Author: Holistic Horsekeeping

Spring has arrived and you’re probably thinking about trail rides, shows and other fun riding events. If you’ve had your horse turned out all winter and are just getting him ready for the riding season, you may want to pay extra attention to how his feet are doing. New research suggests that while genetics play some part in determining how good your horse’s feet are, exercise and environment are just as important. Research by Robert M. Bowker, VMD, PhD indicates that most horses have similar hoof development up to four years of age, but after that, exercise and environment are the key factors in creating a “good footed” horse.

When we think about what makes a good strong hoof, most of us think about the outside of the hoof—the thickness of the wall, the depth of the sole, the strength of the bars and the alignment of the lower leg. These are important, but the internal structures in the hoof, which can be significantly impacted by exercise and environment, are just as important.

The most important internal structures in the hoof are the digital cushion, lateral cartilages and blood vessels. The digital cushion is a pad of live tissue just underneath the frog that provides the primary support for the frog. The lateral cartilages support the entire hoof, growing from the digital cushion to just above the coronary band (you can feel the lateral cartilages by feeling for hard structures just under the skin above the coronary band). Finally, the blood vessels run through the digital cushion and lateral cartilage, and the blood in these vessels is critical to supply nutrients to the foot and to help absorb shock when the foot hits the ground.

So how do exercise and environment affect these internal hoof structures? Through stimulation. According to Dr. Bowker’s research, the greater the stimulation to the frog and sole, the more these internal structures grow in strength and mass. High levels of stimulation produce well developed lateral cartilages, a strong digital cushion, and, most importantly, highly developed blood vessels with many branches. Microscopic studies show that well-stimulated hooves develop an entire web of blood vessels while poorly stimulated hooves have only a few large vessels with very little branching. All this branching means more blood in the hoof, with the blood providing a liquid “cushion” that absorbs the impact of the hoof hitting the ground. Without proper cushioning from all three of these hoof structures, the pressure from impact gets spread to other parts of the hoof and leg, which aren’t meant to absorb that kind of shock. This can result in lameness and deterioration of your horse’s joints and hooves.

To get proper stimulation, the frog and sole have to actually make contact with the ground, which doesn’t happen with most types of shoeing. In a wild setting, horses get constant stimulation on the frogs and soles of their feet because they don’t wear shoes and they travel up to 25 miles a day. But most domesticated horses are shod, confined to stalls most of the day, and ridden in soft arenas that provide little or no stimulation. Shoes lift the hoof up off the ground, so the frog and sole can’t make contact or get stimulation. Plus, the soft footing and lack of movement further limit stimulation. The result is a weakened hoof.

So what can you do to give your horse’s feet proper stimulation? You can remove your horse’s shoes and let him go barefoot, or you can use special pads to increase frog stimulation for shod horses. If your horse is older, special pads are probably the more humane approach, since older horses who have worn shoes for long periods of time will have a harder time adapting to going barefooted. The third option, especially for horses that have innately good feet, is to keep them shod without special pads and ride them on rough and varied terrain.

You’ll also want to make sure that your horse is shod or trimmed so that he makes contact with his heel first, and that both his frog and bars actually make contact with the ground (or a pad). In addition, his frog should be large and firm with a shallow center sulcus, and the bars should have a 60 degree angle rather than being upright or vertical. This type of foot is best designed to dissipate force and support the weight of the horse.

Once you’ve corrected your horse’s shoeing situation so he can get proper frog stimulation, you need to make sure he gets plenty of exercise, which increases the amount of actual frog stimulation. The more times your horse has to pick up and put down his feet, the more stimulation he’s getting on his frogs. Adding plenty of turnout time to his daily regimen will also help. Finally, you want to support your horse’s feet from the inside out by providing plenty of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Take care of these simple steps, and you’re horses feet are ready for the riding season. About the Author: Madalyn Ward, DVM has been the owner of Bear Creek Veterinary Clinic in Austin, Texas since 1985. She is certified in Veterinary Homeopathy, Chiropractic and Acupuncture. She is the co-author of “Holistic Treatment of Chronic Lamintis” and has lectured about homeopathic medicine for horses around the United States and Canada since 1992. Madalyn has consulted on articles for Dressage Today, Chronicle of the Horse, The Horse, The Whole Horse Journal and Practical Horseman. Through her website Holistic Horse Keeping (http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com) she publishes a free monthly newsletter, offers the Healthy Happy Horse Resource Group, has e-books available, a home study course and provides information and resources for horse and mule owners.

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