Overcoming Palmar Hoof Pain by Supporting and Stabilizing Collapsed Heels

1. Introduction

Palmar hoof pain is a common occurrence in many horses that are required to perform daily in some type of rigorous activity. It is the author’s experience that this is often caused by poor hoof wall integrity, farriery practices, daily hoof care, and hard surfaces. In North America, the horse racing industry’s predominate choice is a stone dust–based race track, the show horses generally show in firm synthetic riding rings, and the western world has to deal with concrete show grounds, coining the term, “concreteitis.”

More problematic is the structure of the hoof wall itself. Thin walls through the quarters and heel section of the hoof capsule are commonly at fault. Complicating this problem is excessive use of water because of foot soaking, bathing, and packing the hoof daily with poultices, which makes the hoof wall soft and more pliable. Pliable thin walls often cause the heels to collapse under the horse’s own weight. As the heel collapses, the wall will usually fold under and forward. This decreases the ground surface of the foot and moves the point of contact with the ground forward. As the heel horn tubules collapse, their point of contact in the heel of the shoe moves forward leaving the bulbs with no support (Fig. 1). A collapsed heel should not be mistaken for a short or low heel because the horn tubules are not short in length but have lost their angle and become more parallel to the ground surface. The amount of hoof wall deterioration at the quarters of the hoof capsule and how much of the hoof wall rolls over onto the sole will dictate how much sole pressure there is. Collapsed heels will ultimately result in that hoof being short shod with a smaller shoe, which usually results in a long toe, low heel configuration frequently observed at the race track (Fig. 2). This stress to the hoof capsule may also cause the walls to flare out through the quarters of the hoof capsule. Once the structures in the heel are damaged and the hoof capsule is distorted, the approach to shoeing will generally determine the overall soundness of the horse. Trimming, shoe choice, structural adhesives, daily hoof care, and training schedule will all play a role in managing palmar hoof pain.
 

The amount of palmar hoof pain is often related to the conformation of the hoof capsule, thickness of the wall, amount of hoof growth, width of the shoe, overall weight of the horse/rider, and the speed that the horse travels over any firm surface. Any one or combination of these factors will usually result in excessive sole pressure that will cause inflammation throughout the heel area.

This paper describes a simple, consistent method of using a unique glue-on shoea that, when fitted appropriately, will be centered under the distal phalanx. This method of farriery is used to relieve sole pressure, enhance wall thickness with the use of adhesives, and provide support to the bulbs of the heels.

2. Determining the Cause of Palmar Hoof Pain

To successfully reduce palmar hoof pain, the causes must be determined and eliminated where possible. It must be noted that not all palmer heel pain will originate from collapsed heels; there are many other causes. However, the cause can usually be localized to the hoof capsule by the farrier by simply removing the shoe and applying a homemade frog pressure bandage (Fig. 3). This type of bandage will elevate the sole off the ground and remove any pressure to the quarters of the hoof capsule. The other benefit of removing the shoes is that a complete inspection of hoof wall integrity and the sole wall junction can only be achieved with the shoes off.
 

If soundness is achieved by pulling the shoe and applying frog pressure, it is quite probable the cause will be a damaged hoof capsule, sole pressure, and the overlying shoe. The heel nails may also be the problem, but a close inspection of the sole and the use of hoof testers can confirm or eliminate the nails as the problem. It has been observed by this author that many horses will become sound because of the shoes being taken off and pressure removed from the sole. This also allows a hoof capsule to settle to a more natural position and inflammation to subside. The lameness will often improve if a horse is left barefoot for a few days, and this will also answer many other lameness questions.

Thin walls in the heel area are a major reason why horses become foot sore. When the hoof wall is thin, a high percentage of the web of the shoe ends, causing pressure on the sole (Fig. 4). It should be considered ideal when a thick healthy hoof wall and healthy frog are the main components to absorb the concussion to the foot.
 

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