Can the hoof be shod without limiting the heel movement? A comparative study between barefoot, shoeing with conventional shoes and a split-toe shoe.

The research investigates and compared the impact of barefoot, conventional shoeing and a new split-toe shoe design on the freedom of heel movement in horses. It found that the new split-toe shoe interacts with the horse foot akin to the barefoot condition, without limiting the heel’s movement as conventional shoes do.

Research Methodology

• A randomized crossover experimental study design was used. This design allows individual subjects to serve as their control, reducing the effect of confounders.
• The study was conducted on eight horses, testing 16 forelimbs in total.
• Each horse’s foot was tested in three different states in a random order: barefoot, shod with a conventional shoe, and shod with a split-toe (ST) shoe.
• A high-frequency displacement sensor was secured on the heels of the horses. This sensor took continuous measurements as the horses were exercised on a treadmill at different speeds representing walking, trotting, and cantering.

Analysis and Results

• The data collected was analysed using a statistical method called generalised estimating equations (GEE). GEE is a methodology for estimating population-averaged effects that is appropriate when dealing with clustered (or correlated) data.
• The study found that conventional shoeing was associated with significantly reduced heel expansion in comparison to the ST shoe and barefoot condition.
• The amount of heel expansion when using the ST shoe was not significantly different from the barefoot condition. On the contrary, the barefoot condition will allow more heel contraction and expansion than either shoeing option.
• Shoeing was linked with a significant reduction in heel contraction for horses, compared to the barefoot condition, highlighting the restriction caused by shoeing. The only outlier to this pattern was during the cantering gait when using a conventional shoe.

Conclusion

• The study concludes that the use of split-toe shoes enable a similar level of heel expansion as seen in barefoot horses, while conventional shoes significantly limit the heel’s movement. This implies that the split-toe shoe could promote better orthopedic health for the horse.
• This research serves as a foundation for further clinical studies to prove the benefits of the split-toe shoe in maintaining or enhancing orthopedic health in horses.