Your Horse's Pulse: How to Take it and What it Means

One very simple and useful tool that everyone can use to check on hoof health is the distal pulse.  This is the pulsing of the main artery into the hoof from the upper body.  Normally this pulse should be barely detectable (especially if you're new to taking pulses), but will change character when inflammation is present, making it fuller and stronger (An important side note here is that when we speak of monitoring the pulse, we are interested in the quality and strength of the pulsation in this one specific area as relating to inflammation, and not making sweeping statements about the systemic vasculature or monitoring pulse rate for disease.  Think about feeling the throbbing sensation in your thumb after whacking it with a hammer versus having your vitals checked at the doctors.)

Put simply, if inflammation is present to any degree in the hoof the pulse will strengthen and become fuller when palpated on the pastern.  This is due to the lack of expansion available in the hoof capsule- as inflammatory fluids engorge the tissues, pressure increases in the hoof and there is more back pressure in the artery, resulting in the 'raised pulse'.  So, while not a perfect or detailed tool, it does give us some information as to the state of the tissues inside the hoof.  The best way to monitor your horse is to start with a one-week check, using the following method:

1) Use a sheet of paper to draw columns for AM Pulse, PM Pulse (and Midday /Night if you wish- the more information the better).  Make a note of the time of day you intend to monitor the pulse- it doesn't matter a great deal, but the times should be consistent throughout the week.  A good method of doing this is to take it after their morning/evening feed through the wintertime.  Some additional information about any changes in the feed that day or field moves/changes will also be useful.

2) Locate the correct area to measure the distal pulse.  It lies in the soft area just behind the bony mass of the pastern.









3)  Cup your hand as shown and wrap it around the pastern from the front.  The front part of the pastern should be resting in the soft area between your thumb and forefinger.

4)  Close your fingers and thumb gently around the back of the pastern, but try not to squeeze- if the pulse isn't significantly raised you may not feel any pulse if too much pressure is applied.  The pulsations should occur somewhere along the length of your thumb and forefingers, take some time to get the feel for it.







5)  Once you've felt the pulse, note it on your form using a scale from 1-5 ( 1 being just barely detectable and 5 a pulse so strong  you can see it through the hair).

6)  Repeat the exercise on all four feet, and follow the measurements the rest of the week.  At the end, you should have an idea as to when the pulses are raised and what a 'normal' pulse is for your horse at this time.  Once you get in the practice, it is useful to have a feel of the pulses as you pick the feet out and see if a raised pulse is corresponding to napping or stroppy behaviours and lameness.

What Hoof Shape are You?

Hooves come in a variety of shapes ans sizes, from flat to round or splayed just to name a few.  But what do these terms mean?  Listed below are some pictures and descriptions of common hoof shapes and what they mean.

1) 'Flat' Feet:  These are hooves in which the sole lacks concavity and lies very close to the ground.  It can result from overly thin sole material, or from overly thick sole material.  Front feet are naturally flatter than hind feet, and some breeds have genetically flatter feet than others, but an overly flat foot is usually the result of inflammatory processes.







2) 'Upright' Feet:  These hooves have an abnormally high heel height, resulting from relatively benign causes or severe pathology.  The most innocuous cases result from overly long growth, or unbalanced trimming and are usually resolved quite quickly.  In more severe cases, an apparent high heel can be caused by a rotation of the hoof capsule around the bony column as in acute laminitis.  Occasionally, this type of foot can arise due to chronically shortened tendons, so this will be the 'normal' shape for the foot.

3)  Flared Feet:  Hooves with large amounts of flare can result from feet that are overdue a trim, or from feet which suffer from long term inflammation and usually also exhibit under-run or collapsed heels.









4)  'Narrow' Feet:  This hoof will exhibit a contracture in the heels, making it appear more oval and will normally show a deep central groove in the frog which will be prone to infection.  By encouraging the horse to use his feet in a more correct fashion, these feet can be encouraged to open out.

5)  'Round' Feet:  Your bog-standard warm-blood or draft horse foot- nearly circular with robust walls and high level of symmetry.








6)  'Wide' Feet:  These are usually hooves which have bilateral flaring, making the width markedly longer in measuremtn than the toe-heel length.  Some horses and breeds tend towards this type of foot even in a healthy state.  You may find difficulty finding these horses hoof boots that fit well.

7)  'Long' Feet:  Usually this indicates a long toe/low heel shape for the foot and can either be the result of unchecked growth, chronic inflammation, or poor trimming.  This can usually be rehabilitated well with proper trimming and treatment of the causes of inflammtion.

8)  'Under-Run' Feet:  When a hoof's heels become under-run, the heel purchase migrates forward, nearer the apex of the frog, and continued weight-bearing on these bent structures tends to further the problem.  This type of foot will usually exhibit flaring on one or both sides.  With some supportive padding, correct trimming and diet this foot has a good prospect for rehabilitation.