Hoof quality of Anglo-Arabian and Haflinger horses

Abstract

IntroductionFoot quality is essential to the horse’s movement. The barefoot approach favours the animal’s welfare. Environment and selection determine hoof characteristics.Material and MethodsHoof characteristics of eight Anglo-Arabian (AA) and nine Haflinger (HA) horses were studied. After a preliminary visual analysis of feet, nail samples were collected after trimming for physico-chemical analysis. The parameters were submitted to analysis of variance. A principal component analysis and a Pearson correlation were used to compare mineral contents.ResultsThe hooves of both breeds were healthy and solid. The hooves of HA horses were longer than those of AA horses (14.90 ±0.30 cm vs 13.10 ±0.60 cm), while the AA hoof was harder than the HA hoof both in the wall (74.55 ±2.95 H vs 60.18 ±2.67 H) and sole (67.00 ±5.87 H vs 43.0 ±4.76 H). In comparison with the sole, the AA hoof wall also had a lower moisture percentage (12.56 ±0.67% vs 20.64 ±0.76%), while crude protein and ash contents were similar in both regions. The AA hoof showed a higher Se content, while the HA hoof had a higher level of macroelements. The negative correlations of K with Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the AA hoof may indicate osmoregulation activity.ConclusionThe hoof morphology of AA and HA horses met the literature parameters for mesomorphic horses. Both breeds had healthy and well-conformed hooves, useful for sport and recreation activities.

Preliminary Study on the Connection Between the Mineral Profile of Horse Hooves and Tensile Strength Based on Body Weight, Sex, Age, Sampling Location, and Riding Disciplines

“…For example, Mg levels obtained in this study were 181 ± 98 µg/g, while de Souza et al (30) reported different Mg values from the wall (960 ± 631 ppm) and the frog (1,389 ± 768 ppm). Similarly, Tocci et al (21) reported Mg values for the hoof wall of 373 ± 33 ppm and 255 ± 38 ppm for the sole. These discrepancies can be attributed to the fact that mineral contents will vary depending on the hoof sampling area, and therefore, during sampling, it is important to use the same sites in order to be comparable in the same study.…”

“…The hoof structure is very important for horse welfare and performance, and therefore, results obtained in this study seek to expand the knowledge and existing values on the mineral contents of horses' hooves, in addition to tensile strength values (20)(21)(22). Until today, studies on this topic from horses in Latin America are scarce.…”