The F-Balance is a new balance, which is directly related with the vertical flexibility, with the medial and lateral deviations of the hoof capsule and with the sheared heels.

Following, I am exposing a study which explains and demonstrates the effects of an incorrect set of
the legs (hereby meaning the whole structure of the horse), as well as of an inappropriate trimming of the hoof, in regards to its vertical flexibility. Besides, it indicates the correct form of transferring the weight of the horse from one side to the other, on the same foot.

There is a lot of bibliography about the subject, i.e. horizontal flexibility or the natural dilation of the foot, but the flexibility which the hoof has in a vertical direction has never before been taken into account. This movement is just the most important to be considered, since a correct distribution of pressures on both sides of the foot, depends on it.

Study:

In January 1999, during the shoeing of a jumping mare, which had its four feet deviated towards different directions, I asked myself:

 - What is the reason that produces medial and lateral deviations at the feet and which is the correct way of trimming them in order to avoid and to correct such deviations?

The answer emerged after having observed the repercussion of negative pressures on the hoof, in regard to its vertical flexibility and to its natural cut-limits (please read: “Lecture of a horsehoof”).

Starting from the fact that the hoof is a flexible hornstructure, there are two movements which same experiments depending on the pressures it receives:

 - The horizontal movement, also called the natural dilation of the foot. It is that one, which is caused when the foot leans on the soil, causing the expansion of its fibroelastic system towards the laterals. This expansion/dilation does not surpass a distance of 6 mm.

 - The vertical flexion movement. It is caused when the foot without a horseshoe, receives pressures on only one of its heels, being able to overheight its pressured heel up to a height of 20 mm or still more.
This vertical flexibility is the main factor which I have taken into account during the developement of the F-Balance-Study.
During the development of the study I have been working with a lot of horses in different zones of Argentina, with different kind of medial and lateral deviations of its feet which had been caused by a defective body-conformation of the horse, or through an incorrect horseshoeing or through the effects of the negative action of the natural deterioration.

- Herewith, I start with the development of the F-Balance, keeping in mind the three
already known static balances.

The static balances are X, Y and Z.

- The X-Balance means the balance which is seen from the front and from the lenght variations of the lateral and medial walls of the hoof.




- The Y-Balance is the one which is seen from above and which considers the rotational variations which are caused by gyrating the foot on its own axle.


- The Z-Balance is seen from the side, and it considers the angular variations which appear on the axle of the pastern at the hoof.


The F-Balance, also called Triangular Balance, which has not been considered up to now.

When keeping in mind the factors pressure and flexibility, I started working on a new balance which I have denominated the F-Balance or Triangular Balance. I called it the F-Balance because it entirely based on the vertical flexibility which the hoof posesses, and Triangular because of the uniform distribution of pressures and counterpressures which converge on the foot, in regard to the centre of flexion at the toe and to the points of support at both heels, hereby configuring the triangle.

The F-Balance corresponds to the lateral-medial balance which considers the vertical flexibility of the hoof, in combination with the incidental pressures arising from the weight of the horse and from the counterpressures resulting from the ground.


This balance regulates the distribution of the body of the horse on each foot individually, as well as on the four feet as a conjoint.

When fixing the flexibility of the hoof with a rigid horseshoe, two things may happen:

 - To fix the flexibility at point zero means the coincidence between the “set-of- legs-line” and the centre of the hoof, seeking to obtain the balance (equilibrium) of pressures between both sides of the foot. That is the F-Balance.

 - To fix the flexibility on any point but not zero, means the imbalance (lack of balance) at the foot because the “set-of-legs-line” does not coincide with the centre of the hoof. Being the result of it an imbalance of pressures between both sides of the foot. One side supports more weight than the other one. The F-Balance gets altered.

The alteration of the F-Balance provokes the displacement of the “set-of-legs-line” starting from the centre of the foot allowing this way that one side supports more weight than the other. A deformation of the hoof takes place because of compensating pressures and, consequently, a corporal imbalance.

The horse has to compensate the lack of balance through its muscles and it is obliged to suffer muscular contractions. During accentuated imbalances, pains because of contracted muscles add to those which come from bone-, articular-, ligaments- and cartilage-wounds. This decreases the physical yield of the horse as well as its learning-ability.

It can be said that a horse is well balanced when its four balances, X, Y, Z and F, are in harmony. The result is a horse with the right bodily balance.

A partial balance, what takes place when one of the four balances finds itself imbalanced, only generates points of reaction and compensation of pressures, therefore, the horse never can fully make use of its physical and mental ability when it is time to fulfil a work.

Medial and lateral deviations. Its relation with the F-Balance:

I have proved that the F-Balance is directly related to the medial and lateral deviations of the feet. This kind of deviations begins with feet which have been trimmed incorrectly as well as at a defeated “set-of-legs-line” because of a bad conformation of the horse.



The reason for a deviation is an incorrect distribution of pressures which the foot has to support. This imbalance provokes the displacement of the “set-of-legs-line” from its normal direction, allowing this way that one side of the foot supports more weight than the other side, what causes the deformation of the hoof capsule.

Deviations of the feet are a common problem and they might be provoked by:

- pains resulting from muscular contractions at the upper zone of the affected limbs.
- Pains on the backbone.
- Articular pains lenghtwise the limb.
- Bone-tumours (outgrown bones on the pastern zone).
- Ligament complaints.
- Ossification of lateral cartiladges of the third phalanx, in chronic cases.
- Excess of pressure from the wing-cartiladge towards the third phalanx.
- Decrease of the physical yield.
- Bodily imbalance.

I also have observed an alteration of the backbone-line, when moving but also when being quiet, as the horse has to compensate the bodily imbalance as a result of a deviation of the hoof, and I punt some pains on the upper zone down to this trouble when it walks.

Although I haven’t observed it on horses which I have laminitis, there is a bibliography about this kind of defeats caused by deviations on the feet.

Two different things, correction and stabilization of feet.

There is a big difference between correcting and stabilizing.

We carry out a correction of deviations on feet which have been caused by an incorrect trimming of same, or by the effect of the natural deterioration of negative action. The aim is to return the hoof to its original shape, only carrying this out until the hoof regains its total symmetry, as in this case, there doesn’t exist any problem of the osseous conformation of the horse, which would cause a trend to a constant deviation.

A deviation as a result of an incorrect trimming of feet, can be detected by observing the first growing-portion under the crown. In spite of the incorrect distribution of pressures caused by the farrier or by the natural deterioration of a negative action, it is possible to see how the hoof tries to grow in a correct way, what is demonstrated on the first two centimeters.

Otherwise, the stabilizationis carried out to help the feet not to increase the deviation that have been caused because of a conformation problem of the horse, so stabilization is only used for avoiding that the deviation becomes worse and also for helping that the horse maintains its conformation-line (also called here : set-of-legs-line) as good as possible. It is possible to detect a deviation as a result of a bad conformation, by observing the “set-of-legs” of the animal, as well as observing the first growing-portion under the crown. In this case we’ll notice that the wall grows deviated immediately starting from the growing zone.

A stabilization is to be taken into account at every horseshoeing and along the whole life of the animal.

When a conformation-problem is the characteristic of a horse, there always will exist the tendency to a deviation, and it will never be possible to return the hoof to its total symmetry, because the tendency of deviating it will always be present, starting from the affected limb.


It may happen that the deviations on young colts, which were caused by an incorrect trimming of the feet, altere the growing plates of the bones changing the conformation of the animal for ever, confusing hereby, - later when the horse is already grown up-, a conformation-problem with a caught problem because of an incorrect trimming of feet.

When correcting or stabilizing feet, the age of the horse hasn’t any influence on it, so it is possible to consider the F-Balance as well at young colts as at grown-up horses, or at old ones.

At old horses with chronical deviations, it is possible that the lateral cartiladges of the third phalanxe become ossified and they might affect the normal flexibility of the hoof provoking an annoyance. However up to now, I couldn’t find any proof of it, as to affirm such a supposition.

Exposition of a real case:

During the stabilization of feet with lateral deviations of a three years and a half old left-mare, I had the opportunity to observe the presence of an inverted reaction at the affected wall. (as shown on the following picture).

I have noticed on the medial wall of the foot, a confrontation between the positive reaction of the stabilization of the problem and the negative reaction of the permanent negative reaction, because of the fact that the mare is lefthanded. This has originated a wall that is shown today, which is vertical starting from the crown up to the centre of the hoof and with a positive angle starting from the other half up to the “plexo-solar-edge”. The lateral wall has retained its normal angle.


Due to the fact that this observation is new, I’m going to study the reaction of the hoof from now on.

What I have proved in fact, is that the mentioned reaction didn’t affect the walk of the animal at all, neither has it provoked any adverse symptoms. The positive effect of the stabilization continued its original course and has contributed to a normal displacement of the horse during its walks.


Why may a hoof of a horse deviate itself in spite of having a correct conformation?

As I have said before, the causes are the natural deterioration of a negative action as also a deficient trimming of the feet on part of the farrier.

When the farrier or the nature allow a difference of lenghts between one heel and the other, the longest heel will receive the greatest deal of the weight of the horse.

When compensating the difference of lenghts between the heels, the horse moves its conformation-line and its weight towards the longest heel, this way affecting the angle of the corresponding wall. The affected wall acquires a vertical position in order to be able to support the weight. On the contrary, the opposite wall, acquires a more slanting position.


The way one can prove it

Just put a book on the floor and rest your left foot on it. Thereafter, try to maintain the line of your conformation perpendicular to the floor. You will realize that you will have moved your weight towards your left leg and that this acquired a vertical position.


The unloading of the heels (UQ), a main for balancing, correcting and stabilizing feet

The correction or stabilization of deviated feet, may be successfully carried out taking into account what I have called the “unloading of the heels”. This unloading must also be considered on each horse when seeking the lateral-medial balance or to correct sheared heels.

I consider that every hoof which alters its shape because of natural or artificial causes, may return to its original condition, starting from the same causes.

The “unloading of the heels” begins in the space created between the hoof and the horseshoe, starting from the centre of the toe, increasing on towards the heel, which is too high because of having received more pressure than the other one.




(N.T.: We’ll be able to understand next explanation on part of the author, by knowing the meaning of “unloading of the heels” in Spanish, that is: “falseo de flexión”):

The word “flexión” comes from the movement which the hoof experiments starting from the centre of the toe, during its vertical flexibility, when receiving pressure on one of its heels.
Taking into account that concept, I consider that an incorrect distribution of pressures on the foot, brings to a lateral or medial deviation of the horny case, displacing the conformation-line from its normal direction and allowing that one side of the foot supports more weight than the other. Here begins the imbalance at the foot.


The causes for an imbalance might be:

- The incorrect trimming hof foot – one heel or one shoulder is longer than the other –
- Conformation-deficiences, for example a left- or a bowlegged horse.

As a reaction to these causes, the hoof gets assymmetric, whereby it can be noticed the following on the side which supports more pressure:

- a loss of the angle at one of both walls,
- one wall got vertical and became thinner,
- the crown and the bulb of the heel are higher on one side,
- a possible quarter or a longitudinal fracture of the wall,
- displacement of the “frog” towads the opposite side.
- A smaller area of the sole.

Since the beginning of the study, I could prove that it is through a correct trimming-technique of the hoof in relation with the F-Balance and through the right interpretation of the natural cutting-limits of the hoof, that pressures have to be moved from one side of the foot to the other.

In order to achieve this moving of pressures, it is necessary to work considering the unloading of the heels.

Trimming of a hoof correctly means carrying out a cut between the exceeding part and the part that corresponds to the functional anatomy of the foot.



In order to know the natural “cutting-line” of the wall as the “cutting-points” of the heels, the farrier must know how to interprete the visible language which the foot possesses and which indicates the difference between the exceeding material and the one that belongs to its natural structures. (See picture above).

Taking into account the natural “cutting-line” and “cutting-points”, when trimming a hoof that is deviated or the F-Balance of same is altered, the “unloading of the heels” will appear automatically on the side of the hoof which has received more pressure, obtaining a sole with two different levels.

When resting a perfectly flat horseshoe, the side that has been receiving more pressure, will remain in the air, the unloading starting from the centre of the toe, increasing on towards the heel.

The size of the space which can be seen between the horseshoe and the hoof, will depend on the degree of deviation of same.

To balance a foot taking into account the F-Balance allows equalizing the pressures caused on the articulations, this way avoiding overloading points at them.

My experience has led me to witness cases, within which some “unloading of the heels” showed more than one centimeter of space at the height of the affected heel.

In all cases, when the horse treads down barefoot or when the farrier is going to pierce the horseshoe on the hoof, the “unloading of the heels” disappears instantly because of the high degree of vertical flexibility the hoof has. See pictures.






This process is the beginning of the treatment which achieves an equal distribution of pressures on both sides of the foot, since the total symmetry or the perfect distribution will be attained after a correct shoeing, always depending on the degree of deviation and on the cause of the problem.

When trimming a hoof which doesn’t present any deviation, but it nevertheless has a light imbalance, the recovery will be immediate.


Exposition of a real case:

I’ll mention here a treatment for correction on a horse where the angle at the medial wall of one of its rear feet, was negative – starting from the vertical inwards, and after six times of having shoed it -, always taking into account the “unloading of the heels”, the hoof recovered its total and natural symmetry.

In case of treating a lateral-medial deviation without any horseshoe, I nevertheless warn that the treatment goes on slowlier, for one does not count on the horseshoe and the nails, in order to induce to the elimination of the “unloading of the heels”.

To treat lateral-medial deviations or sheared heels without horseshoes through the “unloading of the heels” it is very effective on young colts, when its “bony-gown-plates” still aren’t closed up.

The time a correction of a hoof-deviation needs, is the same time it needs for deviating itself, provided that the trimming of the hoof has been carried out correctly, and the “unloading of the heels” has also been taken into account.

When working by means of the F-Balance and the “unloading of the heels”, it is to be taken into account that, at normal conformations, a perfect lateral-medial balance will be achieved during the whole life of the horse, this way obtaining a totally wellbalanced animal in its walking. (See picture).


Exposition of a real case:

Here I’ll mention a stabilization-treatment on a 6 years old racehorse, both front feethooves of which were lateral-deviated because of a bodily-conformation defeat, starting from the carpus. It is a left defeat.

The animal suffered pains in the upper zone of its front part, which prevented it from dodging an uneveness of 20 cm. When two days had gone by, after the shoeing for stabilization, the horse didn’t present any more pains. We could see it galloping alone in the yard. When it won two consecutive races, its regular farrier went on with the normal shoeing and the feet deviated themselves again provoking new pains. Today I have restarted the treatment for stabilizing the deviation on both feet again.

Actually, when more than scarcely 45 days pass by without shoeing the horse again, it starts having pains on its back.


Exposition of a real case:

Here, as a case of stabilization with a tendency to a correction by means of the “unloading of the heels” without horseshoes, I am going to expose the case of a ten months old young filly with a serious lateral deviation on one of its hands. The same was trimmed taking into account the F-Balance, and after the second time of trimming it, its hands got almost normal. It must be considered that neither normal nor orthopaedic horseshoes have been used. Actually, this young filly will be shoed in order to continue with its breaking-in-routine, and with its training for racing. (See pictures).




The horseshoe and the unloading of the quarters

The horseshoe which is to be placed on the hoof may be a common one and the use of two lateral clips between the first and the second holes is advisable, in order to counteract the negative incidental pressures which cause the deviation, and also for avoiding that the horseshoe moves away from its place.


When banging in the horseshoe, it must not remain rotated and it is advisable to use a quantity of 6 or 7 nails, 3 of which will be for the first holes on the side of the affected heel, in order to allow the free expansion of the wall, and 4 on the opposite side, in order to limit – with the fourth nail – an excessive expansion of same. The seventh nail will also be useful to increase the fastening of the horseshoe on the hoof.

In cases of chronic deviations, it is advisable to bang in only 2 first nails on the side of the affected wall.
Because of the fact that the affected wall is always thinner, it is better to use the kind of nail ‘MX’ (a Mustad model), as it has an extra thin body.

On the side of the foot where the vertical wall is, there always can be seen the leaning area of the palm diminished, therefore, it is advisable to compensate the lacking surface with the horseshoe, this way giving an extra support, and trying that once it is fixed, it shows – seen from below – a symmetric foot.

Seen from above, when the foot leans on the sole, a leftover of the horseshoe will be seen, because of the lack of a palmar area by a rushed wall.

Once the horseshoe is fixed, the central line of the frog has to divide the palmar view into two equal parts. This way, the distribution of pressures on the foot will be uniform and it will contribute to the correction of the shape of the hoof capsule.

During the stabilization, the shape of the horseshoe will hardly be symmetric because the shape of the hoof does not trend to recover its symmetry, and the farrier will have to copy the shape of the foot, when he is forging the horseshoe. According to studies carried out by other farriers, may the leftover of the horseshoe be practising as a negative lever on the wall, so increasing the pressure of same. Therefore, to maintain the assymmetry will help accompanying the defeat of the horse.


Other traditional treatments

There are other treatments which I do not share, because they do not tackle the problem starting from its cause:

1. A traditional treatment lies in using a commone horseshoe with much “resting-support” on the side of the vertical wall, accompanied by an “arch bevelling” (falseo de arco) of approximately 3 mm, in order to:

- remove pressure at the affected side,
- to give an extra support on the side which receives the most part of the weight, and
- to favour the expansion of the wall.

Starting from my point of view, this treatment has forgotten the cause of the problem. The pressure will not be removed by the “arch bevelling” because the weight continues being on that side of the foot. Although the support helps bearing the weight, the truth is that the same remains on that side of the foot. And the wall will not expand retaking its place, as it continues supporting the most part of the weight.

The treatment does not work upon the cause, but only on the consequence.

2. Another method is to carry out ruts (or furrows) by means of the gouge or the rasp along the wall which is affected by the weight, trying to remove pressure away from it, so that it might expand.
But through this technique it’s only being achieved the contrary, because the wall that is supporting more weight, is being weakened. With this useless and harmful treatment, we’ll be working on the consequence of the problem but not upon the cause.

3. A nontraditional treatment, by which the hoof is directly intervened in order to force lowering the affected heel, considering the “Dynamic Balance” which has been published by the veterinary and farrier Stephen O’Grady – from Virginia, USA -, and which requires of:

- a previous softening of the hoof capsule with lukewarm water during 24 hours
- a total bevelling (or unloading) at the height of the affected heel
- a round bar-horseshoe, and
- an analgesic against the pain which the intervention might provoke.

Starting from my point of view, this does not function either, as it doesn’t try to move the weight of the horse to the other side at any moment. Therefore, the foot receives a large quantity of interventions without taking into account neither the cause nor the reason for its deviation.

4. Another alternative is the use of a horseshoe with a wider branch on the side of the affected wall and a narrower one on the opposite side. This horseshoe allows relieving the tension of the collateral ligaments which are affected by the effect of the deviation, but it does not move the weight to the other side of the foot.


Although it is a horseshoe which offers good results within a short time taking away the pains, it still is a method which hides the depht of the problem, what in this case would be the deviation itself.

It certainly is a horseshoe which can be used on determined cases of “spavin” (esparaván) or as a means for alleviating pains momentary.

The concepts of the F-Balance and the “unloading of the heels” are so simple and natural that they eliminate any other method that directly intervenes in the consequence of the incorrect distribution of weight.

The cause is an incorrect distribution of the weight on the foot, and the consequence is the deviation of the hoof and the sheared heels. It is as simple as that... so let us eliminate the cause.


Conclusion

As a result of the practices and studies carried out during the last years, I could confirm that a great importance of the treatments for correction and stabilization, in relation with the F-Balance and the “unloading of the heels”, lies in the fact that both treatments start from the cause of the imbalance.

It is very different from the other traditional or nontraditional treatments, which directly intervene in the consequence of the imbalance without considering its cause, only achieving to hide the problem without fighting against it.

Up to this day, I couldn’t observe any positive results when using the above mentioned traditional treatments.

Besides, the new concepts of F-Balance and the “unloading of the heels”, count on the following comparative advantages:

- They maintain the anatomy of the foot and they do not intervene in its normal functioning.

- They neither do require orthopaedic horseshoes nor chirurgical interventions.

- It is simple to carry them out, as well as economic –whenever the trimming technique of the hoof has been managed correctly.

- They directly intervene in the prevention of lateral-medial deviations and they avoid any kind of a later orthopaedic or therapeutic treatment.

- They do not represent any kind of pain or bother to the horse, as the work is carried out conserving the nature of the foot and basing on the flexible anatomic structures.

- They don’t require any adjusting period after shoeing, the horse being able to continue its working routine immediately, without any trouble.

- In a horse with a normal set of its legs and/or structure, they allow maintaining a perfect lateral-medial balance, that is, the distribution of the horse on the foot results in exactly equal parts.

- They allow the horse, in combination with the X, Y and Z-Balances to count on a bodily balance.


Due to the fact that the new concepts of the F-Balance and the “unloading of the heels” generate an instantaneous relief of pains, these may be compared with the taking out of a stone from one’s shoe, it will ever mean an instant relief, although the stone had been there since a long time.

Today, during my work, it seems impossible to me trimming and shoeing feet without taking into account the F-Balance, and I consider that to ignore it, is to ignore a correct work.


Daniel Anz

If you want more pictures of F Balance click here

Translations made by Elsa Anz. Contact

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