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Shoe configuration effects on equine forelimb gait kinetics at a walk.
Abstract: The shift in vertical forces on the equine hoof surface by heart-bar, egg-bar, and wooden clog shoes can significantly impact gait kinetics. Hypotheses tested in this study were that vertical, braking, and propulsion peak force (PF) and impulse (IMP) are different while shod with heart-bar, egg-bar, open-heel, and wooden clog shoes, or while unshod, and the resultant ground reaction force vector (GRF YZ ) has the longest duration of cranial angulation with open-heel shoes followed by unshod, then egg-bar and heart-bar shoes, and the shortest with wooden clog shoes. Forelimb GRFs were recorded as six non-lame, light-breed horses walked across a force platform (four trials/side) while unshod or with egg-bar, heart-bar, open-heel, or wooden clog shoes. Outcomes included vertical, braking, and propulsive peak forces (PFV, PFB, PFP) and impulses (IMPV, IMPB, IMPP), percent stance time to each PF, braking to vertical PF ratio (PFB/PFV), walking speed (m s-1), total stance time (ST) and percent of stance in braking and propulsion. The magnitude and direction of the resultant GRFYZ vectors were quantified at 5% stance increments. Kinetic measures were compared among shoeing conditions with a mixed effects model (p-value < 0.05). A random forest classifier algorithm was used to predict shoeing condition from kinetic outcome measures. All results are reported as mean ± SEM. Trial speed, 1.51 ± 0.02 m s-1, was not different among shoeing conditions. The PFV was lower with wooden clog (6.13 ± 0.1 N kg-1) versus egg-bar (6.35 ± 0.1 N kg-1) shoes or unshod (6.32 ± 0.1 N kg-1); the PFP was higher with wooden clog (0.81 ± 0.03 N kg-1) versus open-heel (0.71 ± 0.03 N kg-1) or egg-bar (0.75 ± 0.03 N kg-1) shoes or unshod (0.74 ± 0.03 N kg-1), and lower with open-heel compared to heart-bar shoes (0.77 ± 0.03 N kg-1). Both IMP B and IMPV were higher with open-heel shoes (-0.19 ± 0.008 N s kg-1, 3.28 ± 0.09 N s kg-1) versus unshod (-0.17 ± 0.008 N s kg-1, 3.16 ± 0.09 N s kg-1), and IMPV was higher with wooden clog shoes (3.26 ± 0.09 N s kg-1) versus unshod. With wooden clog shoes, PFB/PFV (0.12 ± 0.004) was higher than unshod (0.11 ± 0.004). Percent time to peak PFV, PFB, and PFP, and percent braking time were highest and percent propulsion time lowest with wooden clog shoes. The magnitude of the GRFYZ vector with the wooden clog shoe was the highest among shoeing conditions during the first stance half, lowest during the second stance half, highest during late propulsion, and had the most gradual braking to propulsion transition. Vectors were angled cranially with wooden clog shoes slightly longer than the others. Wooden clog shoes was the only shoeing condition accurately predicted from kinetic measures. Distinct, predictable changes in gait kinetics with wooden clog shoes may reduce stresses on hoof structures. Study results enhance knowledge about shoe effects on equine gait kinetics and cutting-edge measures to quantify them.
©2025 Aoun et al.
Publication Date: 2025-02-26 PubMed ID: 40028219PubMed Central: PMC11871903DOI: 10.7717/peerj.18940Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research studies the impact of different shoe configurations on the gait kinetics of a horse’s forelimb while walking. It was found that the type of shoe or lack thereof could significantly affect the vertical, braking, and propulsion peak force and impulse, as well as the vector of the resultant ground reaction force. Wooden clog shoes were found to alter gait kinetics in a distinct and predictable way that could potentially reduce stress on the structures of the hoof.
Study Design and Hypotheses
- The researchers hypothesized that the peak force and impulse in vertical, braking, and propulsion are different for horses shod with heart-bar, egg-bar, open-heel, wooden clog shoes, or unshod.
- Another hypothesis was that the duration of the cranial angulation of the resultant ground reaction force vector would be longest for open-heel shoes, followed by being unshod, and then egg-bar and heart-bar shoes, with the shortest being for wooden clog shoes.
Methodology
- The researchers recorded the forelimb Ground Reaction Forces (GRFs) of six non-lame, light-breed horses as they walked across a force platform – four trials per side – while unshod or with egg-bar, heart-bar, open-heel, or wooden clog shoes.
- The outcomes taken into consideration were vertical, braking, and propulsive peak forces and impulses, the percentage of stance time to each peak force, ratio of braking to vertical peak force, walking speed, total stance time (ST), and percentage of stance in braking and propulsion.
Results
- It was found that the type of shoeing condition did not affect the trial speed – 1.51 ± 0.02 m s.
- However, peak forces and impulses varied with the shoeing. With wooden clog shoes, the vertical peak force was lower than the egg-bar shoes or unshod, while the braking peak force was higher. On the other hand, the open-heel shoes resulted in both higher braking and propulsive impulses than being unshod, and the wooden clog shoes resulted in a higher propulsive impulse than being unshod.
- In addition, wooden clog shoes resulted in a higher PF/PF ratio than being unshod and also resulted in the highest percentage time to peak PF, PF, and PF, while having the highest braking time and lowest propulsion time.
- Furthermore, the magnitude of the ground reaction force vector with the wooden clog shoe was found to be the highest among shoeing conditions during the first half of the stance, lowest during the second half, and highest during late propulsion, indicating a more gradual transition from braking to propulsion. Notably, the wooden clog shoe was the only condition that could accurately be predicted based on kinetic measures.
Conclusion
- Overall, this study illuminates the considerable impact different shoe configurations can have on gait kinetics. Specifically, wooden clog shoes have a distinct influence that could potentially reduce hoof stresses.
- The results enhance our understanding of the effects of different shoes on equine gait kinetics and also provide valuable insight on measures to quantify these effects.
Cite This Article
APA
Aoun R, Ogunmola Z, Musso A, Taguchi T, Takawira C, Lopez MJ.
(2025).
Shoe configuration effects on equine forelimb gait kinetics at a walk.
PeerJ, 13, e18940.
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18940 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
- Laboratory for Equine and Comparative Orthopedic Research, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
- Laboratory for Equine and Comparative Orthopedic Research, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
- Laboratory for Equine and Comparative Orthopedic Research, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
- Laboratory for Equine and Comparative Orthopedic Research, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
- Laboratory for Equine and Comparative Orthopedic Research, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses / physiology
- Shoes
- Gait / physiology
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Forelimb / physiology
- Walking / physiology
- Kinetics
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare there are no competing interests.
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