No Foot, No Horse

Why is this so meaningful? 60% of the horse’s weight is supported on the front

legs If you have issues with the feet, the horse is worthless Value of the horse depends upon ability of the horse to

do work

Foot Problems Did horses have serious foot problems when they lived in the wild?

NO!!! Foot problems appeared after domestication

What caused foot problems? Forced environment change

Soft pastures to hard roads Exercising as they pleased to forced labor Wholesome pastures to barn stalls where horses stand in feces,

urine, & mud Free choice maintenance rations to substantial artificial diets “Fat farm” where horses shovel down grain & work little

Reasons for Shoeing Shoes protect hooves from extreme wear, provide better traction, help

correct defects of stance or gait, help cure diseased or defected hooves Contracted heel Thrush Divided tendons

Provide relief from pain of injured parts Hoof wall cracks Bruised soles Tendonitis

Reasons for NOT Shoeing Augments shock & road concussion Nail holes weaken the hoof wall Nail holes can cause separation & allow for infection If shoes remain on too long without trimming- strains

flexor tendons Worn shoes can become thin, loose, or bend Shoes may shift & cause nail punctures in other legs Corns on hooves

Structure of the Foot Fibers of hoof wall look like hair & grow parallel

to each other Hoof grows at 45-55 degree angle to the

ground Rear hooves grow at a steeper angle than front

hooves

Growth Rate of the Hoof Normal growth rate is 3/8 of an inch per month Growth varies

Slower during winter months Hind hooves grow faster than front hooves

Less weight to carry Hooves without shoes grow faster than shod hooves

Nails & shoes limit movement Stallions’ hooves grow faster than hooves of mares or

geldings

Hoof Wall Growth Two processes: proliferation & cornification Proliferation

Reproduction of epidermal cells Replace hoof lost at ground surface due to normal wear &

trimming Provide sufficient cells to cover foot as it increases its volume

between coronet & ground Allow for repair & remodeling of internal hoof

Hoof Wall Growth Cornification

Follows proliferation Produce tough resilient cells found in outer hoof wall Crucial for hoof strength 4 step process Normal growth requires cell proliferation & cornification

to occur as sequential, coordinated processes

Cornification Keratinization

Keratins provide epidermal cell strength, but allow cells to remain flexible

Cell Envelope Protein Synthesis Provides proteins that form rigid cell envelope during final

cornification of epidermal cells Extracellular Matrix Secretion

Contributes to wall strength by cementing cornified epidermal cells together

Cell Envelope Formation Produces tough resilient cells that define outer hoof wall

characteristics

Nutrition Minerals

Structural components in bones, joints, CT, & hoof wall Critical roles in epidermal cell proliferation & cornification

Biotin Cell-to-cell adhesion in outer hoof wall layer Intercellular cementing substance

Water Maintains hoof wall moisture content & tissue hydration

Flares Outward distortions of hoof quarters Typically involve one side of foot Vary in severity Progressive if left unattended Tend to remodel coffin bone in response to altered

distribution of load when left untreated Common in horses with excessive hoof wall length

Club Foot Wall upright (nearly vertical) with long heel Can be inherited Rapid growth May appear following injury or disease that interferes

with normal weight bearing

Shelly Feet Chipping or flaking hoof walls Breaking away of outer hoof wall at ground surface Hoof has been allowed to grow too long Mechanism in which normal unshod foot maintains its

length

Quarter Crack Crack in quarter area of hoof (back of hoof) Treated by lacing the hoof

Thrush Typically caused by wet, dirty conditions coming in constant

contact with commissures of the hoof (along each side of the frog)

Copper sulfate used to help clear it up, along with regular cleaning & providing drier conditions Bleach Coppertox Thrush Buster Burnt Motor Oil

In tough cases, topically applying antibiotic Duracillian can work

Thrush Characteristic odor Gray to black discharge Flakes away Frog is softer, more fragile, & prone to tear Creates conditions for infections

Abscess Pocket of infection sometimes called a “gravel” Works its way into white line of foot If not treated, will migrate up to coronet band

Once there the pressure is relieved & the horse is no longer lame

Very common (especially when horse is barefoot) May be associated with a “hot” nail Most common cause of foot lameness with a sudden onset

If caught early, pared out successfully with wrapping & stall rest can fix them in a few weeks

Abscess Will not show up on an x-ray May be warm to the touch Hoof testers can help determine location Recovery can be easy if “release hole” is small Can become a long & labor intensive ordeal

Wrapping every 2 days Soaking & packing with agent

White Line Disease Aka seedy toe Separation of wall from sole at white line Causes

Infections that invade inner stratum medium & weaken it to a point where outer wall & inner laminae separate

Biomechanical trauma (performance horses) Premature cornification

White Line Disease Chlorinated solution sometimes recommended for

treatment Progressive Faster the treatment, the better Allows for fungal infections to set up Corrective shoeing

Laminitis Also called founder Lameness, inflammation, and increased temperature in the

hooves Severe lameness; permanently unsound

Never recovers to be completely sound Improvement may allow light work

Coffin bone turns downward, front hoof wall separates, sole drops

Laminitis= pain of the laminae; founder= pain of the laminae WITH ROTATION OR SINKING

Laminitis Causes

Carbohydrate overload Nitrogen overload Colic Lush pastures Frosted grass Untreated infections Insulin resistance

Navicular Inflammation or degeneration of the navicular bone and its surrounding

tissues, usually on the front feet Associated with heel pain

Tip toe gait Foot becomes upright & narrow Contributing factors

Conformation defects (promote concussion) Poor trimming, shoe selection, inappropriate shoe attachment Working on steep hills, galloping, jumping Standing in stalls High weight-to-foot ratio

Detecting Lameness SOUND IS DOWN

Head will go down on sound foot and UP ON LAME FOOT Will put pressure on sound foot & tip-toe on lame foot May be warm to touch Watch horse at different gaits on hard surface Harder to detect on hind legs

Watch horse walk away from you, lame leg hip will drop

Paths of Foot in Flight Normal

Moves forward in a straight line Toed Out

Travels forward in a series of inward arcs Toed In

Pigeon toed Travels forward in a series of outward arcs Paddling

Gait Faults Forging

Toe of rear hoof or shoe strikes heel of front hoof or shoe “rolled toe” can fix this

Cross Firing Same as forging but only in pacing horses Toe of hind foot or shoe strikes heel of diagonal front hoof or

shoe Grab on middle side of toe of front shoe

Gait Faults Interfering

Striking of inner surface of hoof or lower leg with hoof of opposite side

Forelegs Shoeing can cause it Squaring toe of hoof or shoe

Paddling Tossing of heels of hoof outward Doesn’t cause any damage Common in young horses

Horse Shoes

Horseshoeing Equipment Nails

One side straight, other side beveled at the point Anvil

Special, lighter weight Must for securing equipment

Hoof Knife Used to remove dirt & trim excess frog

Nail Cutters Used for cutting nails

Horseshoeing Equipment Hoof Nippers

Cutting edge & blunt edge or two cutting edges Cut flush with sole of the foot

Nail Clincher Clinching nails

Clinch Cutter Cutter on one end & pritchel on the other

Horseshoeing Equipment Rasp

Coarse side & fine side Used to file hoof

Pritchel Used to enlarge nail holes in horseshoe

Driving Hammer Used to drive nails through horseshoe holes & into hoof

Horseshoeing Equipment Apron

Made of leather Protects farrier from injury Split in middle & each part ties to leg of farrier

Forge Used to heat & fit shoes

Horseshoeing Equipment

Foot Care Keep feet clean, prevent them from drying out, & trim to maintain correct

shape and length Clean feet daily with shoes

Hoof pick Dryness

Hooves may split & produce lameness Frog loses elasticity Heels contract Pack with wet clay once or twice a week Apply hoof dressing

Neatsfoot oil, sweet oil, or commercial dressing