Wibbly wobbly
QMy new horse has sheared heels and is easily unbalanced walking down slopes. I don’t know much about his past, but suspect the heels are the result of thrush. What can my farrier do to help him? Fran Herald, Buckinghamshire Simon says... The term sheared heels needs clarification. Sometimes, this term is used to describe a wry foot, where the heels are uneven and the hairline on one hoof is higher or shunted. The true meaning of sheared heels is where there is independent movement. Heels shear because of an unbalanced foot or limb, usually a front leg with an outward rotation or a slightly valgus (angled out) knee. This means loading is very uneven through the foot and with each step, one of your horse’s heel bulbs is pushed up.
If the shoe fits…
The solution to sheared heels is to treat the foot imbalance and provide stability. The hoof wall needs to be trimmed at an angle of 90° to the long axis of the cannon bone. I'd recommend fitting a heart bar shoe as it gives the ultimate stability, thereby reducing the mobility of the hoof and allowing healing to take place. Sheared heels can be persistent, as the cause is your horse’s conformation, but a change in shoeing should lead to an improvement in hoof shape.
Treating thrush
Thrush is sometimes present in cases of sheared heels, but it's hard to say if it's the cause or the consequence. Either way, thrush must be treated. The cavity should be cleaned with cotton wool and then treated. The anti-microbial effect will be increased if the cavity is treated every two days and plugged with cotton wool.