Stride kinematic changes in laminitic horses treated with three different types of hoof orthopedic devices

Considering the hypothesis that laminitic horses display changes in the kinematics of their forelimbs and clog type orthopedic devices can be beneficial in such cases, the objectives of this study were to compare the stride pattern of healthy horses versus that of horses with chronic laminitis and to assess the kinematic effects of three types of clog shoes on the stride of laminitic horses. Six healthy and six laminitic mares were subjected to a kinematic evaluation at a walk. The horses with laminitis were evaluated before and after the use of three different models of clog type orthopedic shoes on the hooves of both their forelimbs. The treatment types that were administered were the application of no shoes, wooden shoes, leather and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) shoes, and wooden and EVA shoes. The horses with laminitis have a stride length that is reduced by 11% (P = 0.03), and in the swing phase, by 18% (P = 0.004), and the relative stance phase of each limb is prolonged by 6% (P = 0.02) when compared with the healthy group. However, values associated with the stride duration, stance phase duration, breakover duration, speed, and frequency were not significantly different among the laminitic groups. Further, no statistical differences were found in the comparison of the outcomes among the treatments administered to the horses with laminitis, except in their stride length, which was longer in the horses shod with wooden clogs when compared with in the unshod laminitic horses (P = 0.04). It was concluded that horses with stable chronic laminitis display changes in the kinematics of their forelimbs while walking. Immediate and remarkable beneficial effects were not observed with the use of all the types of orthoses; however, the wooden clog resulted in a significant improvement in the length of the stride. Further studies are needed to verify the prolonged effects of clog shoe-type ortheses in the different phases of equine laminitis.