Migration - What are heels running from?

Underslung, under-run, migrated or collapsed is terminology used when a heel is not where it should be.  That´s the easy part.  Now, how do we know if a heel is not in the correct position?  When photos are published claiming to be of a healthy hoof, yet the heel is clearly too low to the experienced eye, it is very difficult for many owners to know what is correct and truly healthy and who to believe.

A healthy hoof?

The trained eye can immediately tell from the direction of tubule growth in this hoof, that it has an underslung heel.  But how can the average layman tell?  

We are not discussing low heels here.  Heels can be low, but they are not necessarily at incorrect angles or position.

A simple first step, easy for the owner to orientate themselves as to heel position, is by taking an imaginary line following the coronet angle and extending out until it passes the forelimbs of the horse.  Basically, if that line falls anywhere above the knee the heel is underslung.

I have superimposed the above hoof onto this horse and you can clearly see the white line comes through above the knee.  The blue line is the angle of the horses own hoof.  Between the knee and the elbow is a good sign of a correctly positioned heel. 

Here is the same white line, at the same angle, close up, on the ´healthy´ hoof.

Once it is established a heel is not correctly positioned, further investigation is required to assess just by how much it is underslung.  The periople skin and/or a natural ´nick´ where the heel wants to breakaway to it´s correct position are good pointers as to heel position.  But the marker that really tells you if a heel is underslung is the widest part of the frog.

These are unpleasant, but common examples of the hooves I am presented with.  The one of the left is telling of a “two-stage” strategy to bring the heel back to it´s correct position.  No really, listen to the hooves, they have much to say - and then leave it to a professional to hear.   Though it definitely is not a case of just lowering the heels (trimming them back to those reference points is not the answer).  It is very much about re-positioning them, and this is not done by trimming the heels alone.  More often than not, heels should not be touched at all in the process of re-positioned migrated or underslung ones.

The red line shows were the heel currently is and the blue indicates the widest part of the frog, and where the heel should be.

And what are they running from?  The heel takes the most stress, doing the most work to protect the internal structures consisting of the DDFT, Digital Cushion and more - like the suspension on your car - yet it is the weakest part of the hoof capsule and so, if not correctly maintained, it can very easily run away from it´s duties.  A migrated heel is not working!

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Going through my photo library in order to write this article reminded me, yet again, that people are still, generally, coming to equine podologists as a last resort.   When all manner of remedial shoeing, pads and fills, and crazy money spent on crazy supplements have all been exhausted, owners are turning to professionals like myself and expecting the impossible.  Now, miracles are right up our street, but the impossible takes a while longer.  I would remind you that many people have no clue as to what a healthy hoof looks like and it is not ignorance, it is never having had the opportunity to see and know a healthy hoof.  So although the purpose of this article was to identify underslung heels - heels being the part of the external hoof structure that take the most stress - I shall take it as an opportunity to share a little hoof porn ;)

Here is one of my stunning foundation Appaloosa´s (EV Kaver Onyx Heart), who apart from conformation to die for, enjoys optimum hoof health with her heels correctly positioned - see white line!  And of course a close up of those healthy hooves....