Heart bar Shoes
The distinctive heart shape gives these shoes therapeutic properties that make them the preferred choice for certain horses.
ET Hoofcare presents the features and benefits of this special horseshoe.
What is a Heart Bar Shoe for Horses?
Historically used for aesthetic reasons, this type of horseshoe is now recognized for its technical and therapeutic qualities.
The heart bar shoe is characterized by its extended area at the heel, forming a kind of heart shape. This unique design offers several advantages when it comes to pressure distribution within the hoof.
What Are the Benefits of Heart Bar Shoes for Horses?
The specific shape of this horseshoe provides numerous benefits for the horse’s health and well-being, including:
- Reduced pressure on the heels: The larger contact surface at the heel reduces pressure on this sensitive area, which is especially helpful for horses with heel conditions.
- Improved stability: Unlike traditional horseshoes with slightly curved branches, heart bar shoes feature straight and symmetrical branches for enhanced stability. This shape gives the horse more grip, especially on slippery or uneven terrain.
- Enhanced traction: The wider support surface improves the hoof's grip on the ground, which is particularly beneficial for sport horses or those that work on various surfaces.
- Joint relief: Thanks to more even pressure distribution, heart bar shoes can help reduce stress on joints and tendons.
- Adaptation to various pathologies: Special shoeing solutions can be used as part of therapeutic treatments to address conformation issues or lameness.
- Improved blood circulation in the hoof: The heart-shaped bar supports the frog, an important part of the horse’s hoof, improving circulation and positively affecting hoof health.
Various Therapeutic Applications
Due to its specific shape, this heart-shaped horseshoe is a therapeutic tool that can correct certain pathologies and improve the horse’s overall well-being:
- Correction of lameness: These shoes help relieve lameness caused by limb rotation problems or muscular imbalances. By altering pressure distribution, they reduce pain and improve mobility.
- Treatment of laminitis: Special horseshoes can be adjusted to relieve heel pressure in horses suffering from laminitis, thereby supporting the healing process.
- Correction of limb conformation faults: By adapting the shape of the shoe, certain conformational defects can be corrected and stress on the joints reduced.
- Joint support: The heart-shaped shoes help distribute weight more evenly, reducing joint strain.
Learn more about JB brand heart bar shoes.