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Leverage Testing To Modify Shoes And Prevent Catastrophic Injury
Founder of EDSS explains why bigger feet aren’t always better with KrosschecK
Pictured Above: The wedge on the bottom of the device is rotated all the way around throughout testing, with the horse’s response to its movement scored and recorded on a chart.
The following article is based on Gene Ovnicek's presentation at the 2018 International Hoof-Care Summit. To watch the presentation, click here.
Where do you hurt and what can we do about it?”
That’s the question that Gene Ovnicek, farrier and founder of EDSS, wished he could ask horses he worked with. It’s what drove the development of the KrosschecK Equine Leverage Testing Device.
He discussed the significance of leverage testing and its utility in shoeing lame horses at the 15th annual International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Farrier Takeaways
- Leverage testing can imitate strain that is put on the horse’s distal limb in its everyday life.
- Leverage findings can help farriers modify shoes to prevent more significant problems.
- A bigger foot is not always a better foot.
An enormous amount of stress is put on horses’ joints as they perform most regular activities — even turning corners.
“We ask them to turn corners faster than the next guy, because there’s money or ribbons at stake,” Ovnicek says. “One of the innovations that have been made recently as far as manufactured shoes is to sort of roll the toe to make it easier for that horse. The most important thing is to get the foot prepped and get the shoe in the right spot so that can happen optimally.”
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