Changes in location of centre of pressure and hoof-unrollment pattern in relation to an 8-week shoeing interval in the horse.

The research article looks into how horses adjust to the common interval of horseshoe replacement every 8 weeks. The study focuses on the changes in the center of pressure (CoP) and the horse’s hoof-unrollment pattern during this time period. The aim is to determine if these adjustments are purely due to changes in hoof form or if other compensatory mechanisms are involved.

Methodology

• The research involved conducting pressure-force measurement tests on 18 horses shortly after shoeing and again 8 weeks later.
• The CoP’s position was documented and predicted using calculations based on changes in hoof conformation.

Results

• The findings revealed that the shift in CoP was less than what was calculated, implying that horses’ compensatory mechanisms influenced the adjustment.
• This difference was especially significant in the hind legs.
• The hoof-unrollment pattern remained fairly consistent in the front legs. In the hind legs, though, there was a substantial lateral shift in the trajectory of the CoP

Conclusions

• The study concludes that horses are capable of compensating, to a certain degree, for the changes in hoof conformation that occur during the 8-week shoeing interval.
• However, their capacity to compensate seems lesser in the forelimbs which leads to a relative increase in loading of those limbs during the shoeing interval when compared to the hindlimbs.
• The results from the study are intended to serve as foundational data for developing science-based shoeing techniques.