Underrun heels are a very common issue in horses. According to the Practical Horseman, “on a healthy foot, heel and toe grow from the coronary band to the ground at the same angle; when the angle of the heel is less than that of the toe (making it look flattened out), the heels are considered ‘underrun.'”
EasyShoes along with corrective trimming can help balance the hoof. The integrated frog support on the EasyShoe Versa Grip supports the frog along with the heels with each step, as opposed to the heels coming in contact with the ground first, having to sink into the surrounding environment to get support for the frog in an open heel shoe. Sharing the load equally between the heels and the frog allows the horse to be more comfortable. Additionally, the frog support will help circulate blood with each footfall.
Do you have a horse who struggles with underrun heels? Hoof Care Practitioner, Jessica Jova, shares how the EasyShoe Versa Grip Octo improved Bo hooves in one trim cycle.
“Bo returned from a lease with severely overgrown hooves and under run heels. His owner and I agreed that Versa Grip Octo might be the best option to improve his hoof form and function expeditiously.
He was immensely more comfortable as soon as the shoes were applied! We will give him more caudal support with future shoeings to help those heels decontract further.
Bo is a therapy horse and his pink shoes help him do his job comfortably and are a huge hit with all of his students.”
