During a presentation at the 2006 International Hoof-Care Summit, Blake Brown discussed using various hoof pads in therapeutic situations. Here’s some of what he had to say.

The Frog-Support Pad:

“This is the pad I use the most in therapeutic situations,” Brown says.

The popularity and versatility of the pad has led manufacturers to make it available in a wide variety of sizes and configurations. But regardless of size or profile, the purpose of the pad is the same, says Brown: To get the frog back into contact with the ground so that it is part of horse’s support system.

Frog-support pads are used to deal with a variety of heel problems, at times in treating quarter cracks and in laminitis treatment.

Hard Polyurethane Pads:

“This pad can be used in many ways. It can be bolted on. It’s a lot simpler to use than an aluminum pad,” Brown says.

One thing to remain aware of is this pad can be used in two very different ways.

“This pad can prevent sole pressure,” he says. “It can also offer continuous frog pressure because it’s solid.”

A variety of pads are useful in therapeutic situations.

One potential misapplication of this pad that Brown has seen is when it is used with a horse with very flat feet.

“If you put this pad on a horse with flat soles and you let it get right against the sole, you’re not going to do any good for that horse,” he says. “The pad…