My QH gelding wears hart bar pads due to underrun heels. He sometimes pulls his shoes and it may take the farrier a few days to come replace it. Can anyone recommend a hoof boot that I could use when he loses a regular shoe? Due to the underrun heels he has unusually shaped hooves and very low heels. (BTW he has been like this since I bought him.)
I would be asking why the farrier has not corrected the heels. I’m assuming he’s got long toes as well, and all that is why he’s pulling shoes - he can’t get his feet out of the way fast enough.
However, for times when a boot is needed, I’d start by looking at the easycareinc.com site, as they have a variety of shoes.
A couple of things:
1 - you need to measure the foot after a fresh trim, or by a few days after
2 - assuming you find a farrier who is competent enough to correct the feet, it won’t take long for the boots to not fit anymore
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The underrun heels are severe and he is working on them.
Thank you for the information.
How long has it been? Just curious.
Do you know what he’s going to work on them? I ask because many farriers think that the key is to not trim them, thinking they need “more growth”, when the exact opposite is true. There’s too MUCH heel, but it’s crushed, and therefore low. They must be trimmed back where they belong.
But even if that’s done, they will continue to abnormally migrate forward if toes are not brought back where they also belong. You cannot fix underrun heels if you don’t also fix long/forward toes.
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He takes the toe back as far as possible each time. The hooves were trimmed incorrectly from when he was young and now we are still trying to manage it and get the heel corrected. It has just been a few months. He is on a 4 week schedule to keep the toes under control as much as possible.
With underrun heels and a long toe, etc you are going to be hard pressed to find a boot that fits and stays on. Are you looking for a boot to ride in or a boot to have for turnout, so he doesn’t chip up, etc?
I have heard very good things about Scoot Boots. I do not have a pair yet but may try them based on the feedback I have heard from people that have purchased them.
Ok, at least it sounds like he’s working on progress.
I would use a size bigger bell boot to help keep him from grabbing a shoe. I’d also be looking more closely as to why he’s grabbing. Usually it is a long toe delaying breakover.
If a farrier is bringing toes back as far as he can each time, but they are still too long (and no, you can’t always trim them back to where they belong) AND he’s setting the shoe at the end of the still-long toe, then not only is he greatly slowing down progress, he’s allowing for that delayed breakover.
That is one benefit shoes have over barefoot when trying to get toes back - the shoes allow you to put the breakover exactly where it belongs, even when you can’t get the hoof material back yet. Then consistently bringing toes and heels back, and setting the shoe appropriately back, will get the foot migrating back where it belongs.
I think the issue at this point is less the shoeing and break over and more thick clay mud + excessive running due to neighbors horses being wild when they get turnout (only out few days a week). The pasture looks like it was plowed from all of the skidding in the mud. I will talk to farrier about the break over though.
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While the products have evolved over the past like nine years since they first came out, I bought what was probably the first generation of therapeutic easy boots for my gelding with feet similar to what you describe.
This version seems the most similar
http://www.easycareinc.com/our_boots…oot_cloud.aspx
ETA I used a particular pad made for the shoe that had like a wedge heel
I just saw that looking for the equivalent of the boot I owned and was also thinking if I still had that horse it is likely something I would try.
I have bought 2 horses with long toe/underrrun heel issues. Both were looking great within a few months. If your farrier knows what he is doing you should see obvious progress at each trim. This should not be a long and drawn out process.
Also, your horse will require frequent good trimming to keep this issue under control in the future. Your farrier must understand how to deal with this. Personally, I have run across more farriers who do not understand this issue than farriers who do know how to handle it. It’s baffling to me. It is such a common and basic issue.
Pictures would help. I’m betting your trim is still wrong. All the boots and shoes in the world won’t fix a bad trim.
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What JB and stb said. I am having the same issues with my horses. Every farrier believes that I am crazy for asking them to trim the heel back to the apex of the frog (?) and bring back the toes on the under run heels. I have an OTTB, who has 2 underrun heels and a Kentucky Mountain Saddle horse, who has one underrun. The other hoof is more upright. Instead of taking that heel down, they leave it long, which is causing the heel to contract on that hoof. My mare just reinjured the suspensory above that hoof. I suspect that the trim may have had something to do with it. The farriers tell me if, “I don’t trust them, then find someone else.” Unfortunately, I have been through almost all of the farriers in my area. If I haul down to Rood and Riddle, then Dr. Raul Bras will do them. He is the one who told me how they should be trimmed/shod in the first place. Unfortunately, I do not have an arm and a leg to give to pay for him to do both horses. It is beyond frustrating. I am not ignorant, but am treated as such.
JB, as a knowledgeable farrier, how should I address this, so as to educate and not pi## him off. Do you know of any farriers in my area who know how to do a balanced trim?
Also, both of my horses are barefoot behind. My OTTB gets flairs on all 4 feet, so that the outside part of her hooves are growing over the side of her front shoes, after about 4 weeks. My KMSH gets flairs behind. Is this caused by conformation, or needing to have them done more often? I have no issue with having them done at 5 weeks, but my farrier does.
OP, sorry to side track your post.
I’d think you’re crazy too :winkgrin:
The apex of the frog is in the front of it, where it truly joins the sole (as opposed to where it often grows forward to). Most of the time the farrier/trimmer has to trim back the tip to see where it actually meets. So not only can you not trim heels back to there 
you wouldn’t trim toes back to there either. However, that true apex IS a landmark that can be used to know where the breakover is supposed to be
The end of the heels of the hoof horn material should be pretty much back at the widest part of the frog.
I have an OTTB, who has 2 underrun heels and a Kentucky Mountain Saddle horse, who has one underrun. The other hoof is more upright. Instead of taking that heel down, they leave it long, which is causing the heel to contract on that hoof.
If the heel material is back at the widest part of the frog, that is almost as far down as you can trim it. The more upright or clubby the foot, the higher the heel will be even when back where it belongs - that’s a fairly easy way to determine how upright the foot naturally is. It’s not black and white, you should look at more things, but pretty much an upright foot with a heel that’s forward of the widest part of the frog, is not genetically that upright.
Many horses have a high/low situation going on, where one foot’s toe tends to run forward and the heel crush, and the other grows more upright. You can’t make them match, but you do have to trim each to their ideal
My mare just reinjured the suspensory above that hoof. I suspect that the trim may have had something to do with it. The farriers tell me if, “I don’t trust them, then find someone else.” Unfortunately, I have been through almost all of the farriers in my area. If I haul down to Rood and Riddle, then Dr. Raul Bras will do them. He is the one who told me how they should be trimmed/shod in the first place. Unfortunately, I do not have an arm and a leg to give to pay for him to do both horses. It is beyond frustrating. I am not ignorant, but am treated as such.
Can you haul down there every other trim?
JB, as a knowledgeable farrier, how should I address this, so as to educate and not pi## him off. Do you know of any farriers in my area who know how to do a balanced trim?
Not a farrier, but thanks for thinking that Can you post pictures of the feet? It helps to see what’s going on
Also, both of my horses are barefoot behind. My OTTB gets flairs on all 4 feet, so that the outside part of her hooves are growing over the side of her front shoes, after about 4 weeks. My KMSH gets flairs behind. Is this caused by conformation, or needing to have them done more often? I have no issue with having them done at 5 weeks, but my farrier does.
Most flares are caused by unbalanced trimming, and often by underrun heels
Anyone here close enough?
http://ehoofcarecom.ipage.com/support/search/farrier/elpomemlist.html
I’d call anyone within about 6 hours. Not that a 6 hour farrier would come to you, but they might know someone good who’s closer. And you might be surprised at some of the day trips some farriers and trimmers make to get a grouping of horses done. The lady who taught me, here in Northern NC, lives in Georgia 
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JB. Duh. That is why I put the question mark. No excuses for me. :o Thank you. I apparently cannot spell, either. Thank you for not pointing out the misspelling of “flares.”
Anyway, the upright foot has hoof wall extending straight down, not underrun or crushed, it is about 1/4 inch long/away from the back of the frog/heel. The whole frog seems very deep, especially the cleft. The other heel looks to be crushed and growing forward, with a long toe, in my opinion (which I now am beginning to think is not worth much. :winkgrin:)
The flares are mainly on the outside, on both horses. Can you think where the imbalance might be? Do horses actually land with more weight on the outside of the foot, which can cause the flares? My farrier said this, when I questioned him about them.
I will check out your suggested web site to see if I can find someone. Thank you for your insights.
I just checked out your list. Mid-South area is devoid of any farriers listed. The closest is in TN, whom I will call. KY, OH, IN and WV have zero. Sad.
That sounds like a genetically more upright foot. The more upright the foot, the narrow the heels will be, and the less healthy/wide the frog will be, and the deeper the collateral grooves (between frog and sole). It’s more prone to developing thrush, so good management is extra important with those feet.
Feet that are “low” do have a tendency to get more splat as time goes on, so keeping on a short enough trimming cycle is important. The farrier can’t be afraid to bring the toe and heels back, and set the shoe back a little if necessary, to keep the breakover back where it belongs.
The flares are mainly on the outside, on both horses. Can you think where the imbalance might be? Do horses actually land with more weight on the outside of the foot, which can cause the flares? My farrier said this, when I questioned him about them.
For sure some horses land wonky enough to cause their own flares. The goal in most cases should be to trim such that the landing is flat and heel-first, but some (many?) horses do naturally land a tiny bit outside to inside. That alone though should not cause flares
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Also, flares can be caused by bars that are growing funky and not addressed. Finding someone who knows what they are doing with feet is the hardest part of horse ownership, IMO. My super awesome farrier trained at Mission Farrier School. Maybe contact them and see if any of their graduates are in your area.
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