conformation Flashcards
Many factors affect equine locomotion
- Fitness/training
- Nutrition
- Conformation
- Health e.g. arthritis
BRUSHING
- Light contact of foot with medial surface of opposite limb
- Young, unfit, poor conformation
SCALPING
- Toe of forefoot hits hind foot above coronary band seen with diagonal gaits e.g. trotters
- “Speedy cutting” is form of scalping but between fetlock & hock
CROSS-FIRING
- Inside of hind foot clips inside of opposite fore foot
- Mainly pacers
FORGING
- Toe of hind foot strikes sole of fore foot on the same side
- Young, short
OVER-REACHING
- Toe of hind foot hits fore heel on same side
- May pull off shoe or cause lacerations
- Speed, jumping
ELBOW-HITTING
- Over-flexing carpus so that hoof hits caudal aspect of elbow
- Artificial gaits or jumping
- Excessively long pasterns
WINGING
“Toe-out” conformation
more at risk
PADDLING
“Toe-in” conformation
Base narrow
- Increased force on outside of hoof
Base wide
Increased force on inside of hoof
CARPAL VALGUS
is lateral deviation of the fore limb from the carpus distally “knock kneed”
common ANGULAR LIMB DEFORMITY
ANGULAR LIMB DEFORMITY; caused by carpal valgus
- Increased tension on medial collateral
ligaments (increased forces acting at
either end of ligament) - Increased compression (compaction) on
lateral splint bone (MC4)
CARPAL VARUS
medial deviation of the fore limb from the carpus distally “bow legged”
* Increased tension lateral collateral
ligaments
* Increased pressure on medial splint
bone (MC2)
“bench knee”
If canon bone (MC3) is offset laterally
“over at knee”
Cranial/dorsal deviation (slight flexion) of MC3
- Often congenital but may straighten with
time (3-4 months) - Strain on carpal & digital flexors, suspensory ligament & proximal sesamoid bones
Lateral stance
Line dropped from scapular (trapezius)
tuberosity should bisect limb down to fetlock
STAND UNDER
- front limbs too far under body
- Can be due to disease/injury rather than
conformation - Shortens stride & predisposes to
stumbling
CAMPED IN FRONT or SAND CAMPED
- front limbs too far forwards
- Again may be due to disease or injury
Tarsal VALGUS
BASE-WIDE in hind limbs
Commonly associated with cowhocked conformation
TARSAL VARUS
BASE-NARROW
* Often in heavily muscles horses
* Feet usually toe-in
* Bow-legged appearance (TARSAL VARUS)
* Predisposes to limb inferference
SICKLE HOCKS
- Limb under pelvis & abdomen from hock distally
- Predisposes to inflammation of long plantar lig
(“curb”) - back limb too far forward
STRAIGHT HOCKS
- Very straight (upright)
- Predispose to spavin, locking of the patella,
suspensory desmitis
No matter how good the conformation is in other area, poor foot conformation often results in
lameness
Conformation of foot can be improved/assisted by good
farriery
club foot
too much on tippy toes; cut inferior check lig to
Line through pastern joint should bisect
P1 & P2
Pastern angle is angle of pastern line to ground
Foot Axis
Line of hoof wall, foot angle
Foot angle should be same as
pastern angle
- LONG PASTERN
- Associated with small foot & pastern angles
- More comfortable ride but strain on suspensory apparatus
more angled foot
SHORT PASTERN
- Large foot & pastern angles
- Increases concussive forces predisposing to injury
more straight up and down foot
BROKEN AXIS
When foot & pastern axes are
different (not aligned)
kyphosis
hunch back
lordosis
swaybacked
