What Are Bar Shoes
Bar shoes differ from traditional open-heeled horseshoes in that they incorporate a closed structure at the back, connecting the heels of the shoe. This design element, known as the "bar," enhances the shoe's functionality by offering increased stability, support, and weight re-distribution.
The bar can vary in shape and purpose, with different types addressing specific hoof conditions, though many benefits of bar shoes are overlapping across different designs.
Types of Bar Shoes
Egg Bar
The egg bar is designed to:
Increase the weight-bearing surface of the hoof.
Provide increased support to the back portion of the hoof.
Prevent the heels from sinking too far on soft footing.
Stabilize and decrease movement within the hoof capsule.
Support the deep flexor tendon and inferior check ligaments.
Straight Bar
The straight bar is designed to:
Increase the weight-bearing surface of the hoof.
Provide support to the back portion of the hoof without having as much steel protruding from the back of the hoof as you’d have with an egg bar. This reduces the risk of shoe pulling and makes this shoe the preferred choice in horses that may still need to perform while wearing a therapeutic shoe.
Stabilize and decrease movement within the hoof capsule: this shoe is commonly used in the treatment of quarter cracks.
Heart Bar
The heart bar is designed to:
Increase the weight-bearing surface of the hoof.
Stabilize and decrease movement within the hoof capsule.
Redistribute the horse’s weight: the heart bar relieves the stress placed onto the hoof wall by transferring weight onto the frog.
Used in the treatment of laminitis and founder.
Sometimes used in the treatment of quarter cracks and other hoof capsule injuries.
Open Toe Heart Bar, or “W” Bar
The open toe bar, or “W” bar, is designed to:
Remove all weight-bearing pressure from the toe area.
Relieves break-over phase pressure from the laminae at the toe.
Redistribute the horse’s weight: the heart bar plate relieves the stress placed onto the hoof wall by transferring weight onto the frog.
Most commonly used in the treatment of laminitis.
“Z” Bar
The “Z” bar is designed to:
Redistribute the horse’s weight, with the goal of “floating” one of the horse’s heels.
Stabilize the hoof capsule.
Used in the treatment of unilateral quarter cracks or heel cracks, corns (bruised heels), sheared heels.
Half Heart Bar, or “G” Bar
The half heart bar, or “G” bar, is designed to:
Redistribute the horse’s weight to reduce pressure from an affected heel.
Be used in the treatment of sheared heels, partial hoof wall injury, sheared heels and occasionally other hoof capsule distortions.
Mushroom Bar, or “T” Bar
The mushroom bar, or “T” bar, is designed to:
Redistribute the horse’s weight to reduce pressure from the quarters and heels.
The weight that would be placed on the quarters and heels is loaded onto the dorsal surface of the hood wall.
Used in the treatment of any bi-lateral heel issues, most commonly corns.
Flip Flop, or Flapper Pad
The flip flop is a special pad designed to:
Provide similar benefits as a mushroom bar shoe, with increased support and weight distribution in the stance phase.
Provide frog support and encourage natural heel expansion.
Used in the treatment of bilateral heel issues, quarter cracks, navicular syndrome (podotrochlear disease), weak or contracted heels
Patten Bar
The patten bar is designed to:
Dramatically increase the angle of a foot to discourage the horse from bearing weight on it. It is considered a “rest” shoe.
Utilized in the treatment of serious deep flexor tendon injuries.
Fishtail Bar
The fishtail bar is designed to:
Dramatically increase the angle of a foot to discourage the horse from bearing weight on it.
Utilized in the treatment of severe deep flexor tendon injuries. Unlike the patten bar, the fishtail bar allows the horse to bear weight on the affected foot.
Spider Plate Bar
The spider plate bar is designed to:
Provide maximum weight redistribution
Provide maximum stabilization and reduction of movement within the hoof capsule.
Provide additional protection to the bottom of the hoof
Utilized in the treatment of conditions such as laminitis and founder, palmar/plantar foot pain, navicular syndrome (podotrochlear disease),
Hospital Plate
The spider hospital plate is designed to:
Be screwed on top of a bar shoe on a postsurgical hoof.
Allows for maximum protection of a hoof with a solear injury, while allowing easy access to the area to farriers, veterinarians and owners, without having to fully remove the shoe.
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