H E A LT H Y F OO T
H E A LT H Y HO R S E
3
EQUINE MATTERS
Veterinary Surgeon
Richard Morris
XLVets Equine practice
Fenwold Veterinary
Group
No Foot No horse – The
importance of Foot Balance
Foot balance is the harmonious relationship between limb, foot and
horseshoe.
richard Morris BSc BVetMed CertVd MrCVS,
Fenwold Veterinary Group
The dynamic movement of the horse’s limb
when propelling the horse must be perfectly
aligned in order to minimise the stresses and
strains on the tendons and joints. If the foot is
not balanced, it distorts the movement of the
leg causing abnormal loading of the joints
and tendons, predisposing to injury and
lameness.
A well balanced foot will be symmetrical in
size and shape, and land flat to the ground.
During movement, there should be a straight
line from toe to fetlock, with the joints
appearing to be in a vertical straight line
when viewed from the front or behind. To
assess foot balance, the whole horse and all
four limbs should be evaluated carefully; the
limbs should be symmetrical, with any
asymmetry being deemed a conformational
fault which may also influence pre-purchase
examination.
Foot balance is assessed at rest on a firm,
flat surface (static) and in motion (dynamic).
Static foot balance is evaluated from side to
side (lateromedial foot balance) and front to
back (dorsopalmar foot balance).
For the assessment of dorsopalmar foot
balance, the alignment of the hoof wall at
the toe and heel should be checked to ensure
they are parallel, and there should be a
straight line from the toe up the dorsal hoof
wall and along the pastern to the fetlock –
‘the Hoof Pastern Axis’
(figure 1)
.
Figure 1. The Hoof Pastern Axis