No foot, no horse.” What does that mean?

Originally, it came from the cavalry. A soldier needed the hoof of his deceased horse in order to receive a new one. Today, however, the expression has come to emphasize the importance of caring for our horses’ hooves.

It has been widely documented that shoeing has a direct effect on the musculoskeletal system of the horse.¹

Until recently, farriery has been based on tradition, anecdotal evidence and personal experience. With the introduction of objective locomotion assessment and, importantly, pressure plate systems, a new revolution of evidence-based farriery research is taking place.²

Scientific study of the relationship between hoof balance and the wider musculoskeletal system is still in its infancy. However, with the expression that began this article, it’s…