Corrective shoeing, always a good idea or not?

Question

ive noticed people mention corrective farrier work in relation to conformational faults? Ive had people come look at horses who toe in or toe out and then they mention 'their farrier can fix that at least a bit'
i went to this vet seminar a while ago where they had a discussion on soundness from foal to adult horse.
They mentioned the way bones harden ect and that trying to change the trimming shoeing of a grown horse is not always a good idea since the pressure points on the bone then change as well. So if you try to help correct a horse who has turned its toes in its whole life you are changing the way it distributes the weight on its joints. So more weight is then suddenly being placed on a part of the joint/bone that is not used to bearing as much concussion and weight and can lead to lameness issues.
Corrective trimming should be done as a foal but thereafter its not always a good idea to change the way the horse walks and bears its weight.

What do you think?
Do you have any experience with this?

Answer 1

Corrective trimming/shoeing can only be beneficial in foals or when mature bones are surgically fractured or resected, or connective tissues such as tendons or ligaments are cut, etc. in order to allow for corrective remodeling.



There is a difference between therapeutic trimming/shoeing and corrective trimming/shoeing. Once the bones are mature, and bone angles at and below their joints are established, there is no rationale that justifies "corrective " trimming or shoeing in order to modify the hoof capsule to create a disparity between the permanently established bone angles and the outer appearance of the hoof capsules. Established bone and joint angles cannot be "corrected" without damaging the structures.



Immature bones lengthen at their growth plates. Some of the growth plates of the hooves and lower limbs are already closed before birth, and the rest will gradually be converted to bone by the time a foal reaches a year to 15 months of age tops.

Any external modifications to the hoof capsules through trimming, casting, etc. that are intended to improve joint angles or minimize club foot deformities, for example, have to be made before the soft cartilaginous growth plates turn to bone.

The first growth plates to turn to bone (ossify, or close) are those of the pedal bones, or 1st, 2nd, and 3rd phalanges of the hooves and pasterns and of the cannons (metacarpals) of fore limbs and cannons (metatarsals) of rear limbs), with bone maturation and growth plate closure progressing up the limbs toward the spine at an established rate.

Modifications to improve angular deformities have to be performed in young foals, and after that, the hooves should be maintained in direct alignment with the bones of the limb within and above each hoof.

There is no rationale that justifies "corrective " trimming or shoeing that modifies the hoof capsule to put it out of alignment with the bones of the limb. Ligaments, tendons, and joints are stressed when the bone/joint angles are not supported as they are. The outer appearance of the hooves should reflect the inner bone structure of each individual limb. The farrier should not try to match all four limbs to each other on the same horse, or to "correct" angular deformities through trimming and shoeing. Balancing and trimming should optimize internal mechanical functions, breakover, and landings to provide maximum protection to internal structures of the hooves and limbs above them.

Answer 2

I would definitely recommend it. I have a horse going through it and she's doing extremely well and my friends horse is going through it with a crooked leg and it's incredible how much straighter it is.

Answer 3

Personally, "corrective shoeing" is an oxymoron right up there with "jumbo shrimp" and it makes me cringe every time I hear it because usually it is usually a bunch of nonsense and they jack a horse's heel up when all it needs is a proper "correct" trim. Too, too many cases of "corrective shoeing" are just due to ignorance but the horse suffers because of it. I have had more experience than I want to admit. Most of my experience has been in pulling the apparatus off the horse and helping them return to normal.

Answer 4

There are a lot of circumstances that could affect weather or not corrective shoeing is productive or not.



If a horse is a candidate for corrective shoeing, working with a qualified expert, the angles will change in very little increments over a long period of time as to not stress the horse's joints and ligaments. It is no overnight fix.



For the racehorses I cared for, my boss would "let them shoe themselves". He pulls the shoes, and works them regularly and the hoof wears to natural angles that work best for the horse and its individual conformation. Being toed in or out isnt so big a deal (as long as it isnt extreme), but being lame from having uniform feet is. Feet dont have to be pretty, they need to be healthy and support the horse properly which can differ in appearance/angle point in/out whatever from horse to horse.



So long as the conformation fault isnt causing the horse pain, then its best to let it be IMO. Nobody is perfect and neither are their horses. You work with what you've got which sometimes means limitations. Some horses cant handle jumping or racing due to their conformation, but are still sound enough to maintain a long career as a pleasure horse. If a horse were in pain due to their conformation (not your own showing or training agenda) you either try to find a viable solution (corrective shoeing, acupuncture, chiropractic), or put it down and relieve it from its suffering.



Im no expert though.

Answer 5

Not always a good idea, but much of the time, toeing in or out is often but not always a direct result of a poor farrier job where the farrier has gotten the hooves a little unlevel or has put the shoe on a little crooked. Those things are easy to do. Regardless, any changes done need to be done slowly and gradually and not all in one shoeing.



Most of the trouble comes in when a farrier wants to make the changes over too short a time.



As for experience....I shoe all our horses, and take care of several others. I have corrected several cases of toeing in and out over the years.



@Sheedala I agree with these two exceptions. One, sometimes you need to do a little corrective work to avoid future pain such as arthritis or the increased risk of a pulled tendon or inflamed ligament--better to head off some problems before they happen, and second sometimes you need to correct to stop a potential accident caused by a bad stumble from a misplaced foot. This is especially true if the horse is used as a trail horse on rugged terrain, which is what my horses cover.

Answer 6

Your farrier needs to shoe the hoof (and leg) as it is and not to some ideal. It is important to correct faults (such as a club foot) with continual corrective trimming. However, if the horse toes out die to offset cannons or other leg faults, then the hoof should be shod to make the flight path of the horse right for that horse and not use "ideal" angles.

Answer 7

Corrective trimming on any age horse up to about 8 years old is still good as a horse sometimes still will grow until then and as long as they are growing they are changing.

Answer 8

You do have a point about changing the pressure points, it's temporary. Just a few days after getting new shoes, the horse's feet/legs adjust to the new pressure points and it's no big deal.



Think about when YOU get new shoes. They feel different, you might get a blister or 2, or stumble a little when adjusting to a new heel, or a lower level of padding, but within a week - you don't even notice. Same deal here. We are talking about the difference of an inch or 2...a few centimeters - not building shoes to reach the space station.



Changing foal's bones is one thing...an adult is pretty much "done", but getting shoes is no big. Of course, it needs to be done by an experienced farrier.