Effects of shoeing on limb movement and ground reaction forces in Icelandic horses at walk, tölt and trot.

The research article investigated the effects of shoeing methods used to enhance specific gaits in Icelandic horses, focusing on how these methods impacted leg movement and ground response forces during various gaits and velocities.

Objective of the Study

• The research intended to evaluate the implications of using specific shoeing techniques, involving unnaturally high and long hooves, designed to emphasize the natural gait inclination of Icelandic horses.
• It aimed to assess how these shoeing methods influenced leg movement and ground reaction forces amid different gaits: walk, tölt, and trot, along with varying speeds.

Study Methodology

• The study was performed by simultaneous kinetic and kinematic gait analysis at specific speeds during walk (1.4m/s) and at two speeds during tölt and trot (3.3m/s and 3.9 m/s).
• This was carried out on an instrumented treadmill, designed to measure the interaction of the hooves with the ground.
• Thirteen physically sound Icelandic horses first had measurements taken with high, long front hooves (SH), and then, a week later, after their hooves were trimmed under the standard shoeing principles (SN).

Results of the Study

• When comparing SH with SN, the front hooves were found to be longer by about 21 ± 5 mm at the dorsal hoof walls and the shoeing material per hoof was heavier by 273 ± 50 g.
• Across all three gaits, SH showed an improvement in the considered quality of the gait due to enhanced stride length, a lower stride rate, and a higher forelimb protraction arc, with concomitant positive associations with increased speed.
• Shoeing methods didn’t influence the balance between forelimb and hind limb, although limb impulses were recorded to be higher.
• Except for an increase of no more than 2.2% in the forelimbs at the faster pace during both tölt and trot, SH exhibited minimal influence on the vertical peak forces.