Ask the Farrier: High Heel, Low Heel Syndrome

Krista from Mattoon, IL asks:
"My farrier said my horse has something called High Heel/Low Heel Syndrome and that's why his hoof angles don't look very even from the side. Can you tell me more about it? Can it affect my horse's movement? Is there a treatment?"

Farrier Arvin Reynolds answers:

Thanks for the question, Krista. High Heel/Low Heel Syndrome is a very common imbalance associated with the front pair of hooves. Very simply, one heel looks higher than the other and tends to grow that way despite some corrective shoeing measures.

The majority of horses have, to some degree, dissimilar hoof size and/or growth patterns for which there are many possible causes such as the horse’s typical “grazing stance” (repetitive position when one hoof is positioned in front of the other for balance when lowering the neck to graze) or way of going due to confirmation and/or muscular development. A mature horse’s irregular or otherwise undesirable hoof shape may even have been caused by excessive protein intake as a foal.

Depending on the degree of the imbalance, movement can be affected. The leg with the more upright hoof (higher heel) will tend to have a shorter stride; the leg with the lower heeled hoof will be a bit longer in stride. Overly upright hooves are susceptible to arthritis or other joint disorders; Too-low heels receive too much impact, resulting in sore heels or, possibly, navicular disorders.

Your farrier’s job is not necessarily to “correct” the imbalance as that may not be possible, it may be better to think about “managing” it. The upright hoof should have as much heel taken off as possible on each shoeing ; the lower-heeled hoof may need to be addressed with pads to reduce concussion and encourage growth, and the breakover on this hoof should be moved back as far as possible. Every horse, and thus, every shoeing case is different. Feel free to email some pictures – front and side on a level surface – to the Good HorsePerson if you have any further concerns. Hopefully I’ve addressed your question! -Arvin Reynolds

Arvin Reynolds is an AFA and BWFA Certified Farrier specializing in therapeutic and sport horse shoeing. He is currently the sole farrier for the United States Park Police in Washington, DC. He is also one of two certified Cytek shoers in Virginia. He can be reached by phone at 703-895-4786 and email AGRShoeing@aol.com