Use of a pressure plate to analyse the toe-heel load redistribution underneath a normal shoe and a shoe with a wide toe in sound warmblood horses at the walk and trot.

The research examines the pressure distribution in the horse’s forelimbs while wearing regular shoes or those with a wider toe, typically used for treating specific tendon or ligament injuries. Specifically, the study analyzes this distribution using a pressure plate, unveiling differences between the two types of shoes at both walking and trotting paces.

Methodology

• The study was conducted in a crossover-design manner, with six warmblood horses participating. They were randomly equipped with regular shoes or a wider toe variant.
• A dynamically calibrated pressure plate recorded the foot pressure data from both forelimbs as the horses walked and trotted across it.
• This setup aimed to understand the load redistribution between the toe and heel regions for both types of shoes.

Findings

• There were no notable distinctions between the two shoe types in terms of stance time, peak vertical force and vertical impulse – also classified as the toe-heel index data.
• For the wider toe shoe, the peak vertical pressure was marginally lower and occurred slightly sooner during the stance phase. However, these differences were not statistically significant.
• What stood out was that the adapted shoe’s expanded toe contact area significantly reduced the total vertical pressure in the toe domain, while not affecting the heel load.

Implications and Conclusions

• Through the study, the pressure plate effectively illustrated the individual loads of the toe and heel regions and demonstrated how these were altered underneath the shoe with a wider toe.
• Although the study suggested that pressure redirection from the toe to the heel could enable the heels’ sinking in arena grounds (mimicking the biomechanical effects of using a toe wedge), further research on a pliable surface is necessary for validation
• Such redistribution of pressure might explain why wide-toe shoes serve as worthwhile treatment options for SDFT (Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon) or SL (Suspensory Ligament) injuries.
• The use of pressure-measuring equipment, like the plate used in this study, might offer veterinarians a beneficial diagnostic tool. It can aid in assessing load distribution underneath the equine hoo, and fine-tuning corrective shoeing procedures to ensure optimum performance and animal welfare.