Hoof conformation What can be done about a horse with “bad feet”?
We’ve all heard the expression “no foot, no horse”, but what actually constitutes a bad foot and can anything be done about it? Stephanie Bateman investigates
KEEPING horses sound is an intricate process. The slightest deviation in hoof balance and limb-hoof alignment can have catastrophic consequences not only to performance, but also to general soundness and longevity.
Recognising if a prospective purchase has “bad” feet is therefore essential, but if your own horse already has conformational defects, there are ways of managing some of them.
“Hoof conditions such as cracks, splits and corns can be treated, but it’s when the issue relates to the shape and loading pattern of the hoof that it becomes complicated,” says farrier Ben Benson AWCF. “The hoof grows, so if the problem is purely in the hoof, often you can grow your way out of it. When it comes to leg and joint conformation, the hoof grows in accordance with the load placed on it.”
One of the most common issues associated with lameness, and one that can usually be managed with correct farriery, is mediolateral (side to side) hoof imbalance.
“This alters the forces on the bones, tendons and ligaments within the foot and further up the leg,” says Dr Rachel Murray MRCVS from Rossdales. “It can be attributed to how the horse is shod, how it stands and its conformation. For example, some horses have conformational imperfections in the limb and so the hoof starts to grow asymmetrically. It can cause damage to the internal structures.”
Correcting mediolateral imbalances that aren’t associated with limb deformity requires the longer side of the hoof to be gradually trimmed to match the length of the other side.
Horses with a rotation in the leg often present with a hoof irregularity, commonly a toe-in or toe-out conformation.
“A rotation in the leg will impact on the loading pattern of the foot, so the foot will grow differently,” says Rachel. “With a growing horse you can sometimes correct problems through its development. With an adult horse, changes in shoeing and foot balance should be avoided, but it may be possible to improve the loading pattern by rolling one side of the foot or offering more support so you end up with a more normal foot growth.”
DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES
SOMETIMES, toe-in stances can be caused by how the horse has developed muscularly.
“If you have a young or unfit horse that is very narrow through its chest and is pigeon-toed, if you improve the muscle development, its front end becomes wider and the pigeon toes often improve,” says Rachel.
Another condition that can be caused by developmental anomalies is club feet, where one or both front feet are very upright, which can cause abnormal loading of joints, ligaments and tendons.
“Some warmbloods with club feet are a classic example of a problem during development,” adds Rachel. “A typical warmblood has a short neck and long front legs, so when the horse is trying to graze, it will either spread its legs apart or split them with one forward and one back. Splitting them apart causes them to overload the medial side [inside] of the front feet resulting in issues with the inside wall breaking up, getting narrower and the outside wall growing too fast.
“The problem with one leg forward and one back is that the leg that is always back can develop a more upright or club-type foot because the weight never goes into the heel. Alongside corrective farriery, one way to manage this is to feed forage and hard feed from shoulder height to prevent the horse having to split its front legs.”
NATURE VS NURTURE
EVIDENCE has shown that early intervention can have profound effects on limb and hoof deformities – it’s even possible to eradicate some issues totally.
“We should definitely pay closer attention to the conformation of horses when they are foals because you can make slight adjustments before three months old through trimming and even shoeing [glue-on shoes],” advises Ben.
“If you have a foal or young horse that is still growing with asymmetries in the feet, through good trimming you can change the growth pattern of the horse so you get a much better end result. If you have a horse that is aged four with poor conformation, it’s too late and you have to manage instead of change.”
It’s not just about the hooves either, as Rachel explains: “Correct hoof conformation from birth will make a huge difference to the quality of the bones, tendons and ligaments. You can protect these structures later on, but strength and thickness develop during growth.” Breeding can play a huge part, too.
“There are still too many people breeding from mares who are retired through injury, and that is a real problem,” say Rachel. “It’s not just about conformation, it’s about the fact that we are breeding from horses with poor quality tendon and bone who are then producing stock who will probably also have a tendon injury or bone issue. On the other hand, if you breed from horses who have made it to top level and stayed there for a decent amount of time, you know that the horse is physically tough.”
Ben agrees and believes education is key. “Horses are bred without people really knowing what they’re looking at, and this can cause problems because what is wrong becomes ‘normal’,” he says. “Nowadays, we can manage things more effectively, so a lot of horses are held together, but it results in a huge amount of conformational problems that we see every day, and because we are used to
“There are too many people breeding from mares who retired through injury”
DR RACHEL MURRAY
seeing them, they become the norm. The aim should be to breed out conformational issues and weaknesses where possible.”
BREED-SPECIFIC ISSUES
ARE certain breeds more predisposed to issues than others?
“Some breeds are certainly more inclined to have hoof issues than others,” says Rachel. “Take thoroughbreds – they can be predisposed to flat feet with poor horn growth. Flat feet often result in collapsed heels and long toes, which puts more strain on the tendons and ligaments at the back of the leg and an increased risk of injury to the deep digital flexor tendon, suspensory ligament and supporting ligaments at the back of the fetlock and pastern. Collapsed heels can also affect the coffin joint and navicular bone.”
Improving flat feet includes trimming back the toes and improving the breakover, while supporting the heel.
“For thin soles you also need to consider how you protect the sole and encourage it to be thicker or have a greater depth,” adds Ben. “That can be done with a slightly wider shoe and ensuring optimal foot balance. This is where topical hoof hardeners can be used, after which pads with an antibacterial packing can be applied to physically create a thicker depth of foot and protect the sole.”
Draught breeds and types that are prone to shorter, heavier actions are predisposed to conditions such as sidebone (ossification of the collateral cartilages of the coffin bone).
“Thoroughbreds and warmbloods tend to have a more flowing action, so the tendons stretch and are elastic, bouncing off the floor, whereas your cob or draught horse has a short, high knee action that loads the bones and joints in the leg hard and doesn’t stretch the ligaments to help absorb the impact,” explains Rachel. “Those horses are at risk of having sidebone because the cartilage in the foot starts to become more mineralised and ossified to cope with the extra strain.”
Some horses will respond well to stabilising the foot so that every time the foot spreads out it doesn’t pull all the ligaments and damage the base of the mineralised cartilage. Soft packing can also help as it absorbs some of the impact.
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT
CONFORMATIONAL issues in the hoof need not be limiting as long as there is a good team supporting the horse and the horse has the desire to perform.
“When you look at some of our top horses on teams, plenty of them have conformational issues, but they have access to really good farriers and physios and vets and trainers who help keep them together and sound,” says Ben. “What we have to remember is that certain breeds are built for certain jobs, and it’s fine to use different breeds, but you have to appreciate they have their own limitations.”
Rachel also believes a lot of success comes down to temperament.
“When it comes to soundness and performance, temperament overrides everything. I see horses at top level with horrendous conformational defects that we are managing, but because the horse wants to do the job, it manages to override that. A desire to perform is more powerful than anything.”
“Thin soles can be protected with a slightly wider shoe”
BEN BENSON