Is Your Horse Shod Right?
Lesson Three
Never
abdicate the responsibility for your horse’s feet to a farrier or a
veterinarian.
And do
not leave your horse’s foot to the whims of nature. Your horse is not in a natural state. He is not a wild horse. The natural foot of a wild horse is not in
the least relevant to your horse. That is not to say your horse should not go
“barefoot.” There is a time and a place
for all things. Being barefoot may help
to balance a horse’s foot…it may be the most appropriate action if you have
already addressed the horse’s nutritional needs, the surfaces he lives on daily
and his foot development.
The
popular movement toward a “natural trim” is really just a movement toward “hoof
balance.” Simply keep in mind that a
horse’s hoof is not “trimmed” in nature, but is “worn.” However, the proper trimming or the horse’s
hoof is first major step toward hoof balance.
Your
choice to go barefoot or use a shoe should be based on the answer to the
question: “What is best for this horse”?
While
this lesson-focus is on proper balancing of the horse’s hoof by shoeing, for
the overall health of your horse’s hoof, you must consider the following:
nutrition, surfaces, the amount of movement your horse gets per day, blood flow
to the hoof and energy dissipation.
There are no single, simple answers.
The more we learn, the more knowledge applications are needed.
Knowing
correct hoof balance and the basics of what to do to create that balance is
your responsibility.
Using
the chart provided, (Your hoof balancing chart
will be found at the end of this lesson.) examine your horse’s feet
while
the foot is shoeless. Measure and write
on the chart the dorsal (toward the front) and palmar (toward the rear)
distances from the middle of the frog.
Measure and note the medial (inside) and lateral (outside) distances
from the center of the frog to the edge of the hoof wall. Make notations of hoof wall dips, flares and
cracks. Note the thickness of the hoof
wall, the condition of the sole and frog, the width of the heels and how even
and level the coronet band of each foot.
You will also measure the distances from A to B and C to D for each
foot. These measurements are guides to
overall foot balance.
Having
charted your horse’s feet on a given date, you now have a reference to guide
you in working toward both balance and health for the foot.
HOOF BALANCE
We
can define a balanced hoof as one which has both the shape and strength to
support the horse while providing the basis for optimum (efficiency of)
movement.
This
definition relates directly to the definition of good conformation—form
designed for function.
We
know that horsemen often seek conformation not for efficiency of movement, but
for specialized movement. Horsemen do
exactly the same thing with the horse’s hoof, abandoning the shape and strength
of efficiency to produce a particular stylized movement. In both cases those are choices.
It is
my choice to seek a balanced foot and optimum efficiency in movement.
Each
time a horse moves, the feet are subjected to collisions with the ground,
concussion and compression. Each
step—because of differing ground conditions—tends to work against, or for, the
balance of the foot, pounding it, pressing it, twisting it. Such forces can also be detrimental to the
health of the hoof, or a positive action.
Barefoot
advocates argue for positive results if the horse is “left natural”. Those who advocate shoeing the horse see the
stresses as damaging.
Use
your hoof chart measurements as an unbiased guide to help make your decision on
how best to create and maintain hoof balance.
If
a shoe is to be used, it should be placed on the foot to protect the hoof from
damage and to bring the hoof into balance.
Faulty
foot balance precludes optimum movement and directly contributes to bone-chip
fractures, a navicular condition, shortened strides, bad backs and sore
muscles.
ANATOMY OF
You
should have a basic knowledge of the hoof and related structures. The cannon bone, sesamoids and long pastern
affect the foot by alignment and formation of the fetlock joint. The pastern, shoulder and hoof angles (slant)
should all be the same.
The
short pastern is partially within the foot and is jointed with the coffin bone
(distal phalanx, P-3, or pedal bone).
You should also be aware of the lateral cartilages, navicular bone,
plantar or digital cushion and the frog.
Other
parts of the hoof which are of concern are the coronary band, the periople, the hoof wall (capsule), the white line, the
insensitive laminae (which grow inward from the interior of the capsule wall)
and the sensitive lamina (which originate from the coffin bone). The insensitive and sensitive laminae link
together to actually support the weight of the horse and absorb
concussion. The linking of the laminae
actually holds the horse’s coffin bone from plunging down through the
foot. When laminitis occurs the linking
of the insensitive and sensitive laminae can be torn apart which allows the
“sinking” or rotation of the coffin bone.
ASSESSMENT
OF THE HOOF
Begin
by looking at the coronet band of each foot.
The hair line should be even and virtually level, dropping off slightly
as it rounds the foot toward the heel.
An uneven coronet band, with high spots or dips, indicates health problems
and/or an uneven hoof capsule.
Looking
at the horse from the front, use a long ruler or T square to create a line
through the centers of the joints of the knee and fetlock and the center of the
hoof. The line should be straight. Deviations of the knee, cannon and fetlock
should be noted since they will have a direct relationship to the positioning
of the hoof.
Move
to the side of the horse to determine the weight bearing point at the
heel. Place your thumb on one side of
the widest point of the cannon bone and your index finger on the other
side. Now gently run your fingers down
the cannon bone and onto the fetlock joint.
Where your fingers rest in the middle of the fetlock joint should
represent the center of the rotation of the fetlock joint. A vertical line dropped directly to the
ground from that point should brush the hoof wall heel. If the heel hoof wall touches the ground in
front of the line, the horn tubules of the hoof wall have probably been crushed
under, and the heel is under run. The hoof horn tubules at the toe and heel
should be parallel.
Imagine
a line running through the center of the pastern to the coronet band. Put your finger on the coronet band at the
point where the imaginary line strikes the coronet. That point is very close to the center of the
rotation of the short pastern and the coffin bones. If you drop a vertical line straight down
from that point to the ground, the line should bisect equally the weight
bearing portions of the foot. It is easy
to measure the distance forward to the toe and rearward to the heel at ground
surface.
The
weight of the horse should be centered between the toe and heel. If the distance to the toe is longer than the
distance to heel at ground surface, or vice versa, then there is no
dorsal/palmar balance.
A
lack of dorsal/palmer balance is the most frequent hoof imbalance and is almost
always the result of poor shoeing practices.
The shoer applies a shoe which is too small to provide palmar distance
for balance and is inadequate to protect the hoof capsule at the heels.
If the weight bearing portion of the
hoof, or the horse shoe does not extend as far behind the weight of the horse
as the toe extends in front, then everything collapses backward, creating the
under run heel.
A
shoe too short to provide adequate dorsal/palmar balance is generally used
because it requires little shaping and there is very little chance the horse
will catch it with a hind foot and pull it off.
Horse shoers do not like to make their clients unhappy by having shoes
come off, and horse shoers do not like return trips to replace lost shoes
because such trips reduce their profit margin.
Horse
shoers generally do not trim the foot adequately (especially the toe) because
they do not want to risk the horse being a bit “ouchy.” It’s very unfortunate for horses that from a
business viewpoint it is better to have an unbalanced hoof than an unhappy horse
owner. I am not suggesting that a
horse should be “ouchy” just after being shod. It is a fact, however, that freshly exposed
horn can be a bit sensitive.
When
a foot is left “just a little long” each time to avoid the possibility of
tenderness, the foot eventually gets “much too long”, and is then out of
balance.
Using
the T-square or long ruler, stand in front of the horse and sight down the
cannon bone. The T-square should bisect
the cannon and the hoof. From this
vantage point it is very easy to see knee, ankle, pastern
and hoof deviations.
You
can also stand beside the horse at his shoulder and with your hand just behind
the horse’s knee pull the horse’s leg upward and forward. Let the horse relax and just hang his
leg. Now sight down the cannon and you
should easily be able to see how the hoof is centered in relation to the cannon
bone. There should be equal amounts of
hoof on each side of your sight line.
Gently
allow the horse’s leg to lower to the ground, just barely touching hoof wall to
the ground. The point at which the toe
meets the ground is the horse’s natural break over point, and should be the
mark for the center of the toe of the shoe.
If the foot is in balance, the apex of the frog will point directly at
the natural break over point. If the
natural break over point and the apex of the frog are not in alignment, then
the foot does not have the proper shape and balance.
When
looking at the hoof from the front, the angle of the lateral and medial walls
should be the same. It is often
suggested the medial hoof wall should have a steeper angle than the lateral
side, but this is incorrect. (The
suggested steeper medial hoof wall originates in the idea that it must support
more of the horse’s weight which is greater at the center line of the
horse.) While the medial side of the
cannon bone is often more stressed than the lateral side, it should not affect
the hoof. The hoof wall medial/lateral
angles must be nearly equal in order for the foot to remain in balance.
The
differences in the medial and lateral hoof wall are often the result of a
common hoof balancing error, the unleveled trimming of the foot.
Holding
the horse’s front foot between his legs, the shoer pulls the horse’s foot away
from the horse’s body. Viewing the foot
from this angle rather than from directly under the horse’s body distorts the
perspective of the level of the foot.
Unless
great care is taken to be sure the trim cuts create a level foot, it is almost
a certainty the lateral side of the hoof will be longer than the medial side.
If
this is the case, the lateral side will flare and/or have a dip in the middle
of the wall, and the medial side will become more upright.
The
medial/lateral hoof wall lengths must be equal before any hoof balancing can
take place.
Never allow the horse’s hoof to be cut to
a pre-determined angle. The hoof must be
cut to match the angle of the shoulder and pastern.
Researcher and veterinarian Daniel
Marks says conclusions upon reviewing various studies shows front hoof angles
will actually range most often from between 54 and 58 degrees rather than the
commonly accepted 45 degree angle. The lower the hoof angle, the more stresses
are placed on the posterior portion of the hoof and limb.
The feet should be symmetrical with
the front feet having a slightly lower angle than the hind feet which most
often will be near 58 degrees, says Marks.
Shoeing a performance horse more toward its best foot conformation would
be helpful in successful performance.
For example, in a study of 95 racing Thoroughbreds, those shod with the
higher angle were likely to win more and have less injury, Marks concluded.
HEELS
It was once believed that upon weight
bearing the frog was pushed up, in turn causing the heels to expand. We are now aware that the back end of the
coffin bone rotates downward as the hoof bears weight, and it is this downward
action which expands the heels.
The
hoof is dynamic, constantly moving as it absorbs concussion and
compression. The heel of the foot
expands and contracts with each step.
Because
a long toe, low heel is the second most common balance problem, many shoers
fail to trim the heel properly, leaving it excessively long. When the heel is not trimmed to the proper
length it adds to the long toe, low heel problem because the untrimmed heel
forces the horn tubulars forward, eventually resulting in under run heels. Excessive heel length must be trimmed away to
assure a healthy hoof. It is absolutely necessary to trim the heel
low enough to allow the frog to rest on the ground when the shoe is in place.
Do not allow the frog to be trimmed
away, or the hoof wall to be left so long as to allow the frog to atrophy and
fail to rest on the ground. The frog
must be left so that it is at the same level as the shoe. This is the only way the frog can function
properly as a support to interior structures and as a ground gripping mechanism
for support and movement of the horse.
It is
absolutely mandatory the horse shoe be wider at the heel than the hoof
capsule. The extra width—at least the
width of a dime, allows the foot to expand while having continued protection
and support.
All hoof imbalances affect the orientation of all
joints.
All
the joints of the horse’s legs are ginglymus joints, meaning the bones are
shaped to hold their position.
It is
easy to see that if the hoof is unleveled, uneven stress is placed on the
joints. Damage to cartilage and eventual
arthritis is the normal result.
If
the horse’s hoof is properly balanced, then you should see a straight
hoof/pastern axis. Imagine a line
running through the center of the pastern and the hoof.
If
the line is straight, then the hoof/pastern axis is straight.
If
the line running through the pastern is bent upward when it passes through the
coronet band and into the hoof, then there is a broken back hoof/pastern
axis. This is the condition seen when a
long toe, low heel exists.
If
the line running through the pastern is bent downward as it passes through the
coronet, then the hoof/pastern axis is broken forward. This is the condition seen when the heels are
too high.
HIND FEET
The
hind feet should have a slightly more elongated shape than the front feet. The front feet act as a stabilizing platform
over which the mass of the horse travels as the horse moves.
The
hind feet are used by the horse to propel him forward. The elongated shape digs into the ground,
providing more efficient traction.
When
viewing the hind feet from the front, you should notice the toes point outward
just slightly. As a horse moves with
speed, the hips and hocks rotate outward, while the toes rotate inward. If the toes pointed straight ahead when the
horse was standing, they would rotate into a position likely to strike the
front legs when the horse was in movement.
If they turn out slightly, they rotate into a straight position during
movement.
When
trimming the hind feet, the shoer must follow the balancing guidelines,
trimming both the heels and the toes in a ratio that creates a straight
hoof/pastern axis.
CHECKING THE
CHARTS
Once
you have charted your horse’s feet you will have a guide for proper shoeing.
On
the front feet, the distance from A to B should not be longer than C to D. Having the A to B distance the same as the C
to D distance is the ideal front foot shape for maximum efficiency and
strength.
If
the A to B distance is shorter than the C to D distance, you can create the
ideal shape by allowing the shoe to extend (shoe extensions) past the hoof wall
slightly at the A and B points.
Extensions should not be excessive.
Horses in stalls or traveling in trailers frequently step on shoe
extensions and pull the shoe.
On
the hind feet, the distance from A to B should be shorter than the distance
from C to D, but not by more than 10 per cent.
When
the feet are out of balance, there can be several obvious physical results.
Forging
is the result of too long a toe in front, in back or in both. Forging occurs when the toe of the hind foot
strikes the sole of a forefoot. This
happens because the long toe on the forefoot delays the front hoof break over.
Overreaching
is also the result of too much toe. In
overreaching, the toe of the hind foot actually hits the soft tissue of the
heels of the front foot. Severe injury
can be caused by overreaching.
Scalping
occurs when the pastern of a hind leg is struck by the toe of a forefoot. Scalping can also cause severe injury and
obviously has a very detrimental affect on a horse’s performance.
Speedy
cutting is very similar to scalping. In
speedy cutting the inside of the fetlock joint and/or pastern of a hind leg is
struck by a forefoot. Again performance
is affected and injury can be severe.
There
are basically six types of horseshoes, each of which has a specific use.
There is the
standard shoe in steel or aluminum, normal or wide web. This is the most commonly used shoe and unless
there are specific problems to be addressed, it serves its purpose of
protecting and aiding hoof efficiency.
The
egg bar shoe is used when the horse’s heels have collapsed. The egg bar provides about 25 per cent more
ground surface at the heels. The egg bar
should extend as far back as the bulbs of the heels, just as a standard shoe.
The
egg bar is frequently used on navicular horses.
While the egg bar shoe may indeed help the navicular horse, the aid
comes not from the shoe, but from the fact the foot has been returned to a
better balance.
Navicular
horses often have under run heels, and when they do, the egg bar shoe is the
best choice.
The
first consideration for the navicular horse should be restoring hoof balance.
The
straight bar shoe is used on horse’s with sheared heels (one heel higher than
the other), or when there is any other type of breakdown of the tissue between
the heels. When there is a tissue
breakdown, the bulbs of the heels move vertically causing the horse pain.
The
straight bar shoe immobilizes the heels reducing the pain factor. To be totally effective, however, the hoof of
the horse with sheared heel must be trimmed so the elevated heel bulb can drop
back into a balanced position.
The
half-bar shoe is used when the hoof capsule, due to imbalance, has started to
spiral around the foot creating a situation where one side of the foot needs
more support than the other. This is
usually the medial side. The shoe must
be fitted so the half-bar extends over the frog and adds support to the side of
the foot bearing the most weight.
In
some cases the ground surface of the foot which is taking all the weight has
started to flare out, while the opposite side has rolled under and is inside a
vertical line dropped from the coronet band.
The
heart-bar shoe is commonly associated with laminitic
horses. The effectiveness of heart-bar
to support the coffin bone is debatable at best.
The most
effective use of the heart-bar is with the flat footed horse. When the horse has no concavity to the sole,
the heart-bar keeps the sole from becoming convex and tearing away from the
hoof wall.
To
determine if the frog plate pressure is acceptable apply the heart-bar with
only two heel nails. Then lift the
opposite foot and determine if the horse stands comfortably on the foot with
the heart-bar. If the horse accepts the
pressure, then the shoe can be nailed into place.
When
a heart-bar is used, the horse manager must be careful to clean thoroughly
under the bar so thrush does not develop and damage the frog.
The
combination egg-bar and heart-bar shoe is used on horses which have both flat
feet and long sloping pasterns. Horses
with this conformation are prone to have under run heels.
Shoe
extensions should be used to correct medial/lateral balance. Check the chart on your horse’s feet and if
the distance from the center of the frog to the medial or lateral side is
greater than to the opposite side, then an extension is needed. An extension may not be able to bring the
foot into perfect balance the first time it is applied. However, if extensions are applied with each
shoeing the hoof will eventually balance out.
A horse
may not show obvious signs that his feet are hurting, especially if he is
hurting equally in both front or all four feet. Horses with sour attitudes about work, or
with sore backs or backs with muscle atrophy should have their feet checked and
charted immediately. It is a safe bet
the horse’s feet are out of balance.
If a
horse has flat feet, have the shoer attempt to narrow the feet and use wide web
shoes.
Navicular
horses can be helped by bringing the feet into balance—especially dorsal/palmer
balance. The use of wide web shoes can
also add to the horse’s comfort.
Hoof
cracks should be grooved out so the sides of the cracks do not touch or rub as
the hoof expands and contracts.
Heel wedges
are neither necessary, nor advisable as they crush the heel further, creating
greater damage. Instead of heel wedges,
use an egg-bar shoe.
These photos show
how damaging wedged pads can be to a horse’s heels.
This horse had been shod in wedge pads for nearly three years. (Click
Here to See Photo.) Trimming for hoof balance and reversing the shoe
(similar to using an eggbar) to provide heel support
allowed this horse to travel more comfortably within 20 minutes of having been
re-shod. (Click
Here to See Photo.)
If a
horse has a major sole bruise or a puncture to the sole, then the use of a pad
is advisable for a short period of time.
The use of pads is not advisable as most of the time they simply hide
problems which should be addressed and corrected.
For
horses which will perform on slippery surfaces, such as grass, the use of studs
is advisable. However, the studs must be
removed immediately after the performance.
As a
horse owner you should be able to recognize a well shod horse, and you should
demand your horse be well shod.
Knowing
correct hoof balance and knowing how it can be achieved is your
responsibility. It is not necessary you
be able to shoe the horse yourself, so don’t be intimidated or harassed by a
shoer who ignores your requests. With a
little effort you can find a shoer who will apply his skills for the benefit of
your horse.
Ask
for advice, seek opinions and differing ideas, research hoof health care, but
make your own decisions as to how and when your horse is to be shod.
Observation
and continual charting of your horse’s feet can add years of enjoyment and
soundness to his performances and his life.
NO
SHOEING FOR
PERFORMANCE by Haydn Price & Rod Fisher
HORSESHOEING THEORY
Assignment:
For the
assignment you will need to print the hoof chart: https://www.horsecoursesonline.com/college/BSH/hoof_chart.pdf
Fill out your
hoof-balance chart for your horse; explain what changes you may have to make in
his shoeing and explain why. Make a copy of your completed hoof-balance chart
and detail your observations of your horse’s foot.
Scan or take a
picture of it and send it by email to: cathyhansonqh@gmail.com