Q: I've
been told time and time again that "hard hoof heads", aka side bones,
are hereditary. But I can not find any supportive documentation to
confirm this.
In every
draft horse show, the judge will examine 2yr olds and for side
bones. Why?
We have a
couple of brood mares that have side bones at ages 10 and 11. They
consistently produce great foals for us. Our foals are 1 to 2 yrs
old now and do not have side bone problems. Will they develop this in the
future? I need to know if this is an inherited problem.
A: I do not
believe side bone is inherited at all. I have never noted any sidebone
in the many newborns and young horses' hooves I have dissected.
Cartilage
which is normally present off both sides of the coffin bone will ossify (turn
to bone) due to trauma, concussion and very importantly, lack of
movement/circulation. Horses that simply don't move enough will develop
sidebone, because cartilage must physically move to get it's nutrients, if it
is relatively more static/not moving, it will ossify, just the nature of the
tissue. Shoeing and improper trimming will lead to side bone
(concussion/trauma AND lack of circulation all in one!). The hoof must be
allowed to flex and torque normally to have normal circulation and to dampen
concussion an appropriate amount. You can read much more about hoof
function on the 'net.' Take a look at www.hoofrehab.com for one.
Take care,
Dr. Tom T.
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