Mouldable, thermoplastic, glue-on frog-supportive shoes change hoof kinetics in normal and obese Shetland ponies.
Abstract: Obesity and hyperinsulinaemia are frequently encountered in the equine population and risk factors for the development of laminitis. There are many options for hoof support that claim a beneficial effect, but often the scientific evidence is scarce. Objective: To quantify the effect of frog-supportive shoes on hoof kinetics in normal and obese ponies. Methods: Controlled in vivo trial. Methods: Ten Shetland mares (n = 10) with a normal (n = 5) or obese (n = 5) body condition were led over a dynamically calibrated pressure plate before (T0), immediately after (T1) and 72 h (T2) after application of the shoes. The following locomotor variables were measured: stance duration (StDur), vertical impulse (VI), peak vertical force (PVF), time to PVF and time from PVF to lift off. The hoof print was divided into a toe and heel region and the StDur toe-heel index was calculated. The toe-heel hoof balance curves of the vertical force were plotted throughout the stance phase. Results: The VI and PVF increased significantly 72 h after application of the shoes, when compared with T0 and T1. The StDur toe-heel index and toe-heel balance curves were significantly different between the normal and obese ponies. These variables became more comparable between the groups after application of the frog-supportive shoes. Conclusions: It would have been interesting to measure the effect of the shoe in patients with acute laminitis. However, this would have had major welfare implications. Conclusions: The obese ponies moved more carefully than the normal group, demonstrated by a decreased loading of the toe area. The data illustrate that the ponies became more comfortable 72 h after application of the shoes, with a pronounced effect in the obese group. Thus, these results suggest that frog-supportive shoes could be beneficial, especially for obese ponies.
© 2018 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2018-02-12 PubMed ID: 29356062PubMed Central: PMC6099505DOI: 10.1111/evj.12814Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study investigates how using mouldable, thermoplastic, frog-supportive shoes can alter the hoof kinetics in pony horses, specifically in normal and obese Shetland ponies, and suggests a positive influence especially in the case of obese ponies.
Research Objectives and Methodology
- The research primarily aims to determine the effect of using frog-supportive shoes on hoof kinetics in normal and overweight ponies.
- Ten Shetland mares constituted the sample, comprising of both typically-sized (5) and oversized or obese ponies (5).
- The ponies were led across a dynamically calibrated pressure plate before (T0), shortly after (T1), as well as 72 hours after (T2) putting on the shoes.
- A variety of locomotor variables were measured, such as stance duration (StDur), vertical impulse (VI), and peak vertical force (PVF). Additionally, the duration from PVF to lift off, as well as the time it takes to reach PVF were also recorded.
- For better analysis, the hoof print was split into a toe and heel region, following which the toe-heel index for StDur was computed.
Research Findings
- The study observed that VI and PVF notably increased 72 hours after the shoes were applied, in comparison to T0 and T1.
- A significant difference was recorded in the StDur toe-heel index as well as the toe-heel balance curves between the normal and obese ponies.
- However, the measures became more similar across the two groups post the application of the frog-supportive shoes.
- The researchers noticed that obese ponies were more cautious in their movement, leading to lesser loading of the toe area.
Research Conclusions
- Data gathered from the research suggests that the application of the shoes made the ponies more comfortable after 72 hours of application, with the effect being more noticeable in the obese group.
- While it would have been insightful to study the effect of the shoes in ponies with acute laminitis, the welfare implications would be significant.
- Therefore, based on the findings, the study implies that the use of frog-supportive shoes could be advantageous, especially for obese ponies.
Cite This Article
APA
Sleutjens J, Serra Bragança FM, van Empelen MW, Ten Have RE, de Zwaan J, Roelfsema E, Oosterlinck M, Back W.
(2018).
Mouldable, thermoplastic, glue-on frog-supportive shoes change hoof kinetics in normal and obese Shetland ponies.
Equine Vet J, 50(5), 684-689.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12814 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Department of Surgery and Anaesthesia of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Department of Surgery and Anaesthesia of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Female
- Hoof and Claw / physiology
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Motor Activity / physiology
- Obesity / veterinary
- Shoes
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Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- D'Fonseca NMM, Gibson CME, Hummel I, van Doorn DA, Roelfsema E, Stout TAE, van den Broek J, de Ruijter-Villani M. Overfeeding Extends the Period of Annual Cyclicity but Increases the Risk of Early Embryonic Death in Shetland Pony Mares.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Feb 1;11(2).
- d' Fonseca NMM, Gibson CME, van Doorn DA, de Ruijter-Villani M, Stout TAE, Roelfsema E. Effect of long-term overfeeding of a high-energy diet on glucose tolerance in Shetland pony mares.. J Vet Intern Med 2020 May;34(3):1339-1349.
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