article
Fig 5. These shoulder pictures are not taken under exactly
the same conditions (horses cooperate only so far!). One can
see the difference in shoulder angles. Even accounting for
some photographic difference, a change is apparent, and the
relationship of that change to angulation of the pedal bone is
shown here
Fig 8. Conformation improves with proper trimming. ‘Before’ is
in April; ‘after’ is in August of the same year
cartilages, the digital cushion, the coronary cushion, the sensitive
laminae, the sole dermis, the nerves, the veins and the arteries. There
will be a trickle effect to the entire limb as soft tissues shift and compress
within the hoof capsule. The tissues most affected in the limb are:
muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and nerves. Although bones are
not considered soft tissues, they can structurally change due to stress
caused by improper loading and changes to bone alignment
(Figs 7 and 8)
Amazingly, the horse in Fig 7A never showed signs of lameness. I would
consider such a horse to be mechanically lame, although there were no
blatant signs of lameness or diagnosable pathologies. This horse’s lack
of performance was attributed to poor limb conformation. One may ask
again, what is the true conformation of a horse? Is it man-made or is it
real? It is probably a little of both. The horse in Fig 7 is naturally offset at
the knees, but poor trimming and shoeing will inevitably make a slight
Fig 6. Various stance possibilities viewed from the front
limb deviation worse. In my experience, it takes longer for a horse to
return to its ‘normal’ conformation than the reverse. The hooves and
limbs of the horse in Fig 8 recovered quickly, but it took a longer for the
horse to regain its old form.
I cannot stress enough the importance of taking preventative radiographs
and keeping track of hoof conformation. Pre-pathological lameness is
often difficult to pin down. Having photos and/or radiographs can be
extremely useful. Without them, you may have a difficult time convincing
others that changes have occurred in a horse’s hooves and movement.
Unfortunately, it often takes a real lameness issue, such as a bowed
tendon or an active splint to recognise that there may be a problem with
the trimming and shoeing.
Fig 7. These images show the changes in legs and knee
conformation in a riding horse over three years. The Reference
pictures were taken in August 2000, in November 2001
Hoof adaptability (2005) In Trail Blazer Magazine, number 8
and in September 2003. Again, there are some photographic
differences, but one can see the splint reducing
6 Forge | October 2009
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