Sore Heels - What Exactly Causes This?

[ytr45]

I have a barefoot horse who has very sore heels right now. ( And I'm assuming even a lot of shod horses are having sore heels now due to the ice.) He is in the process of transitioning to barefoot, so I'm not worried, just curious. But I have a feeling that in the past when he was permanently shoeless, he had sore heels as well. He has a balanced trim and good feet.

My question is :
What causes sore heels, as opposed to sore frog, sore sole, sore quarters, etc.
Are heels the most commonly sore part of the foot for a barefoot horse? Is it because the heel strikes the ground first?
thanks!

[Fharoah]

He he stepping flat, heel first or toe first? How did you determine he is heel sore? Do you have a video? Is he sound or lame?

[BuddyRoo]

Boy, that's a great question, but you haven't posted enough specifics...

Why do you think he has sore heels?

What is going on w/ his hoof?

I can imagine that a horse who is under run will have issues w/ sore heels perhaps...but I'm having a hard time imagining your particular situation.

Do tell!

[LMH]

Is he reacting to hoof testers at the heels?

If the frog, other structures are weak or the foot is imbalanced, discomfort can show up about anywhere I guess....when something is weak, something else is carrying an extra load that it is not designed to carry.

Many of the horses I see with heel pain is also accompanied by weak or unhealthy frogs or weak bars...

[matryoshka]

I'm guessing your horse is landing toe first?

I think underrun heels get sore pretty easily.

[LMH]

I think underrun heels get sore pretty easily.


They do-I was just looking through some notes are the reason why-I can't find what I am looking for-just references to placement at the widest part of the frog allows for correct distortion and something about the relationship of heel placement to the lateral cartilages.

Helpful, huh?:lol:

[matryoshka]

I'd think a negative palmar angle would create a sore-heel situation as well.

Without pics, however, we have no idea what might be causing sore heels for the OP's horse.

[ytr45]

Here's more info.... he was moving a tad short in the front, so I put the hoof testers on him and he was reactive in both front heels. As I said, I'm not surprised he's sore, since his shoes got pulled 3 months ago and its been all ice. I was just curious -in general- about what causes sore heels, versus sore frogs, sore sole, sore quarters, etc.

[Fharoah]

I think I would further investigate.

[NoExcuses]

I would want my vet out as soon as possible. Heel Pain can be an indicator for a number of conditions. You mention a positive reaction to hoof testers in front and short steps. Those are signs that can point the way to Navicular syndrome. Nerve blocks and x-rays can be very helpfull in getting to a correct answer. There are several ways of treating heel pain, it is often found with contracted heels. A good farrier to work with your vet should give you correct answers and treatment options. Good Luck

[2869]

Have you talked to your farrier? I would probably at least have a conversation w/him before having a vet out or in conjuction with a vet. Has he been trimmed since his shoes were pulled 3 months ago?

[Tom Bloomer]

They do-I was just looking through some notes are the reason why-I can't find what I am looking for . . .
Probably this: ;)

http://www.appliedequinepodiatry.org/iaep/energy_management.html

[LMH]

hehehe...thought if anyone would find that, it would be you!

[Patty Stiller]

First ,how was the determination of sore heels made? Just a toe first landing is not enough. Hoof testers would be the way to determine if the heels are truly sore because hoof testers can isolate just the heels and bars from the frog, navicular etc. Nerve blocks are not an accurate assessment for simple heel pain because heel blocks numb more structures than just the heels.
That said, IF it has been determined that this is truly soreness from *just* the heels,(the bars, heel and corn area)then usually it is from improper trimming.
Failing to trim/correct underrun heels , failing to trim /correct overgrown or bent bars can cause internal bruising. Leaving heels too tall can create a hard heel landing instead of a desirable very subtle SLIGHT heel landing.
Other sources of heel pain could be an uncorrected negative palmer/plantar angle.
And if the breakover is not correct, a horse may land toe first simply due to limb mechanics without without heel pain, although eventually a horse landing toe first may develop coffin joint and navicular/impar ligament issues.

[Rick Burten]

Probably this: ;)

http://www.appliedequinepodiatry.org/iaep/energy_management.htmlIt appears that in order to support his theory, Mr. LaPierre has engaged in a multi-paragraph logical fallacy,

http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/skeptic.JPG
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Logical_fallacy.svg/150px-Logical_fallacy.svg.png

[matryoshka]

Patty, a later post said the horse was sore to heel testers. Sounds like bruising to me, but I don't often have them turn up with sore heels, so I don't know.

[Zu Zu]

So... what is the recommendation for sore heels due to bad trimming - how soon does the heel area become UN-SORE ??? 8 weeks ??? three weeks???Treatment ??? Standing the horse ii the mushiest mud ??? wrapping hot towels laced with hair conditioner around the horses sore heels ??? Any thoughts on how to treat sore heels once that has been determined to be the cause of the pain?

[matryoshka]

If the heels are sore because they are run under, then that needs to be dealt with through trimming them back while also getting the breakover back. It can take time to get run forward heels back where they belong, and the trimmer needs to plan how to get them there while keeping the horse comfortable. They can't just be taken back on a barefoot horse in one fell swoop or the horse will be sore. A short trimming cycle is helpful.

If the heels are sore because the bars are too long, then trimming them can alleviate the problem pretty fast.

If the horse has a negative palmar angle, then that needs to be addressed.

For a barefoot horse experiencing soreness, boots and pads are an option for comfort while riding, and for turnout if necessary. However, the reason for the soreness first needs to be addressed.

However, all we know at this point is that the horse is short strided and showing soreness to hoof testers. What to do to solve the problem depends upon what the problem is. Right now we're just throwing possibilities out there. This is best discussed with the farrier or trimmer while looking at the horse in question. And maybe with rads if it a negative palmar angle is suspected.

[Zu Zu]

OK OK but say the heels are sore from a poor trimming ( substitute farrier)and the regular farrier has "fixed" the problem with proper trimming and shoes are back on correctly ~ how long might it take for the heels to soften up and not cause discomfort? Any ideas ???