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.

Most modern wedge pads are made from plastic, rubber or some other synthetic material and are made to provide elevation of either 2 or 3 degrees. Wedge pads are also sometimes called degree pads.

When I was in horseshoeing school, the slipper shoe treatment for navicular disease seemed like just the ticket. The idea was that by beveling the hoof surface of the shoe from the quarters back to the heels, you would force the heels outward and relieve the compression stresses on the internal structures of the hoof.

Low, underrun or collapsed heels affecting the health of the foot or as a cause of lameness has been well documented in the front limbs.