title: Effects of shoeing on limb movement and ground reaction forces in Icelandic horses at walk, tölt and trot.
abstract: Tölt is a symmetric four-beat gait with a speed range extending into that of trot and canter. Specific shoeing methods, such as unnaturally high and long hooves, are used to enforce individual gait predisposition. The aim of this study was to assess the consequences of this shoeing style on loading and movement of the limbs at walk, tölt and trot, and at different velocities. Simultaneous kinetic and kinematic gait analysis was carried out at walk (1.4m/s) and at two tölting and trotting speeds (3.3m/s and 3.9 m/s) on an instrumented treadmill. Thirteen sound Icelandic horses were first measured with high, long front hooves (SH) and, 1 week later, after trimming the hooves according to standard shoeing principles (SN). Comparing SH with SN, front hooves had 21 ± 5 mm longer dorsal hoof walls, and the shoeing material per hoof was 273 ± 50 g heavier. In all three gaits, gait quality, as it is currently judged, was improved with SH due to a lower stride rate, a longer stride length and a higher, but not wider, forelimb protraction arc, which were also positively associated with speed. Forelimb-hind limb balance remained unchanged, but limb impulses were higher. Apart from an increase of ≤ 2.2% in the forelimbs at the faster speed of both tölt and trot, SH had little influence on vertical peak forces.
authors.affiliation: Equine Department, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: nwaldern@vetclinics.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Nina M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Waldern
authors.affiliation: Equine Department, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wiestner
authors.affiliation: Equine Department, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lea C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ramseier
authors.affiliation: Wallenschwil 2, 5637 Beinwil, Freiamt, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Amport
authors.affiliation: Equine Department, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Weishaupt
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005552:Forelimb / Q000502:physiology; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000502:physiology; D006724:Hoof and Claw / Q000502:physiology*; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D012775:Shoes; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Gait analysis; Ground reaction force; Icelandic horse; Kinematics; Shoeing; Tölt