“No hoof, no horse” - Connections from the ground up

   It finally feels like Spring here in New England.  The longer daylight hours and warmer weather inspire many of us to start preparing for the show season ahead, increasing our trail rides, and/or simply turning horses out into new pastures so they can enjoy (hopefully in moderation) the explosion of fresh green grass sprouting everywhere now.  However, the excitement of increased time in the saddle can often be accompanied by the worries of maintaining soundness, preventing and healing injury, and keeping your horse’s overall health in check.  Recently, I referenced the all-important phrase, “No hoof, no horse”!  The comfort, balance and health of horses’ feet relate directly to their movement and athletic potential.  Pain, imbalance, and structural/conformational abnormalities within the hoof translate not only to lameness originating within the foot itself, but also as persistent restrictions throughout the body and an increased risk of soft tissue injury.

 When a hoof contacts the ground:

      Signals are sent through the nervous system, providing information regarding the sense of balance, posture, and proprioception to the horse.

When there is asymmetry within the hoof, postural shifts and tilting of the body can occur. Asymmetrical posture can lead to pain and restrictions within the neck, shoulder, scapula, elbow, and shoulder as well as changes to muscle development within the pectorals and thoracic/lumbar regions.  The ribcage may also become restricted due to torque from unbalanced movement, especially in the front feet.  On the flip side, many horses are born with natural asymmetry in the feet and have adapted their movement accordingly.  Altering a horse’s natural foot imbalance by trimming/shoeing the foot to look “even” when that imbalance is not connected with an uneven joint space or related pathology, can similarly cause increased strain and torsion on the horse’s distal limb.

A horse’s feet offer an important buffer against forces encountered as they move along the ground.  The heels function to dampen these forces at impact, the frog and sole offer ground support, and the toe functions in propelling the feet forward. (IVMI, course notes Session 3, 2018) When a horse suffers from “low, under-run heel” conformation, described as a difference in toe versus heel angle of more than 5 degrees, the impact force is taken up more within the soft tissue structures of the distal limb (tendons and ligaments).  Long toes inevitably accompany the lower heel conformation, further contributing to delayed breakover, soft tissue fatigue, strain and potential injury.  A horse will compensate by changing the angle of their lower joints to accommodate the added stress.  Low heel conformation in the front feet can cause a horse to lean into the shoulder on the low heel foot side, twisting the thorax and lower neck joints as well as causing uneven pressure within the saddle.  The rider will inevitably experience slipping of the saddle off to one side, causing further imbalance for horse and rider.  In the hind feet, a low heel causes a horse to stand with the hind limbs placed further beneath themselves, placing stress on the muscles of the back and hindquarters, creating back and sacroiliac joint pain.  They may have difficulty locking the patella to rest in a standing position.

   A large portion of impact vibrations during the stride are absorbed through the border between the hoof wall and distal phalanx (the coffin bone). (IVMI, course notes Session 3, 2018) A horse suffering from thin soles or laminitis (either acute or chronic), even when in the “recovery” phase, will experience discomfort during the stride.  Compensation in their movement is a direct consequence to pain within the feet, resulting in restrictions surrounding the joints of the lower limb (the coffin, pastern, and fetlock joints) as well as further up into the shoulder, scapula, and neck.

When things go wrong …..

    Lameness localized to the foot can result from disease, conformational imbalance, or environmental stress. Some of the more common conditions include:

·      Navicular syndrome

·      Thin soles/low hoof mass/weak hoof walls

·      Laminitis

·      Osteoarthritis of the joints within the lower limb

·      Chronic abscesses or persistent infection within the hoof capsule

 Treatment and subsequent recovery for these conditions can be gradual and continuous depending on the underlying cause.  Offering your horse spinal manipulation therapy as part of their rehabilitation plan can have many benefits.  Treatment goals include assisting horses to stand more comfortably in the short term as well as moving forward with improved balance, free from restrictions, in the long term.  Even horses in restricted turnout or on stall rest can benefit from this therapy.  Adjustments are repeated with a frequency determined by the individual horse’s condition and treatment response. 

In 2018, I completed the course in Veterinary Medical Manipulation at the Integrative Veterinary Medical Institute (“IVMI”) with the Chi Institute in Reddick, Florida to achieve certification in spinal manipulation (the veterinary equivalent of chiropractic therapy). Dr. Carla Pasteur, head veterinarian instructor and one of the founding contributors to the IVMI program has provided much of the information and concepts mentioned above.  The “no hoof, no horse” theory builds upon our recurring commitment to the treatment of the horse as a whole, addressing the connection between the components of a horse’s anatomy and how they relate to form and function.  No part of the horse, and therefore no restriction of one part, exists without effect upon the rest.