Research: Does the Unshod Dressage Horse Really Bear a Competitive Disadvantage?

Irish researcher Richard Mott writes: "This photo is an example of some of the gait analysis work I’m doing for my dissertation comparing the stride patterns of shod and unshod horses. Most previous research has measured shod horses then taken their shoes off and measured them again straight away. The result? 'Look how badly they go without shoes!' To my knowledge, this is the only study that has compared shod and unshod horses that are conditioned to that state."

At the recent International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) Conference in Denmark, a Warwickshire College (UK) abstract covered research by distance-learning student Richard Mott from Ireland: He studied the potential difference in movement between shod and unshod horses in dressage.

To be fair to the researchers, this abstract is something like a snapshot from a moving car, compared to the author's much larger research effort. Richard Mott's thesis will actually be about 12,000 words when we finally get to read it.

Friends at Work: Would You Put Yourself in His Shoes?

Photographer Arjan Haverkamp saw nothing unusual about this scene at the Dierenpark Amersfoort (zoo) in The Netherlands. I think he was curious about the donkey's hooves. When I saw the photo, all I could see was the farrier's shoes!

The Unshod Racehorse: Racing Commissioners Table Model Rule on Barefoot Racehorses

When the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) met at the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs, New York on Tuesday, the state regulators had Lasix on their minds. But after lunch, the meeting turned to the model rules that had been proposed for 2011. 

Model Rule 5 proposed allowing horses to race without shoes. It has a proviso attached to it, however: a horse that runs in a race unshod would not be able to race in shoes for 60 days. This requirement seemed to be based on the way that Lasix is handled rather than on the way that equipment changes like bar shoes or blinkers are handled, although their requirements may vary between states as well.

After some discussion, the decision was made to table the rule proposed at Saratoga.

The state of California has gone through an extensive period of evaluating the decision whether or not to allow horses to race without shoes. The question of allowing the practice came up in November 2007, when the state was installing artificial surfaces on the major racetracks. In February 2008, Dr. Diane Isbell, one of the CHRB’s official veterinarians, spoke on behalf of trainers who were training horses without shoes and wished to race without shoes. She also listed some of the improvements seen in the horses training without shoes.

California initiated a temporary open-rule period, with records of unshod horses compiled for reporting to the California Horse Racing Board. During the trial period, data was collected on 211 horses racing in the state, of which 172 were unshod in all four feet, 27 wore shoes in front and not behind, 4 ran with only hind shoes, and 8 horses were running with shoes after having previously raced unshod.

In terms of success of these horses, 77 of the 211 finished in first, second or third place in their races, while 24 finished last and 10 horses were scratched. The great majority (191) of the horses ran at Golden Gate Fields.

At the time that California was considering this rule change, the CHRB found that 13 states and/or tracks allowed horses to race barefoot, with restrictions and stipulations varying between the states. Twelve states or tracks required that horses be shod.

A model rule is not the same as a rule. A model rule gives each racing jurisdiction a framework, or suggested text for a rule, based on the research and expertise of committees within or attached to a larger group like the RCI. So that each state does not have to go out and research a subject, it is provided a model rule that has gone under scrutiny of the RCI system.

Documents from the California Horse Racing Board were referenced in preparing this article. Thanks to Teresa Genaro, who was present at the RCI meeting in Saratoga, for her assistance with this article. Photo credits: "No Shoes" sign by Joshua Barrett, racing on the beach at Laytown Races in Ireland by Paul Walsh.

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© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.  

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Necropsy Report: British Horses Died of Cardiac Arrest; Signs Consistent with Electrical Shock from Leaking Cable Under Paddock

The British Horseracing Authority has provided a summary statement following the completion of necropsy studies on the bodies of two horses that died at Newbury Racecourse in Berkshire, England on Saturday. The horses collapsed and died as the jockeys were preparing to mount; two other horses fell but were able to recover.

Professor Tim Morris, Director of Equine Science and Welfare for the British Horseracing Authority, issued this prepared statement today:

“The Authority has been officially informed that there was leakage of electricity from a cable under the parade ring in the area where the incident occurred. There was immediate veterinary attention, and our enquiry on the day noted the racecourse veterinary surgeons felt a tingling sensation when examining the horses, and that the veterinary surgeons noted particular clinical signs such as muscle contractions.

“Both horses that died, Marching Song and Fenix Two, have undergone postmortem examinations which showed sudden cardiac arrest as the cause of death. Samples taken from the horses affected have shown no evidence of substances that could have caused this incident. These findings are all consistent with the cause of death being accidental electrocution and at this stage we are not investigating any other cause of death.

“I can also confirm that, contrary to speculation, no evidence of any burn marks around the mouth was found on post mortem examination, neither were such marks found by the veterinary surgeons on the horses at the start.”

The necropsies were performed by pathologists at the University of Liverpool’s School of Veterinary Science with additional services from the British Horseracing Authority contractor HFL Sport Science.

Much speculation has surrounded whether the horses' shoes were part of the formula that led to their death. Metal horseshoes are known to conduct electricity; horses are especially susceptible to electrical shock. Some people have speculated that the fact that the horses who died were shod with steel shoes, while the horses who survived were shod with aluminum, may have been a factor in the tragedy.

So far, there is no proof that that is the case.

 © Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.
 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Don't stand too close! Hot Competition for Farriers in England

by Fran Jurga | 26 July 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog

Don't stand too close!, originally uploaded by Lid Licker!

The wrath of Hephaestus Himself seems to be spewing from this Damascus forge put to its test at yesterday's Handmade Horseshoes farrier competition in Leighton Buzzard, England. Photographer Gary Huston has mounted a wonderful photo recording of the day on his Flickr photo gallery.

Gary is a terrific farrier/photographer who knows where to point the camera and experiments with color saturation for unusual and remarkable effects. I'm a big fan of his and I bet you will be, too!

I just hope his Canon didn't melt...

For any non-farrier readers: this contraption is a propane forge used by farriers to heat steel for shoemaking or reshaping/altering of existing shoes. It works much like your gas grill but heats the steel quickly and efficiently to a very high heat so the steel is malleable.

Working with one of these all day may be why farriers are such good hands at summer barbecues...and many of them are also great chefs, possibly because they have an innate understanding of the effects of heat on matter. Think about it.

At this competition, farriers working in teams or alone would have been competing for perfection in craftmanship of a prescribed shoe design in a particular dimension from a supplied length, width and thickness of raw steel material. Think: Iron Chef with hammer and tongs. Realize: Hephestus lives, and he lives well.

Horseshoer Handicapping: Whose Workmanship Do You Like in the Derby?

by Fran Jurga | Kentucky Derby Day | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog

Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog
Kentucky Derby Tip Sheet

Post No. | Horse | Shoer | Shoer's History | Shoer's Location | Horse's Shoes

1. West Side Bernie | Steve Norman (Alysheba, Go for Gin, Curlin, War Emblem) | Kentucky | 4K

2. Musket Man | Bruce Anderson | Florida and New Mexico | 4K

3. Mr Hot Stuff | Tom Doolan (Colonel John) | Massachusetts now in California | 4k

4. Advice | Steve Norman (Alysheba, Go for Gin, Curlin, War Emblem) | Kentucky | 4K

5. Hold Me Back | Jimbo Bayes | Kentucky and Saratoga

6. Friesan Fire | Todd Boston (Eight Belles) | Kentucky/Saratoga/Gulfstream | 2K

7. Papa Clem | Pat Broadus (Lemons Forever) | Mississippi now Kentucky, Chicago, Louisiana, Saratoga | currently 4K (may be re-shod by brother Tom on Saturday)

8. Mine That Bird | horseshoer unknown Friday

9. Join in the Dance | Steve Norman (Alysheba, Go for Gin, Curlin, War Emblem) | Kentucky | 4K

10. Regal Ransom | Todd Boston (Eight Belles) | Kentucky/Saratoga/Gulfstream | (2k?)

11 Chocolate Candy | horseshoer unknown Friday

12. General Quarters | Sam Greenslate | Kentucky

13. I Want Revenge | SCRATCHED 9 a.m. day of race (shod by Todd Boston)

14. Atomic Rain | Steve Norman (Alysheba, Go for Gin, Curlin, War Emblem) | Kentucky | 4K

15. Dunkirk | Ray Amato (Rags to Riches; Ray is Todd Pletcher's long-time east coast farrier) | New York | 2k hind

16. Pioneerof the Nile | Tom Doolan (Colonel John) | Massachusetts now in California | 4K (will be shod Saturday morning)

17. Summer Bird--horseshoer unknown Friday

18. Nowhere to Hide | Todd Boston (Eight Belles) | Kentucky/Saratoga/Gulfstream | 2K

19 Desert Party | Todd Boston (Eight Belles) | Kentucky/Saratoga/Gulfstream | 2k

20 Flying Private-horseshoer unknown Friday

Every year, I hear people tell me that they bet decent amounts of money on the Kentucky Derby because they like the sound of a horse's name, they remember the trainer won ten years ago, or they always bet the six horse.

So why not bet the horseshoer?

On the other hand, I know people who study the minutiae of horse equipment and notice if a jockey changed boots between races and wonder whether that will affect his ride. You know who you are. A quarter-crack story breaks in the Daily Racing Form and you suddenly remember why you have my number on speed dial....but forget that I don't keep racetrack hours.

So this year I decided that the Derby was a pretty muddy field, probably in more ways than one. There are several horses who might be legitimate favorites and some we don't know much about, but they have names like Zito and people like high school principals attached to them.

With the help of Dan Burke of Farrier Product Distribution who keeps track of things like this, we have made it possible for you to add to your Derby betting arsenal of information with heretofore unavailable data: the horseshoer's name, a sample of some of his stellar past winners (if I could find them), his migratory pattern, and what shoes the horse will (probably) be wearing. I stumbled at the last one except for what Dan could supply: The letters 4K after a horse mean that he is wearing four Kerckhaert raceplates. Most of the other horses are wearing at least two Kerckhaerts, some with toe clips, on the hind feet. Toe clips on hind feet is a relatively new style innovation on the racetrack.

As the weather pattern changes over Kentucky, the shoes may also be changed, so don't hold me to the shoeing details. Some trainers are still making their minds up about whether to add bends or not.

Horses not shod with the European Kerckhaert plates would be shod with American plates probably made by Victory or Thoro'Bred or a Euro-style plate made by St Croix. Shoers may sometimes mix American and Euro style shoes on the fronts and hinds, which was the case with Street Sense but they will almost always put shoes on in pairs unless they are treating a hoof problem and need to put a different sized shoe on, or cut part of a shoe off ("three-quartering").

That may be the case with Dunkirk today, who may have a wedge shoe on the fronts with Kerckhaerts behind. Don't be alarmed that Dunkirk is shod differently; that is standard for Ray Amato and it's certainly worked well. Just look at Pletcher's record and you won't argue with Ray's shoeing. In his career, Ray has shod for most of the Hall of Fame trainers...but, like Todd Pletcher, has never had his work actually cross the finish line first in the Derby. Maybe today will be the day.

This list is not an ad; Dan just happened to be the only shoe manufacturer to supply this information. In previous years, other companies have come forward. I would love it if some other shoe salesmen called! (Hint to Dave, Joe, and Stacy!)

I'll update this during the day on Saturday as I compile more data. I am sure that all of these farriers have shod plenty of well-known stakes horses. They're all at the top of the game. If you see any mistakes, let me know!

Thanks to Dan Burke for helping with this. Everyone watch for Dan's 1958 Chevrolet pickup truck on the backside during the telecast, either on ESPN or NBC; he has a custom Stonewell farrier rig built into the back and it will be put to good use when Pioneerof the Nile gets hot-seated. I can imagine that that will attract a few camera crews...and possibly a fire truck or two! It's not something you see at the racetrack anymore, but on a muddy day like today is shaping up to be, it's not a bad idea. Pioneerof the Nile may be from California and not know what mud is, but his shoer is from Boston, and he knows very well what mud is and will take care of his horse.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. No use without permission. You only need to ask. Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.

Big Brown's Glued Hooves Featured in Today's New York Times

Get a good look at the feet of Kentucky Derby favorite Big Brown. The horse has wall separations in the medial heels of both front feet and is advancing through the healing process as the new wall grows down. The shoes are glued on with half-web rubber rim pads and full-web heel cushions and the horse continues to train in Florida. He'll move to Churchill Downs in Kentucky next week. (New York Times photo (see link to story and more photos, below); double click or click to enlarge on your screen)

Kentucky Derby favorite Big Brown is the subject of a lengthy article in today's New York Times. But most of the story is about his feet, and his glue-on shoes.

The story includes an interview with hoof repair impresario Ian McKinlay, who has been generously providing images and video to this HoofBlog. (See following blog posts for much more on Big Brown's wall separations and see similar hooves undergoing repair and gluing.)

Another Derby favorite, Pyro, has also been training and racing in glue-on shoes.

The last time I can remember horseshoes being so prominently featured in the Times was 1996, when Kentucky farrier Steve Norman worked with Derby favorite Unbridled Song, and helped him prep for the Derby, and race, wearing a variety of bar shoes.