Comparison of the damping effect of different shoeing by the measurement of hoof acceleration.

This research paper discusses a comparison of the damping effects of 16 types of horseshoes, by measuring the acceleration of horse hooves during trotting. The study concludes that the choice of horseshoe significantly impacts the shocks and vibrations experienced by horse hooves during running on hard surfaces such as asphalt, which can in turn influence the incidence of joint diseases in athletic horses.

Research Aim and Methodology

• The main aim of this study was to determine and compare the damping effects of 16 types of horseshoes on trotting horses. The damping effect, in this context, refers to the degree to which the horseshoes absorb and reduce the vibrations and shocks that the hoof experiences during trotting on hard surfaces.
• The researchers used hoof acceleration parameters as the metric for comparison. These parameters were recorded and analyzed for two horses during trotting.
• The study particularly focused on the maximal deceleration upon impact, and the subsequent vibrating acceleration experienced by the horse’s hoof.

Key Findings

• The study discovered extreme values of maximal deceleration at impact. The most damping horseshoe combination showed deceleration at 188 m/s2 (+/- 55), whilst the steel shoe exhibited a much higher deceleration of 746 m/s2 (+/- 14), with an average deceleration of 551 m/s2 (+/- 125).
• The hoof was also exposed to a mean vibrating acceleration at 418 Hz (+/- 84), which was progressively damped within 37.3 ms (+/- 10.5).

Significant Conclusions

• According to the study, different farriery products (horseshoes) have significantly different damping abilities, which reduces the amount of shock and vibration at hoof impact in athletic horses running on hard surfaces such as asphalt.
• This finding suggests that using the most efficient shoeing can potentially help to lower the incidence of joint diseases commonly found in athletic horses due to runs on hard surfaces.
• Therefore, the selection of an appropriate horseshoe is not just an aesthetic or traditional choice, but has serious implications for the well-being of athletic horses, particularly in relation to joint health.