bar shoes, pros/cons?
the vet has recommended my horse has bar shoes, what are some pros and cons about them? 
im not sure why but his OTT owner struggled with his feet also, and that was 10 years ago.. then he went to another home before me and they did not at all take care of him, nor his feet, its been a battle ever since we got him and it has been getting better, but he needs support on his heels.
Comments
Assuming that your horse has developed sheared heels, or underrun heels, as the heels have grown forward, the frogs and digital cushions have moved backward.
When this happens, the heels lose their mechanical strength so that they are no longer able to bear weight. The frogs, digital cushions and deep flexor tendons end up bearing the weight that is shifted off of the heels.
The traditional treatment in the past (and still practiced by some farriers) was to use an egg bar shoe, with or without a wedge pad to raise the angle of the heels in order to change the altered hoof /pastern axis associated with low heels.
With the theory being that increased ground surface of the shoe could improve support for the palmar foot, and that a bar could function to stabilize the heels, egg bar shoes were fitted back to the bulbs of the heels in order to to solve the problem of low, underrun heels.
The "con" to this thinking comes when you ask how compromised heels that cannot bear weight could be being "supported" by this shoe design, which would require the heels to bear weight in order to serve that function.
An egg bar shoe places the bulk of the weight borne onto the supporting structures of the heel, which can, in actual fact, only further damage these structures over time, According to the more enlightened researchers and veterinary specialists, egg bar shoes probably create leverage force against the heels. The longer length of the bar shoe forces the horse to land heel first, but the length of the shoe actually acts as a lever that causes increased pressure on the already compromised heels during weight-bearing,
Instead of fostering beneficial growth and tissue development, this actually prevents regrowth of healthy, well functioning tissue. Whatever stability the bar was intended to provide to the heels is countered by the damaging leverage force being placed on the heels.
I really have no pros to offer on use of egg bar shoes. After decades of experience with others who have used them on their horses, I've seen no good outcomes when it comes to producing healthy, functioning hooves.
I strongly recommend finding a reputable certified barefoot trimming specialist to evaluate your horse's condition asap before more damage is done to his already damaged hooves.
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Add...... A second opinion never hurts. A second opinion from a qualified professional barefoot trimmer should verify the opinion of your farrier. If, instead, the opinion rendered conflicts with the way the hooves are currently being managed and/or with the proposed solution, and a different potential solution is offered, then you can weigh the reasoning offered to support each opinion and choose the one that makes the most sense to you.
Your horse needs "support for his heels"? Makes no sense and the last thing I would do is put bar shoes on him. YOur horse has "heel pain due to a low heel"? Again, makes no sense. Sorry but you need to call another vet and get a second opinion.
Do you have a decent farrier? Have you discussed this nonsense with your farrier? If your horse has a problem with his hooves, I would, first of all, take a good look at my farrier and decide if his/her work is quality. That could be part of the problem.
Your horse needs a good barefoot trim. If he has hoof pain, put him in some easy boot gloves until his feet are stronger. That is what I would recommend for him, sign unseen. I will not muddy the water here by theories of what a bar shoe should do. Suffice to say that I have NEVER seen these shoes successfully treat a horse with a problem. They do MORE HARM THAN GOOD. The hoof cannot move at all in these barbaric rings of torture. There are no pros for these shoes. The people who use these shoes have zero understanding about what the real problem is in the hoof.
Owners usually struggle with a horse's feet because they are allowing farriers to do too much damage by nailing metal shoes to their feet. Pull the shoes, give the horse good nutrition so they can grow a good quality of hoof tissue and exercise the horse to help with hoof growth quantity, and all will be well. If they need support until the feet heal, boot them. You will injure your horse with these shoes. Don't do it.
Sadly, a lot of vets as well as farriers will give the wrong advice when it comes to hooves.
Why does your horse have low heels? Are they truly "low" or are they long and under run (growing in a forward/crushed position).
Is dorsal hoof wall (toe) in tight connection to the laminae or is it stretched forward, thus pulling the heels with it?
A better option might be a natural balance type of shoe applied with a wedge to correct hoof pastern angle and position the break over where it needs to be to grow in a healthy foot - done after heels are trimmed to proper position under the foot.
Start reading and watching videos on the site I've copied for you and educate yourself on proper hoof form. You are your horse's best advocate and the more you understand the better equipped you will be to know if you are getting good advice and management from the professionals you use for your horse care needs.
http://www.hopeforsoundness.com/cms/
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forumdisplay.php...
Aleisha: I'm thrilled you're finally getting your horse medical attention. But I worry about you coming to YA for your questions. I just supplied a link to a website that's populated by mostly experienced horsemen.
When you post your questions there, do not overstate your abilities. Be honest about your background and firm in your decision to finally put shoes on this horse. They can be a snarky bunch, but they also have a better median level of intelligence than folks here.
Bar shoes are more expensive heavier and really restrict any expansion of the foot. The are meant to offer support to the heel especially because they're essentially a circle. The expansion of the foot is a pro in some cases, and a con in many as well. I am not a farrer, nor to I profess to know a bunch about shoeing and I don't want to mislead you. So before anyone else posts here to try and confuse you with their "Natural Barefoot Trim" kool aid, go visit the Chronicle and ask there for some advice.
Best of luck.
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glue on shoes, with a nice thick rim pad are what i used. its been quite a while but lo and behold he has really great feet now. I am hesitant to go back to nail on shoes though, becasue they casued hi so many problems before.