The Question
Should the Feral horse "foot model" form the basis for the footcare in the domestic horse?
It has been proposed that the feral horse foot is the model for foot health in domestic horses. The adoption of this model by some has shifted the focus of hoof trimming away from the traditional farriery model towards "barefoot trimming". However, the foot morphology and foot health of feral horses has not been formally investigated in detail.
__
Background Reading
Improving the Foot Health of the Domestic Horse: The relevance of the feral horse foot
Rules
The following is a summary from the research report referred to in the initial post.
Since the eighteen hundreds models of hoof trimming and correct hoof balance have been debated. Even today there is NO agreement on the optimal model of hoof conformation.
Logic would however suggest studying wild or feral horses that live a natural life style might hold the key to the "ultimate" hoof shape. The bare foot model trims the hoof wall so it is bevelled at the ground surface, a deep cup in the sole, strong upright heels and a squared off toe. That is the shape of a wild Brumby hoof. (See note 1).
Research comparing the feet of domestic and feral horses had suggested Brumby horses with the aforementioned hoof conformation have HIGH rates of laminitis (between 40 and 93% depending on the population studied) due to travelling over hard ground and having an upright foot.
Brumby horsess have different hoof conformation at birth when compared with domestic horse. An example is the internal architecture of the hoof lamellae in the foot of the feral foals. They are arranged more effectively than in domestic foals, giving feral foals an early locomotory advantage over their domestic cousins.
The morphology of Brumby horse hooves changes depending on the environment they live in. Feral horses living on sandy soils commonly have a flared shaped foot. Furthermore if you move a feral horse from sandy to hard ground (and vice versa) the shape of the hoof changes within just a few months.
Movement and distance travelled also affect hoof health. Domestic horses, for example, kept in a 6 x 6 metre yard inly move 1.1 km/fday. GPS trackers on feral and wild horses show they move between 7-13km/day. Trimming the hoof of a domestic horse so it resembles a wild Brumby horse may adversely impact in domestic horses with low movement levels and increase the risk of laminitis. FYI a domestic horse needs a 4 hectare paddock in order to properly exercise itself for optimal hoof health (equates to 9km movement / day).
Also wild horses mainly walk and if the hoof of a domestic horse is "Brumby" barefoot trimmed then this may put more strain on ligaments etc.
Finally it has been found that in the "wild" there are no less than 5 distinctive hoof shapes in Brumby horses depending on the environment in which they horse live.
So the shape of the domestic horse's foot needs to take into consideration:
Work - Brumby horses mainly walk and don't engage in much fast activity (they conserve energy) this also minimise concussion to the feet.
Ground - Soft ground allows a horse to have more flared feet and on hard ground the hoof is more upright
Feed and paddock size = Domestic hores need to travel around 9km/day for optiomal hoof health.
Hope this reply reads OK... I am in a rush to head outside and do chores.
Note 1 - Interesting bare foot trimming is not new… this model has emerged several times over the past two centuries.
Here are a few questions to ponder.
Ok , get this ball rolling again.....
The arguement that horses are not made to jump or carry a rider and hence they need shoes for this or for that matter that the feral horse model is not adequate as a trimming model, I don't believe holds up for a number of reasons:
1. Yes horses in the wild mostly walk, but they have evolved to handle extremes in movement;, jumping, sharp turns, galloping, bucking, fighting etc. If their physical evolvution had been so narrow in capacity they wouldn't be where they are today ( not counting some of the deformities that are being bred). Using humans as a example, we (it could be argued) that in our prehistory humans mostly walked as well, but as our Olympics aptly demonstrate the physics of our skeletal and muscular systems can handle way beyond what we do 95% of the time. This also includes carrying weight. The key here, is we condition and train ourselves to do these activities with minimal injuries, just like we should do for and to our horses.
So to say that horses hooves and legs are not up the task because they mostly walk in the wild, does not hold up as a valid point.
Someone will probably raise the point about the high rates of lameness and break down in racing horses, but most issues stem from the fact that they are raced before they are allowed to finish growing (growth plates) as well as has been mentioned before that the industry has been tampering with the evolutionary process by prioritizing speed (in their conformation) over soundness. Again this goes back to my point in aprevious post that horses hooves and legs have evolved for overall soundness not just for speed.
2. Reviewing the feral horse model and other barefoot models, I am faced with how little I know about this topic and what breadth and depth of research and information is out there nowdays on this topic ( so PLEASE can we get an expert or more knowledgable person put their two bobs worth in)...but ;-P for this debate I think the feral horse model has merit because first and foremost this model has as a overall principle ( sometimes not that well stated I feel) That principle is that; the hoof adapts and changes to the environment and that this adaption takes time. This I think is the main principle to be taken from the feral horse model and one that is hard to argue against. The environment and observing the impact that the environment has on the hoof wear should be what guides us in our decision making regarding hoof care.
An interesting finding from the feral horse study... is that although there maybe hidden damage to the hoof, it does not mean the horses are lame.
Its a good idea to invite someone with expert knowledge to comment, but it wont be from the Australian Brumby Research Unit. They operate in a commercial capacity.
For me personally, the take home message is that perhaps boots have a preventative function. Even for horses in light work. Furthermore that hoof damage may happen long before exterior deteriorations are evident. And with changes in the environment, the hoof trim and need for hoof protection may increase/decrease.
Hoof damage from what Helen? In my limited experience boots are used as a transitional device and or for comfort for the horses that have not yet adapted or are deemed unable to to go barfoot, not as a preventive (to what?) Thats true to re lamintis early stages often go un noticed, though generally riders will comment that their horse feels a bit rough, short, not right...
phoebesuperstar1 said:
Hoof damage from what Helen?
"HIGH rates of laminitis (between 40 and 93% depending on the population studied) due to travelling over hard ground and having an upright foot". As per the study findings.
In my limited experience boots are used as a transitional device and or for comfort for the horses that have not yet adapted or are deemed unable to to go barfoot, not as a preventive (to what?)
I use hoof boots for everyday riding. In fact, hoof boots were recommended by the vet for a OTT horse with laminitis type symptoms - that was 15 years ago. I have been using hoof boots for everyday riding ever since. In fact, most people I ride with use hoof boots when they hack out.
Its highly unlikely that correctly fitting hoof boots will do any harm (?) They may however prevent an injury e.g. a stone bruise, concussion or maybe even laminitis signs that arise from riding on hard ground.
Thats true to re lamintis early stages often go un noticed, though generally riders will comment that their horse feels a bit rough, short, not right...
Laminitis is really a syndrome, rather than a disease, it has more than one aetiology.
In the broadest sense, laminitis refers to inflammation of sensitive layers of tissue (laminae) inside the hoof in horses and other animals.