ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: Using Heel Wedges on Low Heels - under run heels

Re: Using Heel Wedges on Low Heels - under run heels

Niccolai Murphy (hlurphy@socal.wanet.com)
Mon, 22 Sep 1997 06:19:01 -0700

I have, reluctantly, used heel wedges (I don't like not being able to
see the bottom of the foot and don't like the spongy feel the pad gives
the horse). In this case I stuck them on to protect the sole after a
puncture injury more than any thing else and since there was a low heel,
a wedge went on. They were successful in protecting the sole until it
healed a little better but had problems. With hind sight I would have
installed them slightly differently.

The extra thickness and flexiblity of the pads caused the nails to
fatigue in shear and break between the shoe and foot, within 10 days.
Hal lost both front shoes at a gallop, with half the nails still
attached to his foot. Fortunately he had healed enough not to need the
pads at the next shoeing, though going full pelt down a fire road caused
the loss of a significant amount of hoof.

If it had to be done again I'd go up a size in nails and reckon on a
refit every 2 to 3 weeks.

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The way we currently take care of the low heel is to apply Level-It to
the hoof. This has an advantage over the pad in being able to help
compensate for under run heels. Looking around most low heels tend to be
caused by this problem.In fact most horses seem to have this to some
degree. A pad can only be applied to the bottom of the prepared surface
of the foot. Unless you cut all the heel away down to the bulb you will
not support the heel of the foot ( the pad will only go as far back as
the heel has grown forward).

Using Level-It allowed us to build some hoof down from the bulb without
cutting any of the existing heel, thus increasing the surface area that
the shoe bears on and in theory reducing the very loads that cause the
under run heel or low heel problem. We also built it up as a wedge. The
stuff seems pretty resiliant and does seem to cut and file just like
real hoof.

Unlike the polyester resin fillers, this stuff does seem to stay
attached to the foot even when used to rebuild the side wall of the hoof
horn (we had to do this to rebuild Hal's feet when he lost the shoes).

It is pretty time consuming sticking this stuff on as you can only apply
a very thin layer each time.

*********************************************************************************************

One thing I've not tried is the wedge shoe because they only make it out
of aluminum and that probably won't last a week (steel shoes and the
current Al-Ti-Mg shoes only last us 3 to 4 weeks before the nail heads
dissappear).

********************************************************************************************

A final note is that dressage work may help balance out the wear, and
long term may do more than any shoeing changes.

Nicco

--
Open the pod bay door please Hal.






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