Associations between hoof shape and the position of the frontal plane ground reaction force vector in walking horses.

The research investigated the link between the shape of a horse’s hoof and the position at which the forces react when the animal is walking. The study found an association between the shape of the hoof and the ground reaction force, which might have implications for joint health in horses.

Methodology

• The experiment involved 26 horses, with markers placed on the forelimb hooves and skin at certain points corresponding to the coffin, fetlock, carpal joints, and the distal part of the dorsal toe.
• A 4-camera kinematic system was used to track the markers as each horse walked across a force platform. This data was used to create a two-dimensional representation of the forces applied on the ground as the horse walked, focusing on the path the forces took between the various joint markers.
• The vectors were calculated as the relative position between the lateral and medial markers at each joint.
• They took digital photos of the hooves in frontal and sagittal views to determine hoof geometric measurements. The correlation between these measurements and the ground reaction force vector’s position at each joint was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients.

Results

• The average vector positions were observed for both forelimbs at the toe, coffin, fetlock and carpal joint, represented as a percentage of the distance between the lateral and medial sides of the joints in the frontal plane.
• More medial vector positioning (an additional 2-4%) was noted in the right limb than in the left limb.
• The angle of the medial hoof wall was correlated with force vector position at the fetlock and carpal joints. Similarly, the angle of the lateral hoof wall also showed correlation with vector position at the toe and carpal joints.
• Moreover, the height of the medial hoof wall showed correlation with vector position at the fetlock and carpal joints.

Conclusion

• The study concluded that the two-dimensional frontal plane ground reaction force vector at the hoof toe and at the fetlock and carpal joints has an association with the shape of the hoof.
• This evidence supports that hoof balance can impact articular forces in horses, which could subsequently be a contributing factor to the development of joint disease.
• The researchers recommended further study of the hoof shape’s impact at faster gaits to fully understand the potential risk of joint injuries due to larger forces.