A position of the hoof is considered to be normal if the angle between ground and toe is about 50° for a front hoof or 55° for a hind hoof. The position that the horse adopts by itself in soft sand should be used as a guideline in determining the correct hoof position.
Conventional shoeing often forces the horse to an acute-angled hoof position (approx. 45°). The more acute-angled the hoof, the more pressure the navicular bone has to endure. As the the hoof position has a considerable impact on the gait, the tendons as well as the wear on the sole, malalignments aren’t without consequences: Most hoof ailments like podotrochlis, spavin, tendonitis etc. can be ascribed to it.
