Equine foot management strategies and their effects on welfare

The National Equine Health Survey recently reported lameness accounted for one third of all health problems reported (Blue Cross, 2016). Of these cases, 31.9% were due to foot diseases, with the most common cause being white line disease (Blue Cross, 2016). This raises concerns regarding the health and welfare of horses and suggests current foot management strategies may not be effective.
There is an increasing trend towards keeping horses “barefoot” in the UK with the argument being it is more natural for the horse and that shoeing itself can cause lameness. Barefoot trimming is thought to promote morphological hoof changes that could be beneficial for the treatment of certain conditions (Clayton et al, 2011). However, studies on feral horses have shown foot pathologies to be common in these animals, with chronic laminitis affecting 40% to 93% of individuals (Hampson, 2011); barefoot may not actually be better for welfare. Due to a current lack of scientific evidence, equine professionals are unable to make an informed decision regarding the merits of barefoot versus traditional methods (Reilly, 2011). Welfare charities and the Worshipful Company of Farriers have issued cautionary statements regarding the use of barefoot trimming methods.
This project aims to address this knowledge gap by carrying out a large-scale investigation into equine foot management strategies in the UK and their links to the manifestation and treatment of foot lameness. The student will conduct a survey to document the current range of foot management strategies used by horse owners, as well as other husbandry practices that may impact upon foot health. They will use these results to identify key factors likely to be associated with foot lameness. Field observations will include taking hoof measurements from both domestic and feral ponies to investigate how different husbandry practices may affect hoof quality and morphology. The candidate will conduct owner interviews to determine how various strategies affect general foot health, and observe equine behaviour during routine foot management practices. Results will be disseminated to the equine industry within the UK to allow better decisions to be made regarding foot management, leading to improvements in horse welfare.