On My Tackbox: No Hoof, No Horse

ON MY TACKBOX

No hoof, no horse

Never were there truer words spoken. Accredited Master Farrier DAVID FARMILO is on a mission to encourage horse owners to gain a better understanding of the horse’s hoof as an essential part of its well-being and performance.

Writing now as a retired farrier after 65 years of shoeing and competitive riding much of that time, it still surprises me how few horse owners pay any attention to the condition or conformation of the lower leg and hoof when considering the purchase of a horse. I have advocated for decades that prospective horse owners should have to pass a knowledge test about the bone structure and tendons and ligaments especially of the lower leg prior to owning a horse or pony. I constantly make the statement that at least 90% of all lameness in any horse originates from the knee down. Anyone owning or buying a horse has a duty of care to that horse for the rest of its life.

A very simple visual inspection will show if the coronary band on the front hooves is an even round or oval shape and the hoof wall at ground should be a mirror image of that coronary band (see pictures 1, 2, & 4). The hind coronary bands should be diamond shape and the bottom of the hoof wall should be a mirror image of that diamond shaped coronary band.

Viewed from the side on there should be a parallel line down the front of the pastern and the front of the hoof wall (see picture 3). When lifting the leg and viewing down the back of the pastern, it must show that the heels are of equal heights and that they form a ‘T’ square with the centre line of the pastern (see pictures 5 & 6) - thus allowing the hoof to land evenly and stand straight. Once we have an understanding of what is normal, we can begin to assess what might go wrong with our potential purchase of this horse or pony. Consider the predictability of hoof related lameness. Long toes cause low and crushed heels, also tripping and stumbling as well as back strain. High heels cause a shortening of stride and/or a stilted action in front as well as shoulder pain. When the shape of the bottom of the hoof is not a mirror image of the normal coronary band, it means the hoof is flared and out of shape, so the flight of the leg is crooked and will travel in the direction of its longest point, causing interference, joint strain and bad attitude through pain. Standing the horse squarely on a level surface we should see all four hooves pointing straight towards the front, the cannon bone should be centred directly under the knee joint, and the pastern should be centred under the fetlock joint. If all this is so then the hoof will point straight forward. Conformation faults can be minimised to a degree by a good farrier, but avoiding a horse with conformation faults is much better.

The hinds should also point forwards and be in line with the fronts, however if the hind hooves have been allowed to flare to the outside they will be pointing to the outside i.e. cow hocked, and this

1: The ideal shape of the hoof capsule 2: Perfect balance in the hoof 3: Parallel hoof/pastern angle

causes back strain in the hip area. Always ask if you can pick up the back feet when looking at a prospective horse purchase – nothing scares a farrier away quicker than a horse that has never had its back feet picked up. Ditto for shoeing – there is always a reason and while it is rarely the horse’s fault, if you buy into it you may have an extensive retraining program ahead of you. If the horse is for competition and passes all these checks, then you have made a good start. For the pleasure rider - check if the horse is the right build for the rider; too many riders are ‘underhorsed’ to put it politely. Many owners and riders have also never considered the left or right handed tendencies of their horse. Many farriers will refute it and it is rarely explained how critical this is for performance. In brief the horse will always be more athletic when working to the side of their dominant (larger) hoof. There are very few ‘ambidextrous’ horses. Apply that principle to a racehorse running clockwise or anti-clockwise and you can begin to see the flow-on effect. The time we spend evaluating the horse and getting feedback from owner or rider before we pick up that first leg is very important in planning a course of action for the trimming or shoeing of that horse. To the horse owner who may feel intimidated when asking questions of the farrier - don’t be shy, just remember that YOU are the expert when it comes to recognizing a difference in the way the horse is working, or travelling, or the way it feels. The farrier only visits once every six weeks or so, making it difficult for them to assess these minor changes that you observe daily. It is your right to query these changes in the horse’s behaviour or in its working. It is so important to have a good relationship with the vet, farrier and rider as a team.

If you think I am just preaching to the converted, I sincerely hope I am. But I have had dozens of new horse purchasers over the years tell me they didn’t know a horse needed its feet trimmed, they didn’t know the hoof was at all important, they didn’t know that a foal should have its feet picked up regularly, or that behavioural problems generally lie directly on the shoulders

4: Internal bone structure demonstrating alignment of P1, P2 and P3 (the three phalangeal bones of the lower leg). 6: Incorrect T-square

of the owner, or the past owner. And always get a vet check if one hoof is a ‘little bit boxy’ – you would be amazed at the number of breeders who deny a mild club foot. But that is a story for another time. I make no apology if my comments upset any breeders or farriers as my platform is for the horse, and the horses’ reactions dictate my comments. Located in South Australia, David Farmilo is an Accredited Master Farrier. Understanding the horse’s hoof has been a passion since the day he commenced shoeing as a jackeroo in outback South Australia at the age of 15. Over the following 65 years, David built up a vast understanding of the horse's hoof and was also a very successful competitor in all forms of equitation. Follow Horsefarrier on Facebook, visit www.horsefarrier.com.au or email David at djf@horsefarrier.com.au

5: Perfect T-square down the back of the pastern and across the heels