Hoof Balance Of Toed-In Horses

Veterinarians in Belgium examined the dorsopalmar and mediolateral hoof balance of five toed-in warmbloods that weren’t lame at the time of the study. They used a pressure plate to assess the symmetry of vertical ground reaction forces as a measure of hoof balance and limb loading symmetry at a walk. Their hypothesis was that toed-in conformation primarily affects mediolateral balance.

When given the opportunity to write about shoeing a normal foot, my first move was to discuss the topic with a well-respected colleague, who quickly asked me “Jeffrey, what is a normal foot?” Naturally, I began to reflect on my daily work, thinking that most of my feet were fairly “normal.” But then I thought about the question more and came to the realization that almost all of my so-called “normal” horses present me with some type of a conformational or structural challenge that I am constantly striving to improve.

The footcare topic most often requested by American Farriers Journal readers is balance. Yet it’s one of the more difficult subjects to get hoof-care professionals to write about because it is so complicated and there are so many different opinions.

When extending the heels of a shoe beyond the back of the foot, how do you balance the horse’s need for support with concerns about leverage created by the steel hanging out behind the foot?

Whenever farriers talk about feet, there's a lot of discussion about hoof balance. For sound, healthy feet, balance is crucial, but the concept of balance is not always understood.