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FA R R I E R F E AT U R E
Trimming
and
shoeing
for
long-term soundness
R J Chard
DipWCF(Hons) AWCF,
Mid Sussex
Many years ago when I was doing a farriery demonstration, I was asked
by a member of the audience, 'is the hoof really made of wood?' After
taking a deep breath and realising that this was a serious question,
I replied 'I wish it was, because it would make my job a lot easier!' The
equine hoof although being tough and resilient can also be weak and
vulnerable through many factors placed upon them by us humans.
The evolution of farriery
The modern horse we know today has evolved
over millions of years, surviving quite happily
without human intervention, with regards to
hoof maintenance. In a natural environment,
horses graze varied terrain and so wear away
the excess hoof growth keeping the hoof at a
constant length and negating the need for
intervention. If the horn wasn't worn away in
time with its growth, the hoof would bend and
distort under the horse's own body weight.
Not too much of a problem perhaps over
a short time, as long as normal activity
levels returned and the growth/wear
equilibrium restored.
Very few of our horses today have the privilege
of self maintaining their own hooves, hence
the need for human intervention. Additionally,
more and more horses are being bred for
performance alone and the way in which the
modern equine is maintained and managed,
means that hoof care and ultimately their
soundness is even more important than ever.
Understanding hoof
structure
The hoof is made up of many tiny tubes (called
horn tubules) that when packed together form
a very strong horny capsule around a similarly
shaped bone inside which is attached to the
rest of the skeleton. The hoof capsule is a
perfectly adapted structure to support and
enable locomotion for the equine, however out
of its natural evolutionary habitat it can suffer.
Think of the bone within the hoof (P3 or pedal
bone) as the foot itself and the hoof around it
as a protective covering, just like we would
wear a pair of trainers. To get the maximum
performance out of this unit the hoof must fit
perfectly around the bone. Just like our well
fitting trainers that are not only supportive but
also allow us to comfortably run, jump and turn
at speed, the hoof capsule can do all of that if
maintained properly and kept 'in balance'.
A horses' conformation is such that from the
fetlock down the limb is projected forward
along with the hoof capsule and not straight
down like a post. This means that as the hoof
grows longer it also grows more forward thus
increasing the overall length from the fetlock.
Small increases in its length are probably within
the equines' acceptable tolerances. However
larger increases in length possibly coupled with
distortions that may have formed, when put
under the stress of athleticism, can have
devastating and potentially long term effects on
soundness both within the hoof and in structures
further up the limb. Applying horse shoes to
an overgrown/distorted hoof further escalates
these destructive forces.
Hoof map prior to trimming
Hoof map after trimming
13
EQUINE MATTERS