The pattern bar is an extremely useful shoe that you will find indispensable in your practice if you deal with many therapeutic situations.

While the patten bar elevates the heels, causing a different angle for the foot, its other aspects are more important. A horse with a patten bar will bear more weight on his good limb over the course of a treatment period. The principle is the same as if you were to stand with one foot on a brick and the other on the ground. The foot on the ground would support the majority of your weight.

Along with the rest benefit, the palmar/plantar extension will support the back of the leg. Adding support to the back of the leg is critical in many therapeutic situations.  Another benefit from the patten bar is that when the horse does put weight on the foot with the shoe, the foot is held in a position that reduces the chance of further injury to the suspensory apparatus.

A Shoe For Stall Rest

As is true with the majority of therapeutic shoes, the patten bar is not a shoe to apply on a horse that is going to be worked.  It is, in fact, sometimes called a “rest” shoe, and as the name implies, it is a shoe for stall rest. The owner must be made aware of this. It is also recommended that the patten bar be reset and adjusted on a 4-week schedule to avoid problems that can occur from…