A peer-reviewed study conducted at Great Britain's Royal Veterinary College (RVC) examines the effect of farriery interventions--in this case, studded tungsten-tipped "road" nails--and demonstrates their impact on horses’ movement symmetry, including weightbearing and propulsion.
The article, which will be published in the July 2020 edition of the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science and has been posted online, is the first farrier-authored peer-reviewed article based on a study conducted during the RVC's Graduate Diploma in Equine Locomotor Research (Grad Dip ELR) program. All students in the first UK cohort of the RVC program were professional farriers.
Key findings from the study show that, while there are many different shoes on the market and various approaches to shoeing and trimming, it’s important to look at the effect of changes in horseshoeing on the symmetry of movement, rather than the other way round. This evidence-based research can then be combined with owner and trainer observations to help make more informed decisions.
The study, which used tungsten-tipped "road" nails, indicates that pelvic movement symmetry in horses trotting on "tarmac" (pavement) can be altered by the application of a road nail to the lateral heel of a hindlimb shoe.
Subtle asymmetry in pelvic movement can, for example, be quantified as the difference in displacement amplitude between left and right tuber coxae ("hip hike" difference). The changes in pelvic movement symmetry – observed as a function of applying a road nail – can be explained by increased weight bearing and propulsion in the hind limb shod with the road nail.
Using data from wireless inertial measurement units ("IMUs") fitted to the poll, withers, sacrum and left and right tuber coxae (point of the hip) of each horse, the study indicated that this form of data collection provides a valuable method of evaluating small movement changes of the horse in reaction to different shoeing protocols and shoe types.
Using data from wireless inertial measurement units ("IMUs") fitted to the poll, withers, sacrum and left and right tuber coxae (point of the hip) of each horse, the study indicated that this form of data collection provides a valuable method of evaluating small movement changes of the horse in reaction to different shoeing protocols and shoe types.
Movement symmetry is an important parameter. It influences equine longevity and performance, and can be measured irrespective of the arena, track or ground surface (firm or soft) where the horse is worked.
Two graduates of the course, Lee Collins, DipWCF of Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire and Peter Day, DipWCF, farrier at the RVC equine hospital, worked alongside academics at the RVC to conduct the research. The project is the culmination of the pair’s work on the course which offers professional farriers the chance to develop the skill-set necessary to produce original research and increase the evidence base behind farriery.
Peter Day, who has worked as a farrier at the RVC for over 20 years and studied for his Grad Dip ELR, said:
![Hoof Blog news release RVC news release](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNqrbT1j_Iy_PItK3_N2NQvpuo6KrQcr5vrvO7425tlRlFJnPdXn7pYl2uRa3Yo2s0Kg-a1bYNh9JNRU348ArfogOljf4_HxdlPXwuFWXUCYSGBqT0tJPkqTLKj15u5raLBczhQ/s1600/HB+press+release+badge.png)
“Within the farriery industry, we talk a lot about the changes we can achieve with different shoeing and foot trimming protocols and most, if not all, is anecdotal and purely based on subjective visual observation.”
“As part of my diploma, I wanted to research something that was relevant to farriery and could be done outside the laboratory. My hope is that, having gained this qualification, I would like to undertake a master’s degree and will carry out further research to evaluate the use of traction devices and shoe designs for grip and propulsion. It is my intention to relate this work on upper body movement to the level of the hoof.”
Lee Collins, who was one of the attending farriers at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In personal communication with The Hoof Blog, he reflected, "It's been a great journey and the RVC has set this course up superbly. A special thanks to Renate Weller and Amy Barstow and all the lecture and tuition tutors and yourself for all the help. I'm proud to say that.
![hoof research Hoof Blog farrier research](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHEOztNJtgNJvGhVJP9CwHPNVCovdC6UMYtoP-kW0D3slb9EMkkHXEVmMvci-1lrrro8KLO7EpECvQbwESy7Th-3RQ8wzv48m3R_lAHztmwS2EYajDNxy1sBT5W5RpccZKLnAGw/s1600/HB+500+hoof+research+generic+header+x250.png)
Dr.-Ing. Thilo Pfau, Course Director of the RVC's Grad Dip in ELR, said:
“It is very exciting to see the first peer-reviewed publication that has arisen from work undertaken as part of our Graduate Diploma in Equine Locomotor Research. The publication describes the combined outcome of two research projects undertaken by students – Peter Day and Lee Collins – as part of their degree at the RVC.
“We always encourage our students to create research of publishable quality and to contribute to the much-needed evidence-base surrounding trimming, shoeing and farriery. Peter and Lee have done exactly this, and we congratulate them for this achievement and are looking forward to others following in their footsteps.”
The course allows farriers to develop such skills as referencing, communication, presentation and academic writing, with a key emphasis on teamwork and the value of a shared goal. More widely, the course aims to promote better communication between farriers and veterinary practitioners.
The full paper, The Effect of Tungsten Road Nails on Locomotor Biomechanics in Horses Moving on Tarmac Surface, is published in The Journal of Equine Veterinary Science and can be accessed here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080620300915
For more information about the RVC’s Grad Dip ELR, visit:
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/graduate-diploma-in-equine-locomotion-research
Addendum: More about the nails
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Mustad's type of nail used by Day and
Collins in their research. Note the nail head and the pin of tungsten. |
In the United Kingdom and some other countries, a more high-tech generation of old-fashioned "frost nails" is commonly used to give horses traction on slippery pavement, throughout the year.
However, the RVC research used the special nail as a tool to test small variations in equine symmetry. Day and Collins tested the effects of the nail on horse symmetry in three data-collection situations:
- Baseline condition without road nails.
- With road nail used in either one front or one hind shoe.
- With road nail used in both front and hind shoe in ipsilateral limbs.
(Normally, road nails are applied to both limbs of a pair.)
(This information was added by Hoofcare Publishing and was not provided by the RVC.)
More about the course
The Graduate Diploma in Applied Equine Locomotor Research from the RVC offers professional farriers the chance to develop the skill-set necessary to produce original research and increase the evidence base behind farriery.
The course takes a minimum of two and a maximum of five years to complete. Some of the program is delivered during residential weekend sessions while some of the learning is self-directed, with continuous support from teaching staff.
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest-established independent veterinary school and is a Member Institution of the University of London. It is the top veterinary school in the UK and Europe and ranked as the world’s second highest veterinary school, behind the University of California at Davis in the United States, in the QS World University Rankings, 2020.
The course takes a minimum of two and a maximum of five years to complete. Some of the program is delivered during residential weekend sessions while some of the learning is self-directed, with continuous support from teaching staff.
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest-established independent veterinary school and is a Member Institution of the University of London. It is the top veterinary school in the UK and Europe and ranked as the world’s second highest veterinary school, behind the University of California at Davis in the United States, in the QS World University Rankings, 2020.
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