Tuesday, November 26, 2013
There are many who say that Thoroughbreds and retired Thoroughbred racehorses in particular have bad feet. There is much evidence to back this up, but like any blanket statement, there are many exceptions. Not all Thoroughbreds have bad feet, in fact many have exceptional feet. What is important to understand is why so many people hold this belief and what is it about Thoroughbred feet that makes them bad?
In general, Thoroughbreds have thinner hoof walls and soles. Add to this the fact that while they are a racehorse, they have spent much time in an environment with wonderful footing in and out of the stall. What this means is that like the child who has worn shoes all winter and now runs outdoors barefoot must spend some “ouchy” time toughening up their feet, so must the retired racehorse. This article addresses the other factor—thin walls.
Art says, “We have to admit that we are causing the horse pain and discomfort when we nail into a thin hoof wall. Even if the nail does not push outside of the wall, it puts pressure on the sensitive lamiae of the inner hoof. “ If the horse jumps or fidgets when the blacksmith is nailing the shoes on, the horse is telling you the nails are too close. If the horse stands quietly, the nails are good.
The hoof wall expands and contracts with each foot fall. Even more so with a thin wall. This “works” the nails back and forth more.
This mare’s hoof walls are too thin. The technique outlined here will give her what she doesn’t have, adequate buffer to protect against the movement of the nail. Each step she takes, she can feel the movement of the nails in the hoof wall.
***Before beginning, a word of caution: It is very important if the horse has close or bad nails that you do not patch over them with the acrylic because the heat produced while drying will fire up the abscesses that want to happen in response to the bad nails. If the horse is very sore or has been quicked, it is best to pull the shoes and wait until the feet calm down.
Avoid getting acrylic on the sole. It creates an uneven surface when the hoof hits the ground.
Nail the shoe on as you normally would, but through the acrylic or “built up hoof wall”, instead of the horse’s hoof wall.![]() |
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I would just like to say that Art has taken horses with lameness that cannot be diagnosed and made them sound with this technique. He has also improved the movement of many more. I believe this is something that can be done to improve countless Thoroughbred’s performance both on and of the racetrack.
Download a pdf. version of this primer outlining Art’s technique.