The Importance of Locomotion on Equine Behaviour
As grazers of the plains wild horses developed to be in almost constant locomotion in their search for food and water, sleeping / resting only for approximately 4 hrs spread out over a 24 hr period. However, they only spend 1% of their time trotting or cantering, which comes down to 15 minutes per day. The rest is spent at the walk, often one step for every few bites of forage.
Locomotion is required for healthy gut motility (preventing colic) as the horse evolved to be able to digest large amounts of low quality forage like mature grasses. Knowing this, one can imagine that a horse locked in a stall may display some very unwelcome behaviour out of frustration and more often than not, also due to digestive upset.
Proper joint growth and maintenance, hoof growth and health, as well as respiratory health, circulatory health and metabolism are all based on locomotion. Stable bandages are not required for horses on pasture for instance, as their lymphatic system will be working properly the way it is designed, where muscle action from locomotory activity helps to drain fluid from the legs back into circulation. Better circulation and emotional stability help horses heal faster on pasture when injured or ill. Air free of barn related pathogens in combination with locomotion help to keep lungs healthy.
Free choice locomotion is required to perform exploration, one of a horse's innate behaviours. Rolling, which is a basic maintenance behaviour requires a 6 meter span (19.7 ft.) on average to roll from one side to another safely, something that cannot be performed in a stall.
Locomotion is required for healthy gut motility (preventing colic) as the horse evolved to be able to digest large amounts of low quality forage like mature grasses. Knowing this, one can imagine that a horse locked in a stall may display some very unwelcome behaviour out of frustration and more often than not, also due to digestive upset.
Proper joint growth and maintenance, hoof growth and health, as well as respiratory health, circulatory health and metabolism are all based on locomotion. Stable bandages are not required for horses on pasture for instance, as their lymphatic system will be working properly the way it is designed, where muscle action from locomotory activity helps to drain fluid from the legs back into circulation. Better circulation and emotional stability help horses heal faster on pasture when injured or ill. Air free of barn related pathogens in combination with locomotion help to keep lungs healthy.
Free choice locomotion is required to perform exploration, one of a horse's innate behaviours. Rolling, which is a basic maintenance behaviour requires a 6 meter span (19.7 ft.) on average to roll from one side to another safely, something that cannot be performed in a stall.
To Shoe or not to Shoe .....
I don't think the 'to shoe or not to shoe' debate will ever end. But with more and more research we do get to know more about the hoof of the feral horse and by no means were or are they free of stress induced foot trauma "A study of the lamellar histology of 15 brumbies from each of three Australian brumby populations reported an incidence of chronic laminitis ranging between 40% and 93%." (note that the rocky terrain had more instances of concussion laminitis than the softer terrain had pasture induced laminitis). This according to a very interesting Australian publication where the hooves of feral horses were studied (6 different environments) and they actually swapped the horses' environment and studied how the hooves adapted (very distinct and very quick). This is an awesome read and reference, lots of pictures and graphs making everything very clear.
It definitely made me rethink the natural foot model used in barefoot trimming and it doesn't make it any easier for horse people to choose what is best for their horse especially because forces that the hoof is exposed to during different disciplines can not be compared to natural settings where horses move mostly at the walk and only spend 1% of the time in trot or canter (which is 15 min. per day).
It is commonly known that the unshod hoof deforms in response to loading and that shoeing limits hoof expansion, as Clayton et al. (2011) also agree with. The fact that the palmar/plantar foot has numerous tachyinin receptors (of the type NK1) which, when activated release nitric oxide (also called Nitrogen Oxide - NO) which helps improve blood and oxygen flow by promoting vasodilatation and increases microvascular (capillaries, arterioles, and venules) perfusion, may allow a more effective dissipaton of high-frequency impact energies when the unshod hoof contacts the ground (Clayton et al., 2011).
I think the most ideal situation would be a combination of 'traditional farrier' and 'barefoot trimmer' so that he or she would not be biased too much in what he or she believes to be the ideal, but does what is best for the horse, but we don't live in a perfect world, so the more informed we are as horse owners the better we will be able to find the best professional for our horses. Of course we should always be thinking first if we are doing right by our horse (that's the horse advocate in me speaking). Is the horse getting as much enjoyment out of what I'm doing with it as I do and am I doing anything to my horse that is not in his best interest? A study on horses with chronic heel pain stated: "Although rest may be beneficial as part of the treatment regimen, an owner’s wishes may not allow for a rest period. Other treatments are then required to minimize the pain but allow the horse to continue working, an option which is often pursued by many professional horsemen." (Dabareiner and Carter, 2003)
Dabareiner and Carter (2003) also concluded that horses with chronic heel pain, "having poor hoof conformation or inappropriate shoeing often respond best to corrective shoeing, whereas those horses with good farrier management and good hoof conformation may show minimal or no improvement after therapeutic trimming and shoeing".
By: Mila Bon
References:
Hampson, B.A., Pollitt, C.C., 2011. The Domestic Horse: The relevance of the feral horse foot model. November 2011, RIRDC Publication No. 11/140, RIRDC Project No. PRJ-002510.
Dabareiner, R.M., Carter, G.K., 2003. Diagnosis, treatment, and farriery for horses with chronic heel pain. Vet Clin Equine 19 (2003) 417–441.
Clayton, H.M., Gray, S., Kaiser, L.J., Bowker, R.M., 2011. Effects of barefoot trimming on hoof morphology. Aust Vet J 2011;89:305–311.
It definitely made me rethink the natural foot model used in barefoot trimming and it doesn't make it any easier for horse people to choose what is best for their horse especially because forces that the hoof is exposed to during different disciplines can not be compared to natural settings where horses move mostly at the walk and only spend 1% of the time in trot or canter (which is 15 min. per day).
It is commonly known that the unshod hoof deforms in response to loading and that shoeing limits hoof expansion, as Clayton et al. (2011) also agree with. The fact that the palmar/plantar foot has numerous tachyinin receptors (of the type NK1) which, when activated release nitric oxide (also called Nitrogen Oxide - NO) which helps improve blood and oxygen flow by promoting vasodilatation and increases microvascular (capillaries, arterioles, and venules) perfusion, may allow a more effective dissipaton of high-frequency impact energies when the unshod hoof contacts the ground (Clayton et al., 2011).
I think the most ideal situation would be a combination of 'traditional farrier' and 'barefoot trimmer' so that he or she would not be biased too much in what he or she believes to be the ideal, but does what is best for the horse, but we don't live in a perfect world, so the more informed we are as horse owners the better we will be able to find the best professional for our horses. Of course we should always be thinking first if we are doing right by our horse (that's the horse advocate in me speaking). Is the horse getting as much enjoyment out of what I'm doing with it as I do and am I doing anything to my horse that is not in his best interest? A study on horses with chronic heel pain stated: "Although rest may be beneficial as part of the treatment regimen, an owner’s wishes may not allow for a rest period. Other treatments are then required to minimize the pain but allow the horse to continue working, an option which is often pursued by many professional horsemen." (Dabareiner and Carter, 2003)
Dabareiner and Carter (2003) also concluded that horses with chronic heel pain, "having poor hoof conformation or inappropriate shoeing often respond best to corrective shoeing, whereas those horses with good farrier management and good hoof conformation may show minimal or no improvement after therapeutic trimming and shoeing".
By: Mila Bon
References:
Hampson, B.A., Pollitt, C.C., 2011. The Domestic Horse: The relevance of the feral horse foot model. November 2011, RIRDC Publication No. 11/140, RIRDC Project No. PRJ-002510.
Dabareiner, R.M., Carter, G.K., 2003. Diagnosis, treatment, and farriery for horses with chronic heel pain. Vet Clin Equine 19 (2003) 417–441.
Clayton, H.M., Gray, S., Kaiser, L.J., Bowker, R.M., 2011. Effects of barefoot trimming on hoof morphology. Aust Vet J 2011;89:305–311.