11 Equine Lameness Prevention Tips

Veterinarians and farriers emphasize individualized maintenance for preventing lameness and promoting long-term horse soundness.
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Practical proactive considerations for keeping any horse sound

Tips for Returning Horses to Work After Soft-Tissue Injury
Allow your horse plenty of warm-up and cooldown at the walk. | iStock

Proactive strategies can go a long way toward helping your equine partner stay sound, whether he’s a favorite trail buddy or a top competition horse. So in this article, three equine veterinarians and members of the academic community have weighed in with practical tips for maintaining a comfortable and happy horse.

1. Maintain a Team

While it might seem obvious, our sources can’t stress it enough: Be deliberate about maintaining a consistent relationship with your farrier and veterinary teams. “One of the biggest things for keeping horses sound and healthy is to establish a good working relationship with your veterinarian and farrier for regular maintenance and health care,” says Carolyn Hammer, DVM, PhD, professor of animal sciences at North Dakota State University, in Fargo. Ideally, your farrier and veterinarian should be able to communicate with one another when concerns arise. 

2. One Size Doesn’t Fit All

When it comes to shoeing options, different lameness or hoof conditions require different hoof care strategies. Key to keep in mind, says Tena Ursini, DVM, PhD, CERP, Dipl. ACVSMR, clinical assistant professor of equine sports medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is the applied shoeing setup provides the mechanics the horse needs to maintain soundness.

“I think a lot of discrepancy between farriers and vets is based on veterinarians trying to prescribe an exact shoeing package: If the veterinarian’s recommendation is one that the farrier is familiar with and can be successfully applied to that individual horse, everything is great,” she explains. “If it’s a shoe type that the farrier is either not comfortable with or cannot actually be applied to that particular horse for whatever reason, things go poorly, and the horse never gets sound. At that point the owner is unhappy, the farrier is unhappy, the veterinarian is unhappy, and the horse is definitely unhappy.”

3.  No Two Horses Are the Exact Same

Conformation is also unique to each horse. “The most important thing to realize is that not every horse is built the same; there is no single number for ideal hoof angle,” Ursini says. “It depends on how that horse moves and its conformation. Some horses are more upright, some have more angulation—so they will have a different foot angle in order to maintain an ideal hoof-pastern axis. Many people get fixated on a certain angle and try to fit every horse into the same box.”

In other words, horses are all individuals and must be treated that way.

4. Spinoff Effects

Don’t underestimate the importance of proper hoof balance, says Ursini. “The saying ‘no hoof, no horse’ is not an exaggeration,” she says. “Literally every mechanical aspect of how a horse moves can be altered by the shape and condition of their hooves. It is well proven in both the literature and clinical experience that horses with certain attributes—specifically, negative plantar or palmar angles of P3 (the angle the coffin bone makes with the ground; a negative angle means the back of the coffin bone is lower than the front of the bone, rather than both ends being level)—are associated with lameness and pain originating from the proximal suspensory, hock, stifle, sacroiliac (SI joint), and lumbar region.”

Ursini says in her experience, trying to treat all those sources of pain without addressing foot angles is impossible. “Corrective shoeing to improve the angles oftentimes removes the strain to certain structures, and after a short period of time I don’t even have to address those other issues, as the pain is secondary to the feet.”

5.  Look Deeper

What you can see does not tell the whole story. “The outside of the foot can definitely lie to you,” says Ursini. “While some horses have obvious signs of imbalance just by looking at them, I’ve been surprised several times by the degree of imbalance a horse has on radiographs.

“For horses being asked to perform at a high level, I would strongly encourage people to have all four feet radiographed on a routine basis—every six months to a year—in order to try and find imbalances early, before they cause other problems,” she adds.

Hoof radiographs play a key role in long-term soundness for any horse, says Ursini: “I’d like to reinforce the importance of radiographs to truly evaluate the balance and angles of the feet.” She lists specific factors your veterinarian and farrier should look for, including:

  • The angle the wings of the coffin bone make with the ground (palmar/plantar angle).
  • Sole depth.
  • Dorsopalmar/plantar (toward the front/back) hoof balance (relative to the coffin joint and vertical forces of the limb).
  • Signs of arthritis, laminitis, navicular disease (aka podotrochlosis), or other hoof conditions.

6.  Walk On

Don’t skimp on time spent walking, says Bruce Mandeville, JD, associate professor in Otterbein University’s Department of Equine Science, in Westerville, Ohio: “I don’t think we walk our horses enough. Horses are meant to be walking the majority of the day, yet many horses are stabled, ridden for 40 minutes, and stabled again.”

Mandeville, who represented Canada in three-day eventing at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, as well as at the World Championships and Pan-American Games, notes that while actively competing, he would regularly walk his horses for up to an hour prior to gallops and again after galloping. “By walking long and low, the nuchal ligament that runs from the poll down the neck is engaged; this brings the spinal processes of the withers forward, putting positive tension on the nuchal ligament and, in turn, on (the) supraspinous ligament along the spine. This causes the back to raise and supports the weight of the horse’s torso.” 

To that end Mandeville urges owners to gain as much biomechanical understanding of the horse’s anatomy as possible. “Be cognizant of the horse’s shape and postures for optimal use of structures like muscles, ligaments, and tendons,” he says. “It would help our industry if we had more exposure to biomechanics—we could help our horses use their bodies more efficiently.”

7.  Leg Protection and Heat

Boots and wraps have long been mainstays for exercising horses. More recently they’ve become, literally, a hot topic. “Many owners are familiar with the recent study from Middle Tennessee State University concerning heat under boots and bandages,” notes Hammer. “There is obviously concern, but also in some events the need for protection. I think we’ll see more research looking at tendon temperature versus surface temperature.”

“I think we have overbooted in the past,” adds Mandeville. “Unless you have a specific need to boot, such as a horse that brushes (one foot or limb against the other during movement), the current approach is steering away from boots and wraps. This may be a case when we think we are doing something beneficial for the horse, but we’re not.”

Both Hammer and Mandeville note we might see more research surrounding cryotherapy techniques—icing, ice boots, and cold hosing—in the future to investigate the consistency of temperatures and the efficacy of various modalities and applications. They urge, as always, to consult your veterinarian if you have questions about leg protection and cryotherapy applications.

8. Therapeutic Products

Many barns employ popular modalities designed to keep horses as comfortable as possible, such as pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF), vibration plates, and gel boots. These modalities are worth considering, says Mandeville, based on his experiences leading classes on equine noninvasive therapies in which students tested various products on the university’s horses, measuring facial expressions and cortisol (stress hormone) levels in saliva.

“We see different effects on different horses. It’s worth exploring what brings comfort to your horse (after consulting your veterinarian, of course),” he says. “I would suggest horse owners try various therapies and see what the horse responds to the best before making an investment; each horse is different. You may also want to consider learning acupressure, which you can take as an online course.”

9. Arena Surfaces

Arena footing is a hot topic among riders and big business, as well, with a spectrum of surface options at various price points serving the needs of different sports and scenarios. Without doubt, arena surface construction and maintenance play roles in both performance and safety.

horse hooves in arena
Match your training footing to the type of footing you’ll be competing on. | iStock

“Footing has evolved over the years and is very discipline specific,” says Mandeville. More recently “the main considerations are the condition and uniformity of the footing, drainage, dragging, and watering. The right conditions are a blend of art and science.”

Inconsistent footing can also be problematic. Mandeville cites the eventing cross-country course at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where surfaces changed from grass to dirt to arena footing, and many horses struggled to adjust to those changes, which can contribute to injuries.

For the average horse owner, however, “problems arise when the footing has degraded,” he explains. “Plan to replace your footing as needed. As much as possible, match your training footing to the type of footing you’ll be competing on.”

10. Do Your Research

From nutritional supplements to therapeutic boots and blankets, you’ll find many manufacturers (and horse owners and trainers) claiming their products support equine soundness. But don’t take what you hear at face value.

“I think it’s really important for owners to do their due diligence to find information,” says Hammer. She offers two points to consider:

  1. Work with an equine nutritionist or veterinarian to establish a dietary program, including forage, concentrates, and supplements, to ensure both ingredients and levels are efficacious for your horse.
  2. Alternative therapies of various types have grown in popularity, and some have better science behind them than others. “Chiropractic and massage can be great options for keeping horses comfortable,” says Hammer. “This is where a good relationship with your veterinarian comes into play; these therapies can’t fix every problem. Also, licensing requirements vary by state. When alternative therapies are appropriate, reach out to your veterinarian for recommendations.”

11. Last But Not Least: Lifestyle

Remember, overall lifestyle can also contribute to soundness. Being too heavy—as commonly seen in many horses and other pets these days—puts a burden of stress on joints, ligaments, and tendons, says Hammer. In addition, says Mandeville, owners should consider exploring ways to allow horses to live more naturally, including as much turnout as is feasible for the individual situation.

Take-Home Message

Start by establishing a supportive equine care team and determining your horse’s individual needs. Then, these simple steps can go a long way toward keeping your horse sound and can save you time and money in the long run.

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Freelance journalist Natalie DeFee Mendik is a multiple American Horse Publications editorial and graphics awards winner specializing in equestrian media. She holds an MA in English from Colorado State University and an International Federation of Journalists’ International press card, and is a member of the International Alliance of Equestrian Journalists. With over three decades of horse experience, Natalie’s main equine interests are dressage and vaulting. Having lived and ridden in England, Switzerland, and various parts of the United States, Natalie currently resides in Colorado with her husband and two girls.

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