Interesting Barefoot article - Brian Hampson

I read this some time ago. I wonder what all these 'abnormalities' were? How could so many horses have 'laminitis' and still function well enough to survive? How many of theses horses were actually unsound when they moved (instead of unsound in theory)? How 'abnormal' can a horse's foot be before the horse becomes unsound? This for me raises more questions than it answers.
 
Yes agree but the full research doesn't appear to available online. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Apparently upto 70% of the horses they tracked had concussion laminitus and were 'sinkers' thought to be because of the distance travelled each day on hard ground.


I have heard good things about his lectures for farriers. I believe he is helping teach them methods of shoeing which help the hooves grow more naturally.

He keeps his own horses barefoot.
 
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I think only one part of the full study has been published, here is the reference.

orphometry and abnormalities of the feet of Kaimanawa feral horses in New Zealand
Author(s): Hampson, BA (Hampson, B. A.)1; Ramsey, G (Ramsey, G.)2; Macintosh, AMH (Macintosh, A. M. H.); Mills, PC (Mills, P. C.)1; de Laat, MA (de Laat, M. A.)1; Pollitt, CC (Pollitt, C. C.)1
Source: AUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL Volume: 88 Issue: 4 Pages: 124-131 DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2010.00554.x Published: APR 2010

I suspect that the thesis is only available on request, this is usually the case.
 
Can I just point out to anyone interested in this study that "feral" does not equal "good diet" or "well kept".

I haven't read the study in full, but I have seen plenty of analysis of it. My understanding is that the area is subject to flushes of grass much richer than the horses would normally be used to*, and that also removes the need to keep moving. When that grass dies off, horses with laminae compromised from the excess grass and feet weakened by lack of movement then need to move long distances to find other food, and damage to the feet would be expected under those circumstances.

In domestic horses we would not allow that situation to arise, if we have any sense.



* this was recently pointed out on this forum by someone who lives in the area.
 
I started wondering about hoof shapes as I have seen some rather worrying trimming of hooves in the shape of the 'mustang roll' which is often used as the 'ideal' hoof shape for barefooters

Its interesting because as CPTrayes says there is rich grass in this area. There is no mention of the grass conditions and the horses diet in this article.

This area is possibly rich in grass and the Brumby hooves show this with damaged laminae/long toe/under run heels, like with Mustang feet, rock solid with the front wall damaged/worn away (rolled)

I believe it is not an adaptation to the environment but a consequence of the environment.
 
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KLJ I have never heard a mustang roll referred to as anything but the rasping off of the sharp bottom edge of the foot to prevent minor cracking. This would not alter the shape of the foot in any way except to make the bottom edge about 2mm smaller all round. The trimming you have seen sounds like something else?

If you search the name of the area those horses lived in, the post by the person who lives there should come up.
 
Yes def more extreme than 2mm and this concerned me that trimmers are using this shape in as the 'ideal' hoof shape hence my reading up as obviously its not the ideal, just shaped by the environment.

I'll search the old posts, its so interesting .. So much to learn!
 
I do have a copy of the paper. As can be seen in (figure 2) in the paper the horses at times had access to lush grazing, which we know can induce laminitis. What the paper also notes is that there is something in the lifestyle of these horses which seems to have a protective effect - possibly the distances they are travelling. I'd have to read the paper again to find the exact reference because it is quite hidden away.
 
Were the studies of hooves checking for abnormalities taken from dead animals? was the lameness assed prior to execution? were the horses sound even with the abnormalities?
 
ok found it

'A reduction in toe length has been shown to reduce substantially the peak moment at the onset of breakover. It may be that the robust foot structure and the unique foot morphology of these horses is protective against mechanical trauma and the pain associated with chronic laminitis.'

But to summarise this paper in one line? Hooves reflect the environment in which the horse lives and thus a wide variety of hoof shapes and forms can be found.

For me I think the research was a wasted opportunity. The true measure of a good hoof is not in its shape, but in the soundness of the horse.

And the sample sizes were too small to be valid, particularly as they broke the overall sample down into different groups with barely more than a handful in each.
 
Clava said:
Were the studies of hooves checking for abnormalities taken from dead animals? was the lameness assed prior to execution? were the horses sound even with the abnormalities?
Click to expand...

apparently so and one of the 'abnormal' ones they evaluated up was aged 30-35
 
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