10/22/2026
Podiatry - Why might we recommend a Heel Wedge?
No Foot No Horse is an old saying that is very true. Many forelimb lameness conditions originate in the foot and our veterinarians in collaboration with farriers will often recommend corrective shoeing in order to improve the horse's comfort.
For horses with pain in the heel region, most commonly horses with navicular disease or injury to soft tissues in the heel region, our veterinarians may recommend a heel wedge.
This image illustrates why. The Standing CT image on the left is of a sound horse with a normal flat shoe. Look at the how the deep digital flexor tendon, the light gray line indicated by the green arrow, wraps under the navicular bone. Think of the pressure in this area.
Now look at the Standing CT image of the horse on the right. This horse has a large navicular flexor surface cyst. In order to decrease pressure on the deep digital flexor tendon as it wraps under the navicular bone, this horse has been shod in a heel wedge pad and shoe.
Look how the shoeing has changed the foot angles and decreased the tension on the deep digital flexor tendon.
There are some trade offs of a heel wedge. It can cause heel contracture and moves some weight to the superficial digital flexor tendon. It is not the right option for every horse with heel pain, but for many horses like the one on the right it can offer significant improvement in comfort and a return to soundness.
