Trimming and Re-shoeing Results in More Steps per Day and More Time Spent Lying per Day.

This research investigates the impact of trimming and re-shoeing on horse behavior, observing that horses shod afresh take more steps and spend more time lying down each day, possibly indicating increased comfort.

Objective and Methodology

• The purpose of this study was to delve deeper into the effects of trimming and re-shoeing on the behavior of light horse geldings. For this, three-axis accelerometers were strapped to the left rear limb of the horses such as the Quarter Horse, Dutch Warmblood, or Thoroughbred.
• These devices, along with protective boots placed underneath, were periodically removed every day for about an hour while the horses were being fed. The researchers sought to monitor alterations in the horses’ limbs.
• After allowing the horses to get used to this setup for two days, their activity was documented for the next five days. Following this, the researchers carried out treatments on some of the horses, where their existing shoes were taken off, their feet trimmed, and new shoes put on, while the others were merely handled without getting their feet trimmed or new shoes fitted.

Data Collecting and Evaluation

• Horse activity was monitored for five days post the treatment. Parameters like steps taken per day, duration spent lying per day, and the number of lying bouts were tracked. These were then tested for variations relative to the treatment, time (pre or post-treatment), and for the interaction of the treatment over time.
• Advanced statistical software was used to analyze the collected data. A series of tests were used to analyze the data including procedures for repeated measures, and the Student’s t-test was employed for separating means.

Findings

• Results indicated a significant interaction between treatment and time, particularly on daily time spent lying and number of steps taken.
• The re-shod horses, interestingly, were found to spend more time lying after the treatment than before. Concretely, there was an increase from 66.8 minutes to 121.4 minutes per day.
• The same horses, after being trimmed and re-shod, also took more steps compared to the others who were not given the same treatment. The recorded increase was from 3056 steps to 3499 steps per day.
• This suggests that the trimming and re-shoeing process may lead to enhanced mental and physical comfort in horses.