Just back from a clinic and now I'm split on heart bar shoes for founder

At a workshop last week, they showed how to fit heart bar shoes on laminitis cases. The teacher said it gives more stability and helps horses heal faster. But my old mentor thinks it's too tricky and often leads to pressure points. I've seen both sides and can't pick one. How do you all handle these tough hoof issues?

3 comments

3 Comments

raymartin1mo ago

Pressure points from a bad fit can ruin the whole idea. Your mentor's worry about the caudal heel is the exact reason some folks won't touch them. It takes a perfect application to avoid causing more pain.

hayden72023d ago

My old mentor was mostly focused on the bars, not the heel itself. He saw a lot of issues start there when the trim wasn't balanced. If the bars get overloaded, it can pull the whole foot back. A bad fit anywhere can cause problems, but that was his main worry.

nancy301mo ago

That workshop last week, was it the one put on by the Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners? I'm curious about the pressure point argument from your old mentor. Does he worry more about the caudal heel or the bars themselves getting too much load? I've heard that's where a bad fit shows up first, like when the frog isn't taking enough weight evenly.