As a horse owner, one of the many questions you will almost inevitably ask yourself is “to shoe or not to shoe?”
Many variables may affect your answer, and an exciting new research project at the University of Guelph should soon shed some more light on this age-old question.
Dr. Jeff Thomason is working on a project investigating the changes of loading pressure on the joints of quarter horses as it relates to shoeing for the summer.
Most of the current research in this area has focused on thoroughbreds and standardbreds, which is one of the reasons scientists chose to use quarter horses for the current study. This study will help researchers better understand how the loading pressure placed on our horses’ joints may change when we shoe our horses.
“First, horses with shoes on are evaluated while performing several different exercises at different gaits with a rider on,” said Danielle Halucha, a student in Thomason’s lab.
“Then, the shoes are removed and the horses are allowed time to adjust. The same horses are then re-evaluated performing the same exercises and gaits, with the same rider on, but without shoes.”
The horses are evaluated moving in a straight line and around corners, and researchers use four different sensors, as well as reflective equipment, to monitor the horses’ speed and movements.
The effects of shoe versus no shoe are investigated with several variables, including differences in footing/surfaces, direction, gait and lead and counter-lead.
If you’re interested in learning more about your horse’s joints, visit Equine Guelph’s interactive Journey through the Joints learning tool.
