Is It Really a Hoof Problem? Looking Beyond the Farrier for Better Movement
We are delighted to share this article from Dr Jenny Hagen, one of the expert speakers joining us at the Horses Inside Out 2027 Conference: Wellness and Welfare. Jenny's work looks at how horses move, hoof and limb function, and how farriery fits into the bigger picture of equine health. In this article, she explains why hoof and gait problems are not always what they seem, what farriery can and cannot realistically achieve, and why the best results come from looking at the horse holistically.
When the Hoof Gets the Blame
Farriers are often presented with horses with poor hoof quality, an unusual gait or a lameness that's hard to pin down, with the hope that better trimming and shoeing will fix things.
Owners commonly describe hoof problems such as:
Low heel and long toe conformation
Flat soles
Flaring hoof walls
High-low syndrome (where a horse has one steeper and one flatter hoof)
In movement, they often report:
Stumbling
Striking the opposite limb
Shortened stride
Asymmetries in the height of the flight arc and in step length
Toe dragging
Instability
Hind limb lameness without a clear diagnosis
The farrier is frequently asked to change the breakover, altering the landing pattern or hoof angle, adjust the weight of the shoe, or simply to do "any kind of shoeing to solve the problem."
Defining Breakover
Geometric aspect: Breakover is defined as the length of the dorsal leverage in relation to the distal phalanx or the centre of rotation of the distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ).
Spatial aspect: Breakover is defined as the location of the point of last ground contact of the dorsal aspect of the distal margin of the hoof.
Temporal definition: Breakover is the time span from heel-off to toe-off.
There's no doubt that a farrier can positively support a horse, but it's important to ask a question: is the primary origin of these symptoms related to problems in lower limb?
The Whole Horse Matters
The shape of the hooves, the soundness of the structures in the lower limbs and the quality of movement are all strongly influenced by how well the upper parts of the locomotor system are functioning. The way the whole body is used is crucial for good locomotion. Problems with the neck, back and musculature can have a very negative effect on hoof conformation and movement quality, and these cannot be solved by "managing the symptoms" through changes to trimming and shoeing.
Instead, the key to helping prevent injuries, degenerative disorders and lameness, or managing them sustainably, is a functional analysis of the whole horse. This means assessing and prioritising dysfunctions and putting a comprehensive management plan in place. That requires interdisciplinary teamwork between the veterinarian, farrier, manual therapist, trainer and owner.
What Farriery Can and Can't Do
Farriery absolutely can support soundness and performance in horses, but it's essential to understand how horses move and how each horse develops its own gait through motor development and motor learning.
The impact of farriery is often highly overrated, and expectations can run into reality.
Movement is driven by the nervous system
In general, locomotion is the result of the active locomotor system (the muscles) working with the passive locomotor system (bones, joints, tendons and ligaments). However, the dominant influence is the neurological system.
Every horse has its own individual gait pattern, in both the stance phase (when the hoof is on the ground) and the swing phase (when the limb is in the air). This pattern is established neurologically before birth, then matures and adapts with age, management, training and any dysfunction in the locomotor system.
In sound horses, the movement of each limb is stable and repeatable, like a fingerprint. This is known as neurological motion automation.
In this instance farriery needs to respect the individual motion pattern and support the function of the lower limb.
The most common and simplest way to support the horse is to modify breakover mechanics in the shoe. The duration, peak forces and leverages involved can all be reduced by shoe modifications. These must be designed individually, taking into account the horse's hoof conformation, use and orthopaedic demands.
Interfering with the swing phase should be judged much more critically. Heavier steel shoes increase the weight at the end of the limb, which raises the flight arc and lengthens the step.
This is often seen as an "improvement" in gait quality, but extra weight at the hoof also increases inertia, and that creates more instability:
The higher the hoof travels, the more the limb moves sideways in the swing phase
The muscles must work harder to stabilise the limb, which can lead to fatigue
In young, unstable horses, horses with long legs and neurological patients, extra weight raises the risk of striking the opposite limb, pulling shoes, and hitting the bulbs or hooves of the fore or hind limbs
So the idea that shoeing improves gait quality is only valid for well-trained, stable horses. For unstable horses, a lighter option such as aluminium shoes is advisable. Aluminium shoes have a further advantage: they reduce the impact peak at landing, which is helpful for several orthopaedic conditions. Landing is also more level when the shoe is lighter.
Trying to force a level landing by excessive shortening of the medial (inside) or lateral (outside) wall is not recommended. Each horse's landing pattern is very individual, determined by neurological pathways, muscle status, joint conformation and many more factors. The hooves need to be trimmed with a good mediolateral balance and shod comfortably to support the individual's movement, instead of forcing a change against its anatomy and physiology.
The Impact of Pain
The only factor with a direct impact on a horse's individual motion pattern is pain. Painful disorders cause an immediate change in how a horse moves, including:
Less variation between individual strides (a stiffer way of going)
Longer duration of the dynamic phases, with landing and breakover becoming more careful
A significant reduction in midstance duration
Often, a shorter step and a lower flight arc in the swing phase
More instability at landing
Reduced performance
These changes in movement, combined with a detailed case history and a clinical examination of the whole body, allow lameness to be distinguished non-pain associated motion asymmetries.
Not Every Asymmetry Is Lameness
Many horses have natural asymmetries in their skeleton, either inherited or acquired early in life. These are often visible in foals, yet the horses go on to develop functional muscles and a good level of function and performance.
The natural skewness can be increased by a neurologically determined motor laterality. This is a physiological feature of the central nervous system causing an asymmetric use of the left and right body halves for different tasks. Horses develop a stable and a mobile side with either more developed tonic (postural) muscles or phasic (movement) muscles on the left or right. This also causes movement asymmetries at a young age, with obvious laterality in body posture, during use and uneven hooves.
In contrast to lameness, the horse performs well and corrective training can reduce laterality in different motoric tasks. In addition, lateral horses show different timing patterns in their movement events motion events compared to a lame horse.
A functional assessment of the horse and objective gait analysis can help to differentiate between lameness, natural skewness and motoric laterality. This would be the base for a comprehensive management, functional training and optimal orthopaedic support of the horse.
Hear More from Dr Hagen at Horses Inside Out 2027
If this article has made you think differently about how hooves, movement and the whole horse fit together, you will not want to miss Jenny in person. She is one of the speakers at the Horses Inside Out 2027 Conference: Wellness and Welfare, where horse owners and equine professionals will come together to learn from leading experts, ask questions and take away practical ideas for improving the lives of horses.
Join us at the Horses Inside Out 2027 Conference (20 - 21 February 2027) to hear Jenny and our other speakers share the latest thinking on equine wellness and welfare.
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