Pressure plate analysis of toe-heel and medio-lateral hoof balance at the walk and trot in sound sport horses.
Authors: Oosterlinck, Hardeman, van der Meij, Veraa, van der Kolk, Wijnberg, Pille, Back
Journal: Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Pressure Plate Analysis of Hoof Balance in Sound Sport Horses Understanding normal hoof loading patterns is essential for farriers and veterinarians attempting to identify and correct pathological imbalances, yet quantitative data on dynamic hoof balance in sound horses has been limited. Oosterlinck and colleagues used pressure plate technology to measure vertical ground reaction force distribution across the toe, heel, medial and lateral hoof regions in seven Royal Dutch Sport Horses at both walk and trot. Toe-heel balance proved remarkably consistent between left and right forelimbs at both gaits, but medio-lateral loading patterns varied considerably: at walk, both forelimbs demonstrated lateral loading bias throughout stance, whilst at trot, the left forelimb loaded medially at impact before shifting lateral, whereas the right forelimb loaded laterally throughout and showed increased lateral loading at lift-off. These objective baselines for normal hoof balance in sound sport horses provide essential reference data for clinicians assessing whether apparent imbalances are truly pathological or simply within normal functional variation, and highlight the importance of gait-specific and limb-specific assessment rather than assuming symmetrical loading patterns across all circumstances.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Establish baseline understanding of normal hoof loading patterns in sound horses to better identify abnormal balance associated with lameness
- •Recognize that medio-lateral hoof loading differs between walk and trot, and between left and right limbs—this asymmetry is normal in sound horses and should not automatically be interpreted as pathological
- •Pressure plate technology offers objective measurement of hoof balance to supplement visual and palpation assessments when investigating suspected hoof-related lameness
Key Findings
- •Toe-heel balance of vertical ground reaction force was highly symmetrical between contralateral forelimbs at both walk and trot in sound horses
- •At walk, both forelimbs showed higher loading in the lateral hoof throughout stance
- •At trot, left forelimb showed medial loading at impact while right forelimb showed lateral loading throughout stance
- •Pressure plate analysis provides objective quantification of dynamic hoof balance that can serve as reference data for sound sport horses