Frog-support pads have become one of the most commonly used pads for therapeutic purposes since their introduction. They are now available in a variety of sizes and configurations, including in both egg bar and wedged-heel patterns.

Frog-support pads are used for a variety of heel problems and are also used at times for horses with quarter cracks and in laminitis treatment. They can be used in some situations to help transfer weight-bearing from a damaged or weak hoof wall to the frog.

Blake Brown, who spent much of his career working as the farrier at an equine veterinary clinic in California, made frequent use of frog-support pads in his therapeutic work.

“Most horses who need frog pads have crushed heels,” he says, “so they’re likely to need a wedged heel as well. You need to get the heel back up and get the weight back over the middle of the foot. In these cases, frog pads absorb energy, protect the sole and let you raise the heels.”

This Side Up

Brown is a big believer in their effectiveness, but offers a rather surprising piece of advice regarding their use — don’t put them on upside down.

It may seem like simplistic advice, but the farrier from Penryn, Calif., says he saw several instances in which horses were brought into the clinic with a lameness issue — and…