Equine podiatry is the study and management of the equine foot based on its anatomy and function. The job title "Equine Podiatrist" is used by people with a wide range of backgrounds.The Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry (2001. How to become an applied equine podiatrist. Retrieved from http://equinepodiatry.com/ Some are

veterinarians A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

who have chosen to specialize in the

equine hoof Equinae is a subfamily of the family Equidae, which have lived worldwide (except Indonesia and Australia) from the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene (16 million years ago) onwards. They are thought to be a monophyletic grouping.B. J. MacFa ...

, while some are remedial

farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjus ...

s. There is also a new group of specialists known as an "Applied Equine Podiatrist", this specialist may have neither a veterinary nor a farriery background. This specialist works with

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

owners, veterinarians, and farriers to improve the health of the hoof without the use of rigid horseshoes and by taking a more holistic approach. The designatio
DAEP
denotes those that have achieved a diploma from th
Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry
The equine podiatrist profession can extend to include other equines, such as donkeys and mules. Only registered farriers are permitted to shoe horses in the UK. A human podiatrist is not a M.D. with an interest in feet, but a separate profession with a unique education and licensing system. The use of this term within the equine community has no distinct mandatory education or certification. This can result in confusion as the horse owner is often unaware that the equine podiatrist is a self-appointed title.

Overview

The common adage “no foot, no horse” rings true in that the shape and soundness of a horse’s hoof dictates the tasks it can perform.O’Grady, S.E. (2003). Preface: Podiatry. Vet. Clin. Equine, 19 (2), xi-xii Equine athletes asked to perform at intense levels of

competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indivi ...

experience a great deal of wear on the internal and external structures of the hoof. Additionally, the variation in hoof structure is also dependent upon many other factors, including age, genetics, nutrition, and breed.O’Grady, S.E., & Poupard, D.A. (2003). Proper physiologic horseshoeing. Vet. Clin. Equine, 19 (2), 333-351.Bowker, R.M. (2003). Contrasting structural morphologies of “good” and “bad” footed horses. AAEP Proceedings, 49, 186-209. Equine podiatry essentially characterizes the factors that contribute to a reduction in hoof health and performance such as poor conformation, improper hoof trimming and/or

shoeing Shoe-throwing, or shoeing, showing the sole of one's shoe or using shoes to insult are forms of protest in many parts of the world. Shoe-throwing as an insult dates back to ancient times, being mentioned in verse 8 of Psalm 60 and the simila ...

, intense exercise, and insufficient hoof

tissue maturation Developmental biology is the study of the process by which animals and plants grow and develop. Developmental biology also encompasses the biology of regeneration, asexual reproduction, metamorphosis, and the growth and differentiation of stem ce ...

.O’Grady, S.E. (2006). Barefoot vs. Shod? It depends… Retrieved from http://equipodiatry.com/news/article_barefoot_v_shod.htm Podiatrists also study the ways in which hoof function can be managed and improved in the equine athlete, and work to prevent the incidence of foot problems through proper hoof maintenance or the use of protective shoeing.O’Grady, S.E. (2006). Northern Virginia Equine: Therapeutic farriery & equine podiatry consulting service. Retrieved from http://equipodiatry.com/index.html

Shod Versus Shoeless Debate

Minimal connectedness among

s, scientists and equine veterinarians contributes to ambiguity among practitioners. In addition, many of the current procedures in this area are based on personal opinion and traditional practices rather than factual information based on clinical research. The controversy currently surrounding equine podiatry is whether or not

s should be shod or left barefoot. Traditionally, the practice of

horseshoe A horseshoe is a fabricated product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toen ...

ing was implemented to prevent wear of the hoof wall; however, the modern argument is that traditional

y with steel shoes can restrict natural flexion of the hoof wall, cause hoof deformities, induce

lameness A limp is a type of asymmetric abnormality of the gait. Limping may be caused by pain, weakness, neuromuscular imbalance, or a skeletal deformity. The most common underlying cause of a painful limp is physical trauma; however, in the absence ...

, and increase the incidence of

injury.Teskey, T.G. (2005). The unfettered foot; A paradigm change for equine podiatry. Equine Foot Science, 25(2), 77-83. It is stated that these ailments result from the

’s tendency to distribute concussive forces unevenly across the foot. Proponents of this side are of the belief that horses should be left barefoot and given ample opportunity to develop the internal and external hoof tissues by natural means. For example, regular impact on firm ground stimulates

sensory receptor Sensory neurons, also known as afferent neurons, are neurons in the nervous system, that convert a specific type of stimulus, via their receptors, into action potentials or graded potentials. This process is called sensory transduction. The cell ...

s in the hoof that, in turn, induce a physiologic response to promote strengthening of the hoof wall and an increased sole thickness. On the other hand, some insist that the choice of whether or not to shoe should be considered on a case-by-case basis. They agree that it is favorable to allow horses to be shoeless when possible, for the same reasons as those listed above. They also point out, however, that the use of shoes can be beneficial in many instances. This includes times when wear of the

hoof The hoof (plural: hooves) is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, which is covered and strengthened with a thick and horny keratin covering. Artiodactyls are even-toed ungulates, species whose feet have an even number of digits, yet the rumin ...

exceeds its growth, or when extra traction is needed for horses in

. Horseshoes can also be used to correct

, stabilize hoof cracks, and realign bone in the case of

laminitis Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates and is found mostly in horses and cattle. Clinical signs include foot tenderness progressing to inability to walk, increased digital pulses, and increased temperature in the hooves. Sever ...

. Many proponents of this ideal argue for the natural development of proper hoof structure at a young age, guided only by appropriate trimming and shaping of the hoof as needed. In the first three years in a

’s life, adequate hoof development stems mainly from stimulation of the horse

receptors Receptor may refer to: *Sensory receptor, in physiology, any structure which, on receiving environmental stimuli, produces an informative nerve impulse *Receptor (biochemistry), in biochemistry, a protein molecule that receives and responds to a n ...

during normal exercise and turn out; however, the intense

training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or Physical fitness, fitness that relate to specific practicality, useful Competence (human resources), competencies. Training has specific goals of improving on ...

experienced by two-year-old

racehorses Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

puts excess stress on the immature bone structure. When the

is shod to alleviate the resulting discomfort, the hoof

lose contact with the ground, which further weakens the foot. Without proper treatment, this will often lead to the development of chronic hoof problems. While both sides argue valid points, further research is needed to better understand the factors that contribute to improved hoof health and

equine Equinae is a subfamily of the family Equidae, which have lived worldwide (except Indonesia and Australia) from the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene (16 million years ago) onwards. They are thought to be a monophyletic grouping.B. J. MacFa ...

performance.

References

Veterinary professions

Overview

Shod Versus Shoeless Debate

Further reading

References