How to Trim a Collapsed Heel

A collapsed heel in a horse happens when the part of the hoof wall at the rear of the foot begins to wear and grow beneath the foot. The back of a proper heel should align with the canon bone. As the heel grows beneath the hoof, extending the toe outward dramatically, the horse shows signs of discomfort that may look like back pain, standing in a hunched position, pushing the hind legs up under its body to take weight off the painful hooves, and showing tremors from tensed hind quarter muscles. Corrective trimming is necessary, and corrective shoeing may or may not be necessary, depending on the individual case.

Things You'll Need

  • Halter
  • Lead rope
  • Hoof pick
  • Nippers
  • Hoof knife
  • Rasp
  • Farrier's apron
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Instructions

    • 1

      Halter the horse and have someone hold it for you. The person holding the horse should always be on the same side of the horse that you are working on for your safety.

    • 2

      Balance the hoof according to the horse's body and hoof conformation. This is slightly different for every horse. A balanced hoof maintains the proper alignment of the pastern with the hoof wall, provides adequate breakover at the toe to take stress off the heel and should be roughly a 45-degree angle from the toe up the pastern to the fetlock joint on the top.

    • 3

      Trim collapsed heels by removing as much wall at the heel as is necessary to encourage the heel to extend back.

    • 4

      Trim the bars of the affected hoof as well. Trimming the bars, which is the ridge of the sole that runs parallel to the frog, strengthens them and adds support to the heel wall.

    • 5

      Trim every six weeks, and reset if shoeing, until the heel is corrected.