The impact of horseshoes on the morphological and functional characteristics of the hoofs and the whole systems of the horse's body: the overview of the present state and prospects

Horse shoeing leads to functional and morphological changes not only in the hoof, but also in the entire musculoskeletal system, the biomechanics and the main organ systems of the horseʼs body. Knowledge about the functioning and structure of the horseʼs hoof and limb, as well as their biomechanics in the distribution of weight and energy in motion, taking into account the characteristics of the ground, will allow to develop the new types of device for protecting hooves, coverings for racetracks, training grounds, etc. As a result of our review of Russian and foreign literature, the following conclusions were made: there are several theories about the peculiarities of the hoof mechanism (for example, the theory of the leading role of the hoof capsule expansion in the pumping function of the hoof mechanism and the theory of the role of the horseʼs weight and ground pressure on the hoof capillary network), that make difficulties for researchers and practitioners to understand each other. Therefore, further development of methods is necessary to describe in detail the hoof mechanisms in sound and lame horses, to prove the validity and interrelation of these two theories. Numerous studies have convincingly proved the negative impact of the horseshoe on the hoof health and the gradual functional and morphological destructions of the distal limb of the horse, as well as the entire body. The use of a horseshoe is justified only in the case of correcting defects in the development of a limb(s) in foals, in the treatment of certain hoof diseases, in other cases, the use of hoof shoes or other elastic and flexible devices that reduce the load from damaged parts of the hoof is recommended. Further data collection will contribute to create a reliable computer 3D model for demonstrating the work of a horseʼs hoof and limb, taking into account the impact of various factors (horseshoes, loads, limb structure, etc.), which will help to choose or develop protective shoes for a horse, determine and visually justify the optimal method of hoof trimming.