# Difference between heart bar and egg bar shoes?



## wench (22 October 2013)

Can anyone tell me what the difference is?


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## Oberon (22 October 2013)

Heart bars incorporate frog pressure (in theory) which helps to stimulate the back of the hoof. 
Egg bars do not. 

 Hickman's Farriery 1994 stated egg bars have little use nowadays in comparison to heart bars. 

Yet they are prescribed even now


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## sunleychops (22 October 2013)

Oberon said:



			Heart bars incorporate frog pressure (in theory) which helps to stimulate the back of the hoof. 
Egg bars do not. 

 Hickman's Farriery 1994 stated egg bars have little use nowadays in comparison to heart bars. 

Yet they are prescribed even now 

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What she/he said!

Heart bars give frog support which is supposed to help mimic the unshod foot in that the frog becomes weight bearing once again.

Egg bars just offer heel support and are mainly used for box rested horses as they tend to get pulled off alot!


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## Meowy Catkin (22 October 2013)

I know a horse who was shod in egg bars for a few months (navicular diagnosed) and his heels have contracted and under-run. So he was switched to heart bars and to be frank, they look even worse now. So from how they have negatively impacted the shape of the hooves they were nailed onto in this particular case - not much difference at all.


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## Tempi (22 October 2013)

My horse wears eggbars, she's recovering from a check ligament injury.  Not pulled one off yet and had no problems at all with them


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## Mammoth (22 October 2013)

Tempi said:



			My horse wears eggbars, she's recovering from a check ligament injury.  Not pulled one off yet and had no problems at all with them
		
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wow that's good, when my horse had them on his fronts we got 14 days out of them on a good run. We spent ages looking for the pulled shoes in the field as they cost £35 a shoe to replace.


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (22 October 2013)

A friend had her horse under the vet for lameness/foot issues, who prescribed egg-bar shoes; a certain farrier who would be known around here came and fitted............ heart-bars, then got assy and disputed same. So he obviously didn't know the difference!!! :{


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## wench (22 October 2013)

So, in theory, if I had the choice, heart bars should be better... And horse will probably have to be turned out in over reach boots


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## mudmonkey17 (22 October 2013)

Mammoth said:



			wow that's good, when my horse had them on his fronts we got 14 days out of them on a good run. We spent ages looking for the pulled shoes in the field as they cost £35 a shoe to replace.
		
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Mine wears eggbars and touch wood hasnt pulled one off in 2 and half years. He used to pull them off all the time at his old yard.


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## Meowy Catkin (22 October 2013)

wench said:



			So, in theory, if I had the choice, heart bars should be better... And horse will probably have to be turned out in over reach boots
		
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Yes - in theory.


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## maccachic (22 October 2013)

Both restrict hoof function


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## Christmas Crumpet (23 October 2013)

We had my old mare shod in heartbars once. She was so uncomfortable and then pulled them off within a week or so. Never again. I don't care what the science is that they supposedly do. Having seen the little mare walk like a cripple, they are rubbish.


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## Heelfirst (23 October 2013)

Luckily very few vets and even less farriers now recommend egg bars.
I was always able to talk a vet into fitting hart bars as an alternative.
The problem being  egg bars just encourage the central column to migrate south, at least with H/bars there is some central support, and some stimulation to the frog.
Now that I only use barefoot methods of treating referrals I obviously dont have the problem.
Loosing any shoe is more about getting the break-over correct so the front foot is out the way before the hind arrives!
IMO egg bars would be not be available to farriers, vets, or owners.


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## jessieblue (24 October 2013)

Grrr, reading your posts here I am a little annoyed.  My horse had PSD of both hindlimbs diagnosed 2.5 years ago.  Original farrier recommended heartbars.  He wore these until I returned to my yard after his rehab, where my farrier said he would rather put eggbars on him.  I dont think he thinks he needs the eggbars essentially but I was afraid to go against rehab farrier no 1.  So now he is in eggbars which seems to be the worst of the two.  He doesnt pull them off as on hinds, but they are big old clunky things and I dont like the look of his heels and frogs in them.  Im a little afraid to take them off and change to normal shoes, but am biding my time before attempting to give him some time barefoot to allow his feet to recover hopefully.  He also has natural balance shoes in front but gets this knee collapsing thing going on which I feel is to do with the front shoes??


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## ellie11987 (24 October 2013)

jessieblue said:



			Grrr, reading your posts here I am a little annoyed.  My horse had PSD of both hindlimbs diagnosed 2.5 years ago.  Original farrier recommended heartbars.  He wore these until I returned to my yard after his rehab, where my farrier said he would rather put eggbars on him.  I dont think he thinks he needs the eggbars essentially but I was afraid to go against rehab farrier no 1.  So now he is in eggbars which seems to be the worst of the two.  He doesnt pull them off as on hinds, but they are big old clunky things and I dont like the look of his heels and frogs in them.  Im a little afraid to take them off and change to normal shoes, but am biding my time before attempting to give him some time barefoot to allow his feet to recover hopefully.  He also has natural balance shoes in front but gets this knee collapsing thing going on which I feel is to do with the front shoes??
		
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I'd get a new farrier personally.


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## Fat_Pony (24 October 2013)

I don't see the point in using a shoe designed to mimic a barefoot hoof. Why not just use a barefoot hoof?


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## Heelfirst (24 October 2013)

Why not indeed!!


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## Oberon (24 October 2013)

Because magic shoes solve everything


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