Toe modifications in hind feet shoes optimise hoof-unrollment in sound Warmblood horses at trot.

This research examines how changes in the design of horseshoes for the hind feet can improve the way a horse moves at a trot. Studying ten Warmblood horses, researchers found that specific toe modifications allow a smoother hoof action and better coordination without compromising the horse’s ability to push forward, potentially helping to prevent overload injuries.

Study Methodology

• To study the effects of shoe modifications on the horses’ movements and loading on their feet, the ten Warmblood horses were given three types of hind shoes — fully fitted, toe-clipped shoes, side-clipped shoes without a rolled toe but set back by half the thickness of the hoof wall in the plantar direction, and side-clipped shoes with a rolled toe.
• The horses were given two days to adapt to each set of shoes before being trotted over a pressure-force plate to measure and compare dynamics.
• Each condition was compared statistically to the fully fitted shoe condition using a general linear model repeated measures test.

Study Results

• The research showed no significant differences in attributes such as timing of limb movements, stance time, breakover duration, and peak vertical and horizontal ground reaction force between the different shoe types.
• However, adjusting the hind shoes’ position resulted in the center of pressure at toe-off being positioned further back. Additionally, the rolled-toe design led to a smoother shift of the center of pressure and thus more fluent hoof action.
• Both alternative shoe types resulted in a more lateral orientation of the center of pressure at toe-off.

Conclusion

• The toe modifications on the hind shoes showed a positive influence on hindlimb kinematics.
• Setting back the hind shoe and rolling the toe simplified the hoof action, enabling better movement coordination without any loss of propulsion.
• This suggests such shoe modifications might facilitate smoother movement, thus possibly helping prevent overload injuries in horses.