Alaska Equine & Small Animal Hospital, LLC  

The question from horse owners should be “Is it an appropriate trim and shoeing for my horse?”. I am often asked what the difference is between traditional trimming and shoeing and the “new” idea of the balanced or 4-point trim. My answer is always that any trim and set of shoes needs to be balanced for the particular foot and horse at that point in time. There shouldn’t be any difference between a traditional trim and a balanced trim. There is a difference between an appropriate trim and an inappropriate trim. Yet there are extreme differences of opinion regarding methods of trimming and shoeing horses. It seems to me that most of the time arguments about hoof balance are based on a lack of understanding and knowledge of what the other person is talking about. Understanding differing ideas about trimming and shoeing should be undertaken by first understanding hoof anatomy and function. It is very important to have a mind’s eye view of the internal hoof when looking at the outer hoof.

Horses were domesticated five to six thousand years ago, yet horse shoes were not developed until around 2000 years ago by the Celts. Shoeing methods and hoof care have always been in evolution as the types of horses and their uses have evolved through the centuries. The requirements of hoof care are not the same today as they were in previous centuries of heavy war horses, nor for the draft and working horses of our ancestors. They aren’t even the same as the performance horses of the last century, primarily because selective breeding has resulted in horse hoof form and structure that is as different as the overall conformation of those horses. Just look through older photos and texts on performance horses to appreciate the difference. They are even different than the horses that some of us grew up with. We have seldom bred horses for healthy hooves. We have bred them for speed,performance and appearance and often just because the neighbor has a stallion. This has resulted in breeds and lines of horses that are known for poor hooves as well as those noted for good hooves. As a result of changes over time in types of horses and the types of work they do there is a constant need for change and evolution in the nature of hoof care.

In addition to the evolution of the domestic horse himself there have also been changes in the environment that horses are commonly kept in. Differing environmental conditions have a profound effect on hoof health. That is felt dramatically here in Alaska. We have extremes of temperature and moisture through the year that effect the growth and strength of the hoof capsule. Hooves also respond differently in different footing and housing situations (pasture, stall, stall and paddock, and arena footing). There is no end of variability in forces at play on hoof structure and growth.

Any consideration of what an appropriate trim and shoe is for a given horse is should begin by understanding the goal of trimming and shoeing. For every horse the goal should be healthy feet providing comfort, protection and ease of movement with a long term outlook of a healthy, pain free life. More often discussions of hoof care occur either when a lameness has presented itself and alterations of shoeing are proposed or when fads come along and controversy flares. As horse owners we must make sensible decisions for our horses based on the goal of healthy feet, ease of movement and long term freedom from pain. As a veterinarian and an equine podiatrist I would prefer to conduct periodic preventive foot care exams to assess optimum form and function and possibly identify potential problems before they occur. These exams should ideally begin as early as possible in the life of the horse and occur on a yearly or bi-yearly basis.

Close inspection and evaluation of shoeing methods have been driven in large part by the desire and need to find more effective and successful ways of dealing with laminitis and navicular diseases. We no longer look at these problems as the death sentence that they once were. The horse’s hoof is a very dynamic and forgiving structure and changes over time. The tragedy of laminitis has probably been the single biggest driving force behind changes that have come about in the last twenty years in both veterinary and farrier fields. There have been some incredible insights gained by dedicated individuals around the world. Dealing with laminitis has been an area of equine podiatry that combines medical care with engineering to provide supportive care and mechanical support and protection to compromised physiology and structure. The offshoot of that work has been to stimulate thought about other diseases of the hoof, primarily navicular problems. As many of us began to look at what makes a navicular horse more comfortable some of what we had learned about the effect of the deep digital flexor tendon on the coffin bone in laminitis led to thoughts of it’s effect on the navicular bone. In short, using mechanical force principles to look at the hoof it becomes very clear why some horses develop the problems that they do.

One of the biggest factors in many hoof related lameness is the length of the toe. It is important to consider the toe as a mechanical lever arm that increases the strain on the deep flexor tendon and the bones that it interacts with as well as the ligaments that attach bone to bone.

The next article on anatomy and function will make these effects clear to the reader. I’ve brought them up here because when the focus in trimming and shoeing the horse is on the bottom of the foot and the horse is shod “to the toe”, the toe typically becomes excessively long. When the internal anatomy of the hoof and the overall conformation of the horse, as well as the use of the horse and his environment are taken into account the task of trimming and shoeing becomes a much more complex issue than the bottom of the hoof presents. I think it is important to remember that underlying most lameness is a conformational defect that leads to increased wear and tear on joints and ligaments that then eventually leads to pain. In many instances of lameness it is possible to identify these conformational defects, unfortunately there isn’t anything we can do to change that. What we can do is evaluate the mechanics of that defect and the effects it is having on a limb and try to alter hoof balance and motion to alleviate that stress. In the same light it is important to evaluate each limb of each horse each time he is trimmed and shod to maintain as optimum of a mechanical situation as possible to maintain soundness in that horse. When only the bottom of the hoof is addressed time and again serious distortions begin to occur in the hoof capsule that then affect the alignment and function of the rest of the limb. If you or I were to wear improper foot wear day after day and perform in athletic events in those shoes we would develop serious whole body consequences. Our horses do the same thing. The point of this discussion is that hoof care should be undertaken with the whole horse in mind, that is to say “holistically.” This should include consideration of mental status, riding style, rider imbalances, and level of training for the type of work the horse is expected to do.

While this article did not spell out specific differences between types of trims and shoes, I hope it laid the foundation and provided a mind set for learning hoof anatomy and understanding function in order to make more informed choices about hoof care for the life of your horse. The next article will cover foot anatomy, function and a variety of conformation effects on hoof balance.