also have pink, turquoise, and lavender, as well as our most popular color, clear.

Let me take a moment to thank those customers who have stuck by Ground Control for many years now. I know that Ground Control Horseshoes have helped many horses to stay safe and sound, just like my own. And by supporting my small business, you also are supporting my art and horse habit! 🎨🐴!

Cheers!

Kristy McNelly
Ground Control Horseshoes
www.Plastichorseshoes.com