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Journal of animal science2023; 101; doi: 10.1093/jas/skad346

Chemical composition of horse hooves with functional qualities for competing barefoot.

Abstract: Barefoot racing is a common practice within the harness racing industry, but not all horses have hooves of sufficient quality to race sustainably without shoes. There is currently no objective approach available to assess whether a horse's hooves are suitable for barefoot racing, raising animal welfare issues if trainers misjudge the functional qualities of hooves. This study compared chemical composition of the hoof wall and fatty acid (FA) composition of the digital cushion in a group of horses that had raced barefoot often (RB) and a group of horses that could not race barefoot and therefore raced with shoes (RS). Trimmings from the hind hoof wall were collected from the lateral quarters in one sub-cohort postmortem and in another sub-cohort of live horses and analyzed for macro- and microelements, nitrogen, dry matter (DM), and total and free amino acid content. For the postmortem horses, samples of the digital cushion were also collected and analyzed for total and free FAs. RB horses had lower concentrations of copper in the hoof wall (17.5 ± 3.9 vs. 32.8 ± 4.7 mg/kg DM, P = 0.02) than RS horses. RB horses also tended (P < 0.1) to have higher concentrations of nitrogen (164.2 ± 0.2 vs. 163.5 ± 0.3 g/kg DM) and sulfur (22.9 ± 0.2 vs. 22.3 ± 0.3 g/kg DM). RB horses had higher hoof wall concentrations of arginine (10.51 ± 0.05 vs. 10.34 ± 0.06 g/100 g DM, P = 0.03) and showed a trend (P < 0.1) for higher hoof wall concentrations of cysteine (6.14 ± 0.10 vs. 5.82 ± 0.13 g/100 g DM) and proline (4.62 ± 0.05 vs. 4.49 ± 0.06 g/100 g DM). There were no differences between the groups for any other element or amino acid analyzed. There were also no differences between the two groups in terms of FA composition of the digital cushion. These results indicate that chemical composition, especially with respect to copper, arginine, nitrogen, sulfur, cysteine, and proline, may be important for the functional qualities of the hoof capsule and the ability to race barefoot without wearing the hoof down. However, chemical analysis of hoof wall tissue and of the fat content of the digital cushion does not seem to be a definitive method for distinguishing horses that have hooves suitable for barefoot racing from those that do not. Barefoot racing is a common practice within the harness racing industry, as it may make a horse run faster. However, not all horses have hooves of sufficient quality to withstand the wear from the track surface during racing, creating a risk of hoof damage. Therefore, an objective method is needed to distinguish between horses that have hooves suitable for barefoot racing and those that do not. In this study, we compared the chemical composition of hoof walls and the fatty acid (FA) composition of the digital cushion in horses that had raced barefoot often and horses that could not race barefoot frequently. We found differences between the two groups of horses in terms of mineral- and amino acid concentrations in the hoof wall, but not in the FA composition of the digital cushion. This indicates that chemical composition may be important for the functional qualities of the hoof capsule and the ability to race barefoot without hoof wear and damage. However, chemical analysis of hooves is not a definitive method for distinguishing horses suitable for barefoot racing from horses that are not suitable.
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.
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Publication Date: 2023-10-10 PubMed ID: 37814393PubMed Central: PMC10601914DOI: 10.1093/jas/skad346Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study explores the chemical composition of horse hooves in relation to their ability to race barefoot. The researchers found differences in mineral and amino acid concentrations in the hoof wall in horses that frequently raced barefoot compared to horses that did not, suggesting these elements may be crucial in hoof endurance. The fatty acid composition of the digital cushion showed no significant difference. However, the test was not conclusive enough to be touted as a definitive method for distinguishing barefoot racing suitable horses.

Research Objective and Methodology

  • The objective of this research was to investigate the chemical composition of horse hooves, looking specifically at the difference between horses that often raced barefoot (RB) and those that could not and hence raced with shoes (RS).
  • The researchers collected hoof wall trimmings from the hind hooves of two sub-cohorts of horses (one live and the other postmortem) and analyzed them for macro and micro-elements, nitrogen, dry matter, and total and free amino acid content.
  • For the postmortem horses, samples from the digital cushion (a fat-filled area located beneath the hoof that provides shock absorption) were also collected and analyzed for total and free fatty acids, representing another chemical marker.

Key Findings

  • Results showed that RB horses had lower concentrations of copper in the hoof wall and higher concentrations of nitrogen, sulfur, arginine, cysteine, and proline. However, there were no differences between the groups in any other elements or amino acids analyzed.
  • Furthermore, there were no differences found in the fatty acid composition of the digital cushion between the two groups.
  • These findings suggest that chemical composition, especially concerning copper, arginine, nitrogen, sulfur, cysteine, and proline levels, may be important for the functional quality of the hoof and the horse’s ability to race barefoot without hoof wear and damage.

Significance and Limitations

  • The research offers insight into the factors that could contribute to a horse’s ability to sustainably race barefoot, which is a common practice within the harness racing industry for potentially improving speed.
  • However, the researchers acknowledge that chemical analysis of hoof wall tissue and of the fat content of the digital cushion does not seem to be a definitive method for differentiating horses that have hooves suitable for barefoot racing from those that do not, indicating a need for further studies and more comprehensive testing methods.

Cite This Article

APA
Spörndly-Nees E, Jansson A, Pökelmann M, Pickova J, Ringmark S. (2023). Chemical composition of horse hooves with functional qualities for competing barefoot. J Anim Sci, 101. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad346

Publication

Journal of animal science
ISSN: 1525-3163
NlmUniqueID: 8003002
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 101

Researcher Affiliations

Spörndly-Nees, Ellinor
  • Department of Pathology and Wildlife Diseases, National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, Sweden.
Jansson, Anna
  • Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Box 7011, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
Pökelmann, Mette
  • Mettes Horsework AB, Ståltrådsvägen 28, 16868 Bromma, Sweden.
Pickova, Jana
  • Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Box 7051, 750 07 Uppsala.
Ringmark, Sara
  • Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Box 7011, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Horses
  • Animals
  • Hoof and Claw
  • Cysteine
  • Copper
  • Proline
  • Arginine
  • Nitrogen
  • Sulfur

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
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