ADVICEFROMTHE VET
By Sally Hodgson BSc(Hons), MA, VetMB, Cert AVP(EM), MRCVS
WHATDOWEMEAN BY FOOT BALANCE?
NO FOOT NO HORSE! 2
Foot balanceisaterm used by vets and farrierstodescribe •the external anglesofthe hoof capsule •the relativeproportions of different areasofthe sole of the foot
•the position of the pedal bone within the hoof capsule,whenviewedfrom the side and from the front
In anormal foot, the dorsal hoof wall should be at the same angle as the pastern; the heel should be parallel to the dorsal hoof wall.
WHY IS FOOT BALANCE IMPORTANT?
The shape of the hoof capsule and the position of the pedal bone affect(and areaffectedby) the integrityand function of structures within the hoof capsule and in the lowerpart of the leg. These structures areadapted formechanical loading in aparticular way, andevenunder normalconditions work at strains close to their point of failure! Changesinfoot balancecan significantly alter the load applied to these structures,putting them at increased risk of injury. Research studieshaveconfirmed the link
between foot balanceand
lameness.Negative palmar angle (broken-back hoof pastern axis) in the front foot is associated with injuriesto the deep digital flexortendon, navicular bone and navicular bursa. Long toes arealso arisk factorfor injury -each 10mm of excess toe length increasesthe stresses through the leg by the equivalent of an extra50kgrider weight! Horseswith hindlimb lameness aremorelikely
to have negativepalmar angle in the foot of the lame leg. Negativerotation of the pedal bone by just1degreeincreasesthe pressureacrossthe navicular bursa and ontothe deep digital flexor tendon by 4%,increasing the risk of injury.
Abnormal hind foot. The pastern is at asteeper angle than the dorsal hoof
wall.The heel is collapsed and not aligned with the dorsal hoof
wall.This is called abroken-back hoof-pastern axis.
Flexortendons and suspensory ligamentswork at high levels ofstrain even under normal conditions –look how farthe fetlock drops at anormal working trot on the road!
3
Anormal foot. The inside and outside hoof walls each meet the ground at the same angle.
4 5
An upright or club foot (right fore). The pastern and dorsal hoof wall form an abnormally steep angle with the ground, and the heel is abnormally high. The upwards curveinthe coronary band towardsthe heel suggests that thereisalsosome abnormal loading of the hoof capsule,causing distortionofthe coronary band.
7 1 6
Anormal foot. The dorsal hoof wall is at the same angle as the
pastern.The heelis almostparallel to the dorsal hoof wall.
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latestnewsvisitwww.centralhorsenews.co.uk
The outside wall of thisleft hind foot is abnormally upright. This horse had a chronic hindlimb
lameness.By altering itsposture to compensatefor the lameness,the horsehas loaded the foot abnormally, causingdistortion of the hoof capsule.
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