Heart-bar horseshoes that incorporate an adjustable pressure screw are used as a reversible model of hoof pain for experimental studies of anti-inflammatory medications. In this trial, researchers applied heart-bar shoes to five mares. They measured three biochemical markers for inflammation in the bloodstream, as well as dorsal coronary band temperature, before and after the shoes were adjusted to create a Grade 4 lameness (obvious at a walk, AAEP scale 0-5) to determine the role inflammation plays in this model of hoof pain.

Clodronate, a bisphosphonate medication, has become a popular treatment for navicular disease despite little understanding of how it affects the bones of horses.

Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College’s Structure and Motion Laboratory in the United Kingdom examined the effects of three common hacking surfaces (asphalt, gravel and grass) on foot placement, movement symmetry and hoof impact deceleration during the walk and trot.