A comparison between unshod and shod front hooves of Thoroughbreds and the effect of trimming

Abstract

Introduction: In this study we used New Zealand Thoroughbred horses which are predisposed to a long toe-low heel conformation. Horses with a hoof conformation like this are said to land toe-first whereas other breeds land lateral asymmetrical. The process of breakover will take longer in horses with this hoof conformation and trimming of the feet will influence this process. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the difference in the way of landing of untrimmed and trimmed feet and the effect of trimming and shoeing on the movement of the CoP during breakover. Materials and methods: Two clinically sound Thoroughbreds were measured before and after trimming, one horse has been measured after shoeing with keg shoes. The horses had one day to adapt to the trimming of their feet, and the shod horse got three days to get used to her shoes. The horses were trotted by hand across a pressure plate and their velocity was measured using two infrared gates. Results: The preferred way of landing of trimmed front hooves is lateral asymmetrical. Untrimmed hooves showed no preference in way of landing. Trimming decreases the intra-individual left-right difference in maximum lateral displacement of the CoP during breakover. Conclusion: Due to the low frequency of the measuring system and technical problems encountered during data collection, no definite conclusions can be drawn from the results obtained in the current study. Certain tendencies can be identified, however further research is needed on the subject.