The modified clog shown here differs from any other hoof device used on horses today. This modified clog (hereafter referred to in this article as a clog) features a 7/8-inch thick plywood top.

Under the front part of the top is a 1/2-inch glued-on wooden block (toe plate), while the remaining three-quarters of the area features a cushioned rubber pad. This rubber pad extends past the outer edges of the upper wooden part by 1/2 inch and is approximately 1/2 inch below the front wooden toe piece.

By comparison, the commercially available Steward clog is a single rubber pad attached to a 1/2-inch thick wooden block, or to a single block of wood that is approximately 2 inches thick, with slanted sides and steep breakover in the front.

Recently, a leather rim pad has been added to the top of the clog to provide a better fit to the hoof wall and to aid in avoiding the possibility of excessive sole and frog pressure. Along the top of the clog, a horseshoe-shaped groove helps alleviate pressure on the blood vessels along the rim of the coffin bone.

The front part of the clog has a 1/2-inch glued-on wood block, while the remaining 75% features an EVA rubber pad.

Not easily achievable with previously available commercial clogs, these modifications allow for:

• Elevation of the heel to relax the pull on the coffin bone by the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT).
• A steeply slanted breakover under the tip of the coffin bone…