CONFIRMATION EVALUATION

WAY OF GOING

Now, taking a step further, we will walk the horse to see what happens with some of the deviations already noted, and to catch the ones missed. It is one thing to judge the stance, but when the hoof leaves the ground another dimension is added — how the hoof is carried forward.

The average farrier can tip a hoof to straighten up the way a horse stands. What we want to prove is, does a twisted hoof that has been corrected travel true, or follow a crooked leg.

In other words, in checking the stance, we really were looking for a potential cause of lameness. The soundness examination that follows this chapter, should show up the end result. Walking the horse to determine his way of going is the only way to evaluate the effect of a deviation.

This is the reason for the chalk stripe down the center of the hooves (and continuing to mark the sole and frog if needed the first few times). Watch a horse's walk by having him led towards, away from, and across your line of vision. Concentrate on one leg, one mark at a time, as a hoof is brought forward. Perhaps the eye will only register a blur. Fine. Don't try and stop the foot mid-air in your mind. The pattern to remember is the "Flight Path" of the hoof from the take-off to landing.

Once the flight path has been noted, it is necessary to determine if the deviation, if any, is temporary, or permanent. Broken hooves, sloppy trimming, and poor shoeing could be at fault. Signs of a competent farrier include nails leaving the wall at a uniform height, turned over neatly, and shoes that fit the hoof.

If there is any doubt, check the cross-reference number to make sure the effect matches the cause.

If the horse's build is at fault, the question is, by weighing stance against hoof conformation — how much correction has been, or can be, accomplished without creating stress that could cause lameness?

Horseshoers use three different methods to straighten a way of going:
1) If the horse was not walked before shoeing, it is probable that the hoof wall opposite the grounding wear has been lowered to level the hoof in hopes that the horse that stands square, will walk square. Unfortunately, this practice does not work well past a certain point.

2) Weight is added to lengthen the arc of the stride. An easy to spot example would be a shoe "swung" and nailed on so that one side is longer, and therefore, heavier.

3) The hoof is blocked or otherwise forced to break over the toe when it leaves the ground. Indicator here would be a square-toed shoe, or extensions to side or rear.

All this is rather confusing the first time through, but it is necessary to understand that there is a degree of correction possible. If a barefoot horse matches one of the entries, and the deviation is not too pronounced, the problem could almost be considered normal. If the hoof has been tipped, or leveled so far, that the grounding wear is in the wrong place, there is a possibility that another method of shoeing could straighten the walk, with less likelihood of injury. If the weight and breakover methods have been tried, and the horse still carries his foot forward wrong, then not much else can be done.

Walking, trotting, towards, away from view, deviations noted, for front and hind hooves, are:

47- Hoof travels inward arc, lands front on opposite foot ( 8-10) [19,71]

This is the effect of "toes pointing in, base narrow." The hoof shows wear from breaking over the outside toe landing on the outside wall. The pattern of the hoof swinging inward in an arc parallel with the ground, and landing in front of the opposite foot is called Plaiting. It is easy to understand that this could cause stumbling, especially at gaits faster than a walk.