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Wedges in the Klebebeschlag
Modifying load distribution in the hoof
Wedges are inserts between the hoof and the shoe/glue-on shoe that are higher at the heel area and taper evenly towards the toe. Wedges come in different heights and angles. It is always indicated by how many degrees they raise the coffin bone-ground angle.
But what are wedges actually for? Wedges are used to make the hoof “steeper”, i.e. to influence the coffin bone-ground angle. As a result, the load conditions in the hoof change, for example the flexor tendons (and thus also the navicular complex) are relieved. This can make sense in the case of injuries or acute inflammations in order to relieve the affected tissue. However, you must be aware that by relieving one structure, one (or more) other region(s) is/are more loaded or even overloaded. Therefore, in most cases wedges should only be used for a short time and reduced again as soon as possible, so that no damage occurs to other structures.
It is also often assumed that wedges would bring an improvement with collapsed heels or a negative coffin bone angle because they can compensate for the missing heel height. From a static point of view, this is correct (the coffin bone-ground angle is improved), but at the same time the centre of pressure in the hoof is shifted towards the heels by the wedges. The heels are therefore subjected to increased load by the wedges – if these are already weak or even collapsed, then (permanently applied) wedges do not lead to an improvement or even worsen the situation. This problem can be mitigated by using hoof pads, so that the pressure distribution is more even over the entire hoof (and especially on the frog).
Wedge plates should therefore mostly be applied as a temporary measure in the course of an orthopaedic shoeing or gluing. It is also important to use wedges together with hoof pads, so that the changed load conditions are as little at the expense of the heels as possible, especially if these are already weak.
Wedges are available in different materials, e.g. leather or plastic. Leather inserts can cushion better, but also tend to compress more. Plastic, on the other hand, remains relatively dimensionally stable over the entire shoeing period.
The Goodsmith wedge insert
The Goodsmith wedges are chosen in a low height (2.5°) and can be combined (stacked) as required. This makes it possible, for example with a tendon injury, to set the hoof significantly steeper in the short term and to reduce it again step by step as it subsides.
The Goodsmith wedges are also particularly easy to handle, as they are perfectly matched to the Goodsmith base plate: thanks to a plug-in system, they can simply be inserted into the hole for the frog cut-out in the base plate – so nothing can slip! In addition, the wedges can be fixed with just a few drops of superglue, so that the wedge-base-plate combination can be marked on the hoof together and cut to fit precisely on the respective hoof.
Since the Goodsmith wedges are made of the same TPU material as the base plate, they can also be welded to it. The tabs are then simply welded onto the welded wedge/base plate.
Author: Nathalie Kurz
Images: Goodsmith archive
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