A preliminary study on pressure-plate evaluation of forelimb toe-heel and mediolateral hoof balance on a hard vs. a soft surface in sound ponies at the walk and trot.
Authors: Oosterlinck M, Royaux E, Back W, Pille F
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Pressure-plate analysis has traditionally been confined to hard surfaces, yet horses and ponies regularly work on deformable arena footings that fundamentally alter loading mechanics. Oosterlinck and colleagues examined how footing composition affects force distribution by walking and trotting five sound, unshod ponies over a pressure plate in two conditions: a hard surface with minimal cushioning (5 mm rubber mat) and a softer arena substrate (additional 50 mm sand and synthetic fibres), measuring peak vertical force, pressure, contact area, stance duration, and crucially, the distribution of loading across toe-heel and mediolateral aspects of the hoof throughout the stance phase. The soft surface substantially reduced peak vertical force, impulse, pressure and stance duration while increasing hoof contact area; more significantly for hoof balance, loading was more evenly distributed between toe and heel regions at impact on soft footing, though the toe became more heavily loaded at mid-stance compared to hard surfaces. These findings suggest that softer arena surfaces provide a genuine dampening effect that alters the dynamic loading profile across the hoof, with practical implications for gait assessment, lameness investigation, shoeing decisions and rehabilitation protocols—pressure-plate data collected on hard surfaces may not accurately reflect how horses load their feet during routine work, and clinicians should consider surface type when interpreting force-plate findings or counselling owners about footing choices for managing specific loading-related conditions.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Arena footing characteristics significantly alter hoof loading mechanics; pressure-plate measurements on hard surfaces may not reflect actual athletic conditions
- •Soft substrates provide more even load distribution at initial contact, which may reduce peak stress on hoof structures during impact
- •Surface type affects timing of weight transfer during stance phase, with implications for training surfaces and injury prevention strategies
Key Findings
- •Peak vertical force, vertical impulse, peak vertical pressure and stance phase duration all decreased on soft substrate compared to hard surface
- •Hoof contact area increased on soft substrate by accommodating greater deformation
- •Load distribution between toe and heel was more even on soft surface at impact, but more concentrated in toe region at mid-stance
- •Lateral-medial load distribution was more even on soft surface at walk but not at trot