The Immediate Effect of Routine Hoof Trimming and Shoeing on Horses’ Gait.

The research study is about the effects of routine hoof trimming and shoeing on a horse’s gait. Using fifteen horses, the researchers evaluated the changes in hoof conformation and their relation to the horses’ movement at a trot, both before and after undergoing routine farrier care.

Study Method

• The research used a sample of fifteen horses, all of which underwent routine hoof trimming and horseshoe application.
• Both before and after this farrier intervention, the researchers took dorsal and lateral photographs of the right and left front feet and performed inertial gait analyses while the horses moved at a trot.
• The hoof photos were then measured using a calibrated system, and the hoof and gait measurements were compared before and after the farrier’s intervention.
• Statistical analyses were performed to determine significant associations between changes in the hoof measurements and changes in the gait before and after the farrier intervention.

Findings

• Significant differences were found in various aspects of each horse’s hooves before and after farrier intervention. These included the mean medial to lateral coronary band length, lateral and medial coronary band height, dorsal hoof wall length, heel length, heel overhang length, palmar coronary band height, and hoof angle.
• Despite these changes to the horses’ hooves, no statistical difference was observed in the total head and pelvis movement before and after the farrier intervention, implying that changes in hoof conformation due to ordinary hoof trimming and shoe application do not affect a horse’s gait if the horse is not lame.
• However, some differences in hoof characteristics before and after trimming were correlated with changes in specific parameters of the stride, such as maximum head movement, maximum pelvis movement, and minimum pelvis movement.

Conclusion and Future Application

• The conclusion of the study is that routine hoof care does not alter the gait of non-lame horses. However, some hoof characteristic measurements showed correlation with immediate changes in stride parameters after the intervention.
• This information could help farriers and veterinarians adjust their routine hoof care practices, potentially improving horse welfare and performance.
• The researchers suggest that further studies would be useful in determining which changes to hoof conformation might be beneficial for the treatment of lame horses.