TEXAS VET NEWS By Dr. Bob Judd, DVM and the Texas Farm Bureau Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network

One of the most important routine horse maintenance procedures is hoof trimming and shoeing.  In general, most horses require hoof trimming every 8 weeks, depending on their use and environment. Dr. Steve O’Grady of Northern Virginia Equine Clinic recently gave a presentation on trimming and shoeing at the Alamo Pintado Symposium in California.  Dr. O’Grady indicated the goal of trimming and shoeing the equine foot is to facilitate breakover, protect the sole, and provide support for the heels.  In my opinion, breakover is a very important concept for horse owners to understand.  The length of the toe relative to the conformation of the rest of the hoof and leg determines the amount of time the foot stays on the ground before the horse picks it up, or breaks over, when moving in any gait.  The longer the toe, the slower or more increased the breakover, and the longer time the foot is on the ground.  The longer the foot is on the ground, the more strain is applied to the deep digital flexor tendon, the navicular bone, and the caudal or rear part of the heel.  Consequently, if the breakover is decreased and backed up, and the toe is made shorter through trimming, or if a rolled toe, rockered toe, or square toe shoe is used which also moves the breakover back, there is less strain on the deep digital flexor tendon, navicular bone, and caudal portion of the heel. 

I see many performance horses with long toes and low heels that are lame from navicular syndrome, caudal heel pain, or solar bruising simply because they are trimmed incorrectly.  It is also important to examine the foot to make sure the walls on the medial, or inside, and the lateral, or outside, or even.  If the medial and lateral walls are uneven, solar bruising can develop as well as cracks due to instability of the hoof capsule.  Our next program will deal with the trimming the sole, heels, and shoeing. 

Date Published: 2/18/2005 10:16:00 AM