Hoof shape and alignment have a huge impact on leg position, posture and movement of the horse. And it works the other way around too! If you want to improve your horse’s overall posture, you need to take a look at both. But what happens exactly, and why and how do hoof shape or leg alignments change?
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to a horse’s health. Nutrition, housing conditions, and the amount of free movement are key in this. And let’s not forget the hooves! There’s a well-known saying: “No hoof, no horse.” And it’s true. Hooves play a big role in your horse’s posture and movement. And vice versa: your horse’s preferred posture and movement can impact the shape and health of their hooves. In this article, I’ll explain as much as I can about hoof-limb balance and the role that the hooves play in your horse’s health. To do so I’m combining my knowledge of hooves with my expertise in equine rehabilitation. I’ve worked for years as a farrier specializing in barefoot horses and hoof-limb balance. I also worked as a (rehabilitation) trainer for horses, and was trained by Karin Leibbrandt and Tessa Roos.
How to recognize healthy hooves
Learning to recognize a perfectly healthy hoof as well as spotting minor deviations isn’t an easy task and can be tricky to explain in just one article. However, there are a few standards that are easy to recognize and apply to every healthy hoof. A healthy, well-functioning hoof almost always has a coronet band that forms an angle between 22 and 25 degrees, running in a straight line from the toe to the heel. The hoof wall follows the angle of the coffin bone in relation to the ground. For healthy front hooves, this angle is between 45 and 50 degrees, while for hind hooves, it’s between 50 and 55 degrees.
In a healthy hoof, the hoof joint lies in the middle of the hoof. Photo: Heleen Davies
The hoof wall of a healthy hoof doesn’t deviate from the coffin bone, ensuring a clean, smooth white line when you look at it from below. The heels are strong, straight, and level with the sole. The frog is firm, even, and bears weight on its back half. The sole is smooth, without chips, and curves gently from the hoof wall to the frog’s lateral grooves. When the hoof shape is correct, the coffin joint sits perfectly above the center of the hoof – ideal for absorbing and distributing weight without too much strain.
What happens when hooves have an abnormal shape?
Hooves can become abnormal in shape in many ways – through asymmetry, flaring, thrush, fungus, or narrow heels, for example. Healthy hooves are comfortable hooves. When discomfort arises from issues like severe thrush, a thin sole, or overgrown heels, the horse will try to relieve the sore spots. The horse might start standing under with their front legs, landing toe-first, walking too carefully, or not pushing off properly in trot or canter. Asymmetry can also cause uneven stress on the joints and ligaments in the leg, which isn’t great for your horse’s posture and movement.
What happens when your horse compensates?
When your horse changes its movement due to discomfort, that’s called compensation. Of course, compensation doesn’t only occur due to pain or discomfort in the hooves. Acute trauma (like a fall, slipping, or an unlucky kick from another horse), a poorly fitting saddle or incorrect training can also cause a horse to compensate to avoid discomfort.
When a horse compensates because of discomfort, parts of the body are always overworked. Short-term overloading isn’t always a big problem as long as it’s resolved quickly. However, if it lasts too long, it leads to muscle tightness and soreness. Your horse becomes sensitive in the muscles and connective tissue, and you’ll notice it in its movement and training. It can even lead to injuries like tendon injuries, arthritis, or kissing spines.
In training, you’ll notice it in various ways. Your horse might struggle with certain exercises, finds it difficult to relax, constantly wants to run, moves slowly, feels irregular in gait, finds one direction harder than the other, or refuses to accept contact. There are plenty of other possible issues, all related to the horse trying to avoid discomfort. That discomfort could range from “having to put in more effort” to actual pain. To avoid discomfort, your horse will adopt an abnormal way of moving.
A horse in a compensatory posture: hollow back, tension throughout the body, unable to stand square. This horse had poor and uneven hooves and many restrictions in her body.
What happens when your horse has abnormal movement?
If your horse consistently compensates and moves abnormally, you can bet on it that the hooves won’t be loaded correctly either. For example, the horse might bear more weight on his left leg than the right, not load the heels properly, or wear down the inside or outside of the hooves more due to its leg position. If this improper loading continues for too long, the hoof shape will change. They become crooked, get flared or there’s excessive wear on the heels or toe.
What happens when the hoof shape changes?
When the hoof shape changes due to asymmetrical wear, we’re back to square one: your horse has abnormal hooves. Keep in mind, though, that if the underlying cause of the compensatory movement hasn’t been addressed, the crooked wear might be the “right” wear for your horse at that particular moment. Simply trimming the hooves straight without fixing the cause of the deviation could cause more problems for your horse. The asymmetry shouldn’t get too extreme, but a good farrier will keep an eye on this.
If your horse has been favoring one side for an extended period, a high heel/low heel syndrome may develop. The side that bears more weight develops a lower, wider hoof – the heels are lower, the toe is longer, and the quarters are often wider, with heels that may even collapse slightly. On the side that’s been loaded less, the hoof is shorter, with higher heels. Horses with these types of hooves can sometimes be tricky to fit with a saddle, as the muscle development in the shoulders is often very uneven.
Please note that some horses also have a genetic cause for their high heel/low heel syndrome. In which case it’s not possible to fix this problem entirely.
Hoof-limb balance
To determine whether the hooves are properly aligned, you can assess the hoof-limb balance. This balance is evaluated both when the horse is standing still and in motion. Hoof-limb balance is optimal when the lower limb stands straight beneath the leg and the hoof lands flat (or just on the heels) in motion. This ensures equal load on the tendons and ligaments, and the landing force is distributed ideally through the foot and leg.
Sometimes, the balance looks correct while standing still, but the horse doesn’t land evenly on the hoof when moving. The hoof might land more medially in front of the chest (a “catwalk” movement), or the horse might “skate”. This movement can often improve significantly with the right manual treatment of muscles and tight fascia, proper trimming and biomechanically correct training, though it can take a while (months to years) in some cases.
Can you spot the deviation in the way this horse places it’s hoof?
Hoof-limb balance before the trim
Improved hoof-limb balance after the trim
What to do if your horse has a deviated leg axis caused by genetics?
Some horses naturally don’t have perfectly straight legs but instead have more X-legs or O-legs. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a problem. Just remember to check whether the hooves land flat and if your horse brings its hoof forward in a straight line. Some horses don’t have X or O legs but stand wide, narrow, or under themselves due to tight fascia (connective tissue). In many cases, the stance can be improved with the right approach.
If you’re unsure whether your horse’s stance is correct, or if your horse seems uncomfortable, it’s worth getting it checked by a good rehab trainer.
I also recommend checking out the free Optimal Training Checklist, that helps you evaluate your horse’s body. With this you can determine what the effect of your training has on your horse. It also helps you recognize differences in posture and movement in your horse.
How to break the vicious cycle and improve your horse’s posture?
Hooves influence the body, and the body influences the hooves. Since both play a role, it’s important to tackle the problem from both sides if you want long lasting improvement. First, have a good osteopath or myofascial release therapist treat your horse to release the muscular blockages and tightness in the fascia. The leg position may change and improve just from this treatment, which will cause the hoof to be placed differently. After the manual treatment, it’s important to adjust the trimming accordingly. Have your farrier or trimmer reassess the hoof shape and hoof-leg balance. Usually, you can improve the hoof-limb balance right away.
Free movement and training also play a role. Ensure your horse gets plenty of calm, free movement, and check whether your training is optimal. This is where the Optimal Training Checklist comes in handy again.
Hoof shape, hoof-leg balance, and movement aren’t usually perfectly corrected overnight. The longer your horse has been compensating, the longer the recovery process will take. Follow your therapist’s and trainer’s advice and have your farrier or trimmer visit regularly. In some cases, trimming every three or four weeks for a couple of months can be very effective in improving balance and hoof shape. Don’t be afraid to critically assess your training – you may find there’s something you can change to help your horse achieve even better balance.
In the end, everything is connected!
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