The influence of different hind shoes and bare feet on horse kinematics at a walk and trot on a soft surface

Although often discussed in practice there is a paucity of scientific evidence as to the effect of different shoes on equine locomotion on soft ground, especially in hindlimbs. Our objectives were to determine the effect of different shoeing conditions on the locomotion of sound horses on a soft surface. Two dimensional kinematic video analysis were performed in 6 horses during walk and trot in hand on the same sand surface under 7 different shoeing conditions: (1) front feet shod with aluminum shoes and hind feet with steel race horse shoes (REF), same front shoes in combination with (2) hind egg bar shoes (EGB), (3) hind reverse shoes (REV) and (4) hind covered toe shoe (COV), (5) all four feet unshod (4BF), (6) fore feet unshod and hind steel race shoes (FBF) and (7) front aluminum shoe and hind feet unshod (HBF).
Source: Journal of Equine Veterinary Science - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Tags: Original Research Source Type: research