Heartbar Shoe is one of the craftable items in the game. Users in the Blacksmithing stream can produce it using iron.

Course Article

Shoeing Laminitis Cases

Laminitis is a very painful condition of the hoof that is fairly common. Basically, laminitis is inflammation of the hoof laminae. The laminae are what attaches the hoof wall to the underlying bones. In laminitis, the inflammation of the laminae causes weakness, which causes the underlying bones to "sink" or rotate within the hoof capsule. The rotation or sinking can be so severe that the bones of the foot can poke out through the sole of the hoof in very severe cases.

The most common signs of laminitis are lameness, hooves feeling hot, increased pulses in the feet and a "sawhorse stance", where the horse stands with its feet extended out in front with the weight placed on the heel, to alleviate the pressure on the toe. Horses that have chronic or repeated laminitic episodes may have rings that appear on their hoof wall that become wider as they move from the toe to the heel.

Horses with laminitis often require specific farriery changes in order to make their hoof functional again. In general, the horse's hoof should be trimmed to restore the normal alignment of the hoof wall and the bones in the foot. This is generally done by looking at X-rays of the hoof to see how the underlying bones are positioned.

Horses with laminitis often benefit from having shoes applied. Usually, they are put in a heartbar shoe. The pain from laminitis comes from horses bearing their entire weight on the hoof wall, which encourages further laminae separation. A heartbar shoe has a metal plate that sits under the frog of the hoof, which allows some of the horse's weight to be distributed onto the frog and reduces the pressure on the hoof wall.

In Oxer to Oxer, applying a heartbar shoe to a horse diagnosed with laminitis will reduce their recovery time by half. This can help them get back in the show ring sooner! It is crafted by users in the Blacksmithing stream using three iron ingots.

1. Laminitis: Prevention and Treatment. American Association of Equine Practitioners. https://aaep.org/horsehealth/laminitis-prevention-treatment