ZANELATTI HEART BAR

Shoe Features and Biomechanical Effects

• Heart Bar Design: The central heart-shaped extension provides controlled frog support, incorporating the frog into the weight-bearing surface and helping redistribute load across the palmar/plantar structures.

• Thicker Aluminum Construction: The increased thickness provides greater structural stability and durability while maintaining the low weight characteristic of aluminum.

• Toe Rocker: The rocker incorporated into the toe facilitates a smoother and more progressive breakover, reducing the leverage required to initiate rollover.

• Rockered Heels: Reduce the leverage on distal area during the landing phase, helping to recude heel pain; 

• Controlled Breakover: The combination of the rocker and the shoe's geometry helps reduce the mechanical resistance during the final phase of stance, limiting excessive leverage on the hoof capsule and distal limb structures.

• Load Redistribution: The combination of frog support and the shoe's broader weight-bearing configuration helps redistribute ground reaction forces away from compromised areas of the hoof capsule.

• Enhanced Hoof Stability: The continuous design of the shoe, combined with controlled frog support, contributes to improved mechanical stability of the hoof and distal phalanx.

Therapeutic and Biomechanical Effects

The Zanelatti Heart Bar is designed to combine frog support, load redistribution and controlled breakover in a single therapeutic platform.

By incorporating the frog into the weight-bearing system, the shoe can help redistribute forces through the palmar/plantar structures and reduce excessive concentration of load on the hoof wall.

The toe rocker facilitates a more efficient and progressive breakover, reducing the lever arm acting on the hoof during the transition from loading to breakover. This may help decrease mechanical demands on compromised lamellar structures and assist in stabilizing the distal phalanx within the hoof capsule.

In horses affected by chronic laminitis, mechanical management is an important component of long-term hoof care. The combination of frog support and controlled breakover may assist in managing abnormal loading patterns and reducing mechanical stress on compromised structures.

The lightweight aluminum construction further contributes to the biomechanical concept by reducing distal limb mass while providing the structural rigidity required for therapeutic applications.

Important: Proper fitting and precise adjustment of frog pressure are essential. Excessive pressure can increase discomfort and compromise the intended biomechanical effect. Therapeutic application should be determined according to the individual hoof condition and veterinary and farriery assessment.

Indications

The Zanelatti Heart Bar may be considered as part of a therapeutic farriery protocol for:

• Chronic laminitis

• Hoof capsule instability associated with lamellar damage

• Redistribution of load away from compromised hoof wall structures

• Cases where controlled breakover is desired

• Horses requiring mechanical support and stabilization of the distal phalanx

• Selected cases of chronic hoof pain where frog support and controlled breakover are clinically appropriate

Therapeutic application should be based on individual hoof conformation, radiographic findings, clinical condition and the combined assessment of the veterinarian and farrier.