Farrier Science is the dynamics of the various shoeing and trimming techniques, the science of each technique and the pros and cons of each. Not every modality or a particular shoeing/trimming technique will work the same for every horse; each case needs to be evaluated individually.
For the Equine Body Worker understanding the weight bearing the loading through the front and hind limbs of the horse in relation to the shoeing and trimming for good and poor conformation; alongside the expectations on the horse in terms of its daily work and surfaces worked upon is invaluable in informing how this directly affects the horse’s musculoskeletal system.
The effects of hoof imbalance can be seen in the upper body as misalignment of bones, incorrect muscle formation and the inability to achieve full extension of all four limbs. The horse then shows signs such as soreness, attitude changes, and unwillingness to work and in extreme cases the ability to walk.
There are many types of hoof imbalance:
- Medial lateral imbalance
- High low heels imbalance
- Under run heels
- Pastern imbalance
- High heels
These and other hoof problems can cause problems such as:
- Loss of hoof function
- Increased pressure on muscular attachments
- Increased pressure on the skeletal make-up
- Increased pressure on the nervous system
- Inconsistent blood flow to the hoof and lower limb structures
The hoof function can be broken into 4 main parts:
1. Protection for the internal workings of the hoof and providing secure footing in all terrain;
2. Shock absorption along with hoof expansion;
3. Circulatory pump (so when the hoof is weight bearing the capsule is filled with blood and when non-weight bearing the blood is expelled)
4. Excretion of metabolic waste such as protein.
Hoof imbalance is one of the most common problems associated with lameness in a horse's foot. It can be attributed to a variety of causes including conformation, the type of shoes fitted and how regularly the horse is shod.
The Equine Body Worker can support through the shared understanding of the anatomy and functionality of the foot, identification of correct pastern/hoof axis, recognition of balanced shoeing and trimming and understanding the break over and correct hoof capsule shape.
Ideally, the horse's foot should strike the ground as a unit, with the entire weight-bearing surface hitting the ground together.
In the case of side-to-side imbalance (lateral-medial imbalance) the outside toe strikes the ground before the heel, with the inside heel landing last. This leads to uneven forces across the hoof and uneven loading of the lower limb joints.
The manner in which the horse places weight on its limbs can affect the whole skeletal alignment and the way the muscles attach and hold the complete skeletal structure in place.
The hoof balance is one the most significant causes of muscular and skeletal pain in the equine. These problems require partnership working between the Equine Body Worker and the Farrier to correct hoof imbalance and readdress muscular skeletal imbalances caused to achieve correct body alignment and functionality.
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