Performance horses, by the very nature of the work they are asked to do, are more prone to injuries than horses that are being used primarily for recreational riding.
There are a number of studies that offer evidence that certain injuries are more likely to occur with certain disciplines, but an informal survey of several experienced farriers indicates that across disciplines, more common injuries such as sore feet and abscesses are the culprits that farriers most often have to deal with.
The flip-flop pad is a great application in harness racing. Often used for sore knees, flip flops help many horses with back-in-knee conformation. One thing the flip flop is not great for is sore heels, which are prominent among performance horses of all breeds.
When the hoof is injured during a race, it is usually the hind foot striking the front and nearly always involves the rear third of the affected hoof. Of course, there are many other ways a horse might incur a hoof, but this particular injury involves the most critical area of racehorse shoeing.
The general cause of underrun heels is a distortion of the hoof capsule due to a shifting of the breakover too far forward, allowing for excess loading and crushing of the heels.
In our practice, we work with a number of veterinarians and service several “rescue” facilities. The entire team — owner, veterinarian and farrier — must carefully evaluate each case.
American Farriers Journal is excited and honored to celebrate its 50th anniversary of publishing the hands-on magazine for hoof-care professionals. Learn more about our special edition, which comes out in December 2024.
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