Page 240 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

Treatment

This involves the following.
VetBooks.ir • Correction of any mediolateral foot imbalance following careful assessment of the

horse’s gait and conformation to determine which heel is lowered.

• Shortening the toe of horses with long-toe, low-heel conformation.

• Shoeing the foot with a bar shoe to provide stability to the heel region.
• The shoe should be set slightly wide on the upright medial side and any flare of the hoof

wall on the lateral side should be removed.

• If the distortion is severe, it may take several trims over a period of months to correct it.
The wall on the affected (displaced) side is sometimes trimmed so that it does not quite
reach the bar shoe between the heel and the quarter. Over a period of time the heel may

be forced back into alignment due to the body-weight of the horse.

• Where possible, leaving the horse barefoot with regular trimming aids resolution of this
condition.

Prognosis

The prognosis is good if the condition is detected and dealt with before severe instability
occurs. Some affected horses require permanent heel support.

CONTRACTED HEELS

Causes

If a horse is lame for any period of time and takes less weight than normal on a particular
limb, the foot and in particular the heels may become contracted. Other causes of heel

contraction include the following.
• Dry, brittle horn. Without adequate moisture content the heels cannot expand normally

when the foot bears weight.

• Lack of exercise is a contributory factor as the blood flow to the hoof is reduced and the
moisture content of the horn decreases.

• Long-toe, low-heel conformation. As the foot becomes longer, the heels often move
closer together.

• Incorrect shoeing, e.g. using a shoe that is too small or placing nails too far back on the
hoof both restrict heel expansion.