The feral horse foot. Part A: observational study of the effect of environment on the morphometrics of the feet of 100 Australian feral horses.

The research analyzes how the environment and travel patterns affect the foot morphology of Australian feral horses. The study aims to leverage these observations to improve the management of domestic horse feet.

Research Methodology

• The left forefeet of 20 adult feral horses from each of five distinct populations in Australia (100 in total) were researched. The populations were chosen based on the hardness of the substrate on which the horses were stepping and the amount of travel characteristic to each population.
• The feet of these horses were x-rayed and photographed. Then, 40 different measurements of each foot were taken, which were believed to potentially shape the foot morphology of these horses.

Research Findings

• Among the 40 morphometric parameters measured, 37 showed significant differences across the populations. This led to the conclusion that substrate hardness and travel distance indeed have an effect on foot morphology of these horses.
• Horses stepping on harder substrates and traveling longer distances were found to have short hoof walls and minimal hoof wall flaring. On the other hand, horses stepping on softer substrates and traveling moderate distances had longer, flared walls. This later type resembled typical untrimmed feet of domestic horses.

Conclusions

• The morphology of the feral horse foot was found to be influenced by the distance the horses traveled, and the abrasive attributes and mechanical properties of the substrate the horses stepped on.
• There were noticeable differences in some conformation parameters between the feral horses from this study and domestic horses from previous studies.
• Even though the foot shape of the feral horse could be prescribed to, concerns about abnormal foot anatomy call for further investigation into this matter.