How do we really know if a hoof trimming method is helping or hurting a horse?
- Beccy Smith
- Mar 16
- 5 min read
And can we objectively measure the results of hoof care imposed upon a horse?
Remember Polly? This sweet ex-racehorse TB mare was featured in our first sell-out webinar in November 2024 (https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/post/webinar-recording-case-study-1-long-toes-low-heel-lameness-in-a-tb). Polly has a few health challenges which impact posture and hoof morphology/balance, including lifelong teeth imbalances which challenge her nutritionally.
Funds raised from this webinar and others like it have helped us support horse carers like Lynn by delivering free or heavily subsidised services and educational resources. We hope to continue to visit Polly in person and look forward to sharing her rehab with this compassionate community. If you would like to provide a donation and 'pay it forward' click on the link below
During the online consult with Pollys owner Lynn, I identified serious hoof imbalances which are associated with compensatory pathological posture and an increased risk of lameness and pathology.
I recommended a change of hoof care from the current method employed which tends to over-trim the caudal hoof and leave toes long, causing or contributing to a broken back hoof pastern axis, a lower than ideal palmar and plantar P3 angle, and a lack of bony column alignment, and thus what is considered an unbalanced and pathological (disease forming) hoof, (according to modern podiatry and farriery science).
The recommended hoof care approach I advocate for and recommend aims to support a return of balance, and closer to ideal hoof morphology, posture, development and biomechanics. From my own documentation and assessment, this also supports positive welfare states in horses.
I also recommended dentistry, dietary and farriery support, however, a barefoot route was chosen due to the availability of resources and expert assistance locally at the time, and my friend and professional colleague Fiona Varian from Fluid Movements (https://www.fluidmovements.co.uk/) was able to visit and kick start her integrative rehab with podiatry and bodywork.
I was able to finally meet and trim Polly last week and below are the documented results indicating improvements to her hoof morphology, balance and posture and I am delighted with the collaboration and efforts of all involved who have helped Lynn and her mare Polly.
Polly's case also underlines the need to lean on scientific findings, including understanding the welfare states of horses from the perspective of the 5 domains - in other words, there needs to be the inclusion of objective assessment of horses from this perspective when delivering professional services or providing interventions for domestic horses, which welfare researchers and authors suggest might include:
1. Postural parameters
2. Physiological parameters
3. Behavioural parameters.
In the hoof care industry, this is easy to implement with accurate and repeatable documentation considering all 3 parameters in the field and might include an objective assessment of the horse before and after any hoof care intervention is performed, to ascertain the most appropriate intervention as well as track changes.
If Polly's previous hoof care providers had taken a similar approach, perhaps they might have recognised the need to change the hoof care imposed on this horse and support a positive welfare condition much earlier.
As a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting compassionate equestrianism, we provide services and educational resources which promote the objective assessment of horses, and ideally, the manifestation of optimum welfare states in domestic horses, from an integrative, whole horse, and horse-led point of view.
We empower owners and other professionals to do the same.
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Please reach out if you would like us to provide a webinar or podcast for your community or audience, or if you would like to learn with us. We also deliver services in-person and online too.
Further reading:
Dyson, S.J.; Tranquille, C.A.; Collins, S.N.; Parkin, T.D.H.; Murray, (2011) R.C. External characteristics of the lateral aspect of the hoof differ between non-lame and lame horses. Vet. J. 2011, 190, 364–371.
Dyson S, Pollard D. Application of the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram to 150 Horses with Musculoskeletal Pain before and after Diagnostic Anaesthesia. Animals (Basel). 2023 Jun 9;13(12):1940. doi: 10.3390/ani13121940. PMID: 37370450; PMCID: PMC10295347.
Gellman, K. (2010). Living With Gravity: Posture and the Stomatognathic System by Karen Gellman, DVM, PhD. http://www.equinesportsmed.com/Equine_Sports_Medicine/Articles_files/Gellman%20IAED%202010.pdf
Mansmann, R.A.; James, S.; Blikslager, A.T.; vom Orde, K. (2010) Long Toes in the Hind Feet and Pain in the Gluteal Region: An Observational Study of 77 Horses. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2010, 30, 720–726.
Pezzanite, L.; Bass, L.; Kawcak, C.; Goodrich, L.; Moorman, V. (2019) The relationship between sagittal hoof conformation and hindlimb lameness in the horse. Equine Vet. J. 2019, 51, 464–469
P. E. Clements, I. Handel, S. A. McKane, R. P. Coomer (2019) An investigation into the association between plantar distal phalanx angle and hindlimb lameness in a UK population of horses. Equine Vet J. 2020, Volume 32, Issue S10, pages 52-59
Sharp, Yogi, and Gillian Tabor (2022). An Investigation into the Effects of Changing Dorso-Plantar Hoof Balance on Equine Hind Limb Posture. Animals 12, no. 23: 3275. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12233275
Walmsley EA, Jackson M, Wells-Smith L, Whitton RC. (2019) Solar angle of the distal phalanx is associated with scintigraphic evidence of subchondral bone injury in the palmar/plantar aspect of the third metacarpal/tarsal condyles in Thoroughbred racehorses. Equine Vet J. 2019 Nov;51(6):720-726. doi: 10.1111/evj.13086. Epub 2019 Mar 19. PMID: 30793363.
Lesimple, C. (2020). Indicators of Horse Welfare: State-of-the-Art. Animals, 10(2), 294. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10020294
To learn about up coming webinars and events, including Integrated Hoof Care series - #1 to wedge or not to wedge on the 7th April: https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/events click below
To access past webinars,podcasts and articles, (which may require VIP subscription membership) visit: https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/blog
Additional resources and assistance
We take an integrative and holistic approach to whole horse hoof and body health. We appreciate the relationship between body, limb and hoof and seek to address imbalances while positively influencing appropriate static and dynamic hoof balance and biomechanics.
Check out our self-study online courses including PRO-Active hoof mapping - how to recognise healthy hooves as well as how to assess and track changes using modern hoof mapping tool HoofmApp
We also recommend you learn how to document horses hooves and body using this FREE self study online course, whether you trim your own, your clients horses, are an equine professional (in any capacity/field) or simply want to track and monitor progress of your horses hooves and the impact their hoof care has on their posture.
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Beccy Smith BSc ADAEP EBW
Diploma in Advanced Applied Equine Podiatry and now an Independent Integrative Equine Podiatrist, Consultant and Therapist. Certified Lazaris Nerve Release TM Practitioner
CEO and Founder of 100% Non-Profit Community Interest Company Holistic Reflections CIC
Holistic Reflections CIC – a 100% non-profit organisation promoting wellbeing and resilience in people, horses and the environment - for the benefit of all.
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