# Heart Bar Shoes for Laminitis horses



## Velvetgrace (Aug 17, 2008)

I need more detail about this type of shoe for founder / laminitis horses. Spoke with a vet about it and he recommened it to put pressure on the sole to help prevent more rotation. 

Thanks,


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Hi,

I'm a hoof care practitioner with lots of experience rehabbing founder & lami. I do not recommend metal shoes, definitely not heart bars. I don't advise shoes for sick feet and believe they can only be used with minimal negative impact if the feet are healthy & strong.

Very basically, laminitis generally comes about through dietary problems. Therefore, concentrating only on hoof care is not going to be successful in rehabbing. Treatment needs to be holistic. In conjunction with other management changes *correct* hoofcare will generally lead to full rehabilitation. 

If your horse already has rotated or dropped coffin bones, then it's not just lami, it's progressed to founder. It's likely his heels are high, keeping the frogs out of a supporting role and his toes are probably long(stretched forward) and flared, as the walls are disconnected with the feet and forced into an unhealthy angle. Keeping/making heels very short(compared to what is fashionable in many circles) and keeping toes short & backed up should help avoid or correct rotation. Keeping the entire walls level or near level with the outer sole will prevent them 'dropping' further. Using hoof boots &/or frog support pads will keep the horse comfortable & allow exercise with *correct movement* where necessary, until his feet become healthy enough.

I appreciate this view may be against your vet's & farrier's advice. Unfortunately it may be because they have little & outdated information about hoof function. Slowly this is changing & more & more vets & farriers are becoming educated on the pros of *physiologically correct* hoof care & management. It's up to you to do the research & make a decision whether you will follow their advice or follow the sort of principles I'm speaking of & find other professionals to help you. To this end, hoofrehab.com & safergrass.org are 2 great sites to begin with.


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## Mercedes (Jun 29, 2009)

Agree mostly with what's been said. 

Sometimes shoes are a requirement as sometimes that toe is already too short and acrylic needs to be used to build it back up, though heart bar shoes would be a no-no always and forever.

Get those heels down, down, down, down.and get that frog level with the world. After that, then you see where you are with the toe. The toe can be short AND stretched. Or it can be long AND stretched. Depending on which, determines what you do next.

I'm not in support of taking vet's advice on how a horse should be trimmed or shod for the most part, unless the vet is a specialist in this area and works with a specialist farrier.

So, go find yourself a farrier who specializes in this condition and make sure you get references AND that you call them.


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

Shoes will further damage an already damaged hoof.

I would get the Easyboot Gloves with the EasyCare Comfort Pad System.

The Easyboot Glove | The Ultimate Horse Hoof Boot | EasyCare Inc.

Browsing Store - EasyCare Comfort Pad System Replacement

These will get circulation to the sole and not damage the hoof wall and make the foot "flat" that a shoe requires.


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## Mercedes (Jun 29, 2009)

Hey Velvet, just noticed you're in OK? I know the best laminitis/founder farrier in the world and he lives in OK....not for long though...he's moving.

PM if you want information for contacting him.


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## Mercedes (Jun 29, 2009)

hotreddun said:


> Shoes will further damage an already damaged hoof.


No they won't. Unless you've got some yahoo putting them on.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Mercedes said:


> No they won't. Unless you've got some yahoo putting them on.


Well, I won't say 'will' as in definitely, but yes, even if they're well applied, they're likely to contribute to the damage, or at least prevent it from getting better.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

BTW OP, if you want some more specific opinions re your horse's feet, feel free to post hoof pics, of a variety of angles.


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