@hoof2horse: 👀Observing how your horse’s hooves land in slow motion can provide key clues about their hoof comfort and soundness. 👉At a forward walk, most horses should land slightly heel first. When a horse lands heel first, the back of the foot (digital cushion, lateral cartilages, and frog) gets the chance to do its job. These structures act like a shock absorber, helping dissipate impact forces before they travel up the limb. 👉A toe-first landing, however, is a MAJOR red-flag. Instead of loading the shock-absorbing structures first, the horse avoids the heels and lands on the toe. This often happens when the back of the foot is uncomfortable, weak, or unable to comfortably accept load. This causes Increased stress on the: 🚩Hoof Wall 🚩Laminae 🚩Soft Tissue Structures (particularly the DDFT) 🚩Navicular Region (particularly the navicular bursa) 🚩Joints of the Distal Limb 👉Flat landings aren’t always a red-flag but deserve attention if the horse was previously landing heel-first and all of a sudden isn’t because this indicates a change in comfort and warrants investigation into the cause. The landing pattern is one of the most valuable clues a horse gives us about hoof function. 🤔Have you ever checked whether your horse lands heel first or toe first? #barefootfarrier #barefoottrimming #farrier #hooves #horses

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Monday 15 June 2026 19:05:19 GMT