Effect of two months whole body vibration on hoof growth rate in the horse: A pilot study.

The research paper is investigating the impact of whole body vibration on horse hoof growth rate. The study shows that vibration treatments can significantly increase hoof growth, offering a possible low-effort solution to common hoof health issues.

Study Design

• The study follows an experimental, single subject, repeated measure design, meaning that the same sample group of horses was used as both the control and experimental group.
• This research involved ten horses, all subjected to whole body vibration treatment for thirty minutes, twice daily, for five days a week, over a period of two months. This was supplementary to their regular exercise routine.

Data Collection and Analysis

• Hoof growth was measured at 30-day intervals, beginning from 30 days before the inception of treatment and ending 60 days after the conclusion of the treatment. The measurement was taken from the reference hairline down to a horizontal groove in both front feet.
• Data was analyzed through application of several paired t-tests to compare the average hoof growth before, during, and after the vibration treatments.

Results

• A statistically significant increase in hoof growth was observed at two checkpoints, after 30 and 60 days of whole body vibration treatment.
• The majority of the increase occurred within the first 30 days.
• The study found no extended increase in hoof growth rate after the cessation of the whole body vibration treatment.

Conclusions and Implications

• These results suggest that whole body vibration can be used as a non-invasive, safe, and relatively simple therapeutic method to boost hoof growth in horses. This discovery could have considerable implications for managing hoof problems, which are common in veterinary practice.