The difference between the workload of the front and hind limbs on a horse is often a confusing concept. Hall of Fame farrier Randy Luikart provides some insight on the subject.

“Quite simply, the front legs provide the majority of lift for the body (vertical acceleration) and a small percentage of horizontal acceleration, while the hind legs provide the majority of horizontal acceleration and a small amount of lift,” he writes. “We have heard and read for years that since the center of mass of the horse is behind the front legs, we must provide posterior support for the front limb. This is provided by the length of the shoe, egg-bar shoes, and removal of hoof at the heel to locate the buttress of the hoof or heel of the shoe further under the cannon bone.

“These treatments are all mechanically good ideas that will support the body during load acceptance (the first part of the weight-bearing phase). They also give support during the lifting of the body in part of the load application (propulsion) phase.”

Conversely, the center of mass is in front of the hind limb. During the load acceptance portion of the weight-bearing phase, the hoof is in front of the hip and loading on the posterior side (heels). During the propulsion phase (load application), the hoof is behind the hip and the toe loaded.

“In the standing horse, this mechanical difference is significant in that if you could saw the horse in half through the center of its mass, the front half would fall backward, and the back half would fall forward,” Luikart writes. “When standing, the weight of the horse is borne on the heels of the front feet and on the toes of the hind feet.”

For more information on the dynamics of the horse’s feet, read Luikart’s article “Equine Toe Mechanics” featured in the May/June 2026 issue of American Farriers Journal.