Review the latest research findings on horseshoes and hooves
Fewer than 200 evidence-based papers have been published on hoof care in the past 40 years, says Patrick Reilly, Grad. Dip., chief of farrier services at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, in Kennett Square. Of those, only a fraction focus on how horseshoes affect a horse’s hoof.
Reilly explains that most of what scientists know about the interaction between shoes and bones in the feet comes from research completed in human athletes. As a subject in a University of Delaware biomechanics study, he learned that wearing shoes changes the function, bone density, and structure of the foot.
“That is really similar to what I think is going on with horses,” he says. “Do horseshoes change the structure of the foot? Probably. I don’t think anybody has a problem saying that, but that doesn’t make horseshoes inherently bad.”
Vanessa Dahl, MS, a PhD student in animal science at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, agrees.
“Shoes have a purpose in protecting a horse’s foot,” she says. “We ask horses to do jobs or athletic events that go beyond the wearing down of hoof under natural circumstances, so shoes help to protect them from that excessive wear.”
She adds that modern breeding trends focus on athletic capability rather than hoof quality. As a result, the genetic selection for good hoof quality tends to be poor. So, in the case of protection, shoes can significantly impact keeping horses sound, especially those with poor hoof quality.
Reilly and Dahl say much more research is needed to better understand how horseshoes influence the hoof and a horse’s gait, but here’s a look at what studies reveal.
Studies Exploring the Impact of Horseshoes on Hooves
One of the primary concerns critics have regarding horseshoes is their potential to restrict the natural expansion and contraction of the hoof during locomotion. Researchers on these four studies sought to understand this connection
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