Proper foot balance is critical to the prevention as well as treatment of numerous lameness problems. Historically many veterinarians have not developed a sound understanding of how to achieve proper foot balance, which has often led to problems in discussing the proper approach to treatment of their cases with a farrier. This problem has often been compounded because the farrier achieves balance through a visual, ‘looks correct’ approach to trimming and shoeing, which provides little objective data regarding what they are doing. Over the past number of years, there has been an increase in quality research that has been devoted to the foot, both from an anatomic and functional perspective, as well as to more objective means of assessing foot balance. From this work a renewed interest has been created in much of the veterinary and farriery community, which bodes well for horses.

One of the farriery approaches involves what has been termed natural foot balance. Some find both the terminology and its application inappropriate, as they derive from observations on the feet of feral horses. Some feel the comparison is invalid because of the differing environments in which feral and domestic horses live. However these observations should be considered just that, with the goal being to try to better understand how the ‘self-maintained’ foot from the feral environment does adapt for ultimate function, and how domestic horses might also benefit from hoof preparation that allows them to more closely mimic this ‘self-maintaining’ and very functional foot.

The self-maintained foot of barefoot domestic horses and feral horses are very similar. The hoof wall is worn down to the level of a prominent sole callus. The quarters are often broken away (gutted out) at the widest part of the foot, which allows dirt to compact in the caudal region of the foot. The heels have usually grown slightly beyond the level of the frog that aids in the trapping of dirt in this area. This dirt probably allows the frog and bars to participate more actively in weight bearing. The apex of the frog is often also callused and in contact with the ground when the foot is weight bearing. This area of the foot represents the center of the distal phalanx as seen on lateral view radiographs. Thus bony support to the distal phalanx comes dorsally from the wall and heavy sole callus ahead of the frog, the apex of the frog centrally, and the frog buttress, bars, heels and dirt compaction caudally. The other prominent feature of these feet is that approximately half the bearing surface of the foot (or less) lies cranial to the center of foot mass. This means that the majority of the bearing surface is caudally located.

Foot preparation for barefoot usage, or for being shod, utilizes these general principles with minor variations. For instance, more wall is left on the foot that will remain barefooted vs. the shod foot, and the quarters are allowed to be flat in the foot that will be shod. However minimal amounts of sole callus or frog are removed, and the more caudal distribution of weight bearing is achieved by bringing the point of breakover caudally. This can be greatly aided by the use of lateral view radiographs with appropriately placed markers that allow specific measurements to be taken for locating the point of breakover. By utilizing these general principles, the ‘long toe, low underrun heel’ foot conformation, which is seen often in many domestic horses, can be avoided, and weight bearing can be more appropriately distributed under the bony column.

This approach will ultimately minimize the incidence of not only heel pain and foot soreness, but will also help prevent many of the lameness problems that originate further up the limb. Technological advances have allowed veterinarians to diagnose and surgically treat a myriad of musculoskeletal conditions in horses. However a preponderance of these conditions might be more appropriately prevented if a better understanding of proper foot balance and weight distribution were understood and properly incorporated.