«Nasal and mandibular pressures increased with noseband tightness, with 1.0 finger laxity or less associated with significantly and incrementally higher pressures than 1.5 or 2.0 finger tightness.»

!The article reports a meta-analysis of 58 peer-reviewed studies investigating on dorsoventral hyperflexion of the neck in horses, a practice under substantial public and scientific scrutiny for the past two decades.[…] (1) The consensus is that there are negative welfare consequences for horses required to perform with a hyperflexed HNP.»

«This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of conflict behaviour in Icelandic horses competing at elite level in breed-specific gait competitions. We used online video recordings from a competition in Iceland […]We conclude that mouth movements (mouth opening and an elongated upper lip) are common behavioural expressions in Icelandic horses competing at elite level. Further studies are required to reveal the significance of these behaviours in terms of horse welfare.»

«Horses tended to have their nasal plane (noseline) behind the vertical more often during warm-up than during competition. Poll angle was larger during competition than during warm-up, while there was no significant difference in shoulder angle between the two situations. Horses displayed more conflict behavior and unusual oral behavior during warm-up than during competition. Judges’ scores correlated with HNPs during competition. Horses with noselines held further behind the vertical tended to receive higher scores.[…]The result implies that there might be concerns related to animal welfare and rule compliance. The observed HNPs used by world-class riders in this study appear to contradict the established rules, yet these deviations are not penalised by the judges during competitions.»

“Sport horses often are shod with shoes made of iron, which is a good conductor. Thus. it is expected that the conduction of heat between the hooves and the ground is larger in shod hooves […] Horses with iron shoes had a significantly lower surface temperature on their hind hooves (14.3 ±1.4 C) compared to horses without shoes (20.0 ±2.0 C) (F2,4 ¼ 9.4; P ¼ 0.031). The surface temperature of front hooves showed the same trend, but the difference was not significant (shod horses: 14.7 ±4.4 C vs. unshod horses: 20.1 ±1.9 C.”

“Our results demonstrated a 36.3% decrease of heel expansion when a conventional shoe is used compared with the barefoot situation, which is similar to restrictions reported in other studies (Dyhre-Poulsen et al.,1994; Roepstorff et al., 2001; Yoshihara et al., 2010). It is reasonable to assume that this amount of restriction in heel movement observed with conventional shoeing techniques may affect hoof geometry and even orthopaedic health of the horse (Hinterhofer et al., 2001; Roepstorff et al., 2001).”

“An increase in stride length at the walk and trot was observed in shod horses, and this increased stride length could contribute to joint and tendon strain of the forelimb during locomotion. The reduction in the thickness of the digital cushion in shod horses could potentially alter the ability of the hoof to absorb ground concussion and disperse the weight of the horse, and the increase in joint circumference of shod horses indicates joint inflammation, which leads to swelling and potential lameness over time. This increase in joint swelling may be caused by the reduction of digital cushion involvement in the hoof. Therefore, the increase in blood flow, greater digital cushion depth, and shorter stride lengths in barefoot horses may indicate barefoot trimming as a healthier alternative to traditional methods.

«This biophysical modelling study used a finite deformation elasticity model with anisotropic and heterogeneous material relations to show that capsule deflections and the energy stored in the capsule may be amplified by increasing hoof horn moisture content. The sensitivity of the model to variations in material parameters, which were estimated due to unavailability of data, was minor when compared to the overall model response. The ability to manipulate the energy stored by the hoof during locomotion may be useful for modifying impact energy transmission in the limb. However it remains for future work to determine optimal hydration levels for horses engaged in specific athletic activities.”

“This study indicates that raising the heels may increase the load on the dorsal laminar junction and vice versa. Therefore, hoofcare interventions that raise the hoof angle may not achieve the desired intention of reducing the load in the dorsal lamellae.”

«The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) comprises 24 behviours, the majority of which are at least 10 times more likely to be seen in lame horses compared with non-lame horses.»

«The majority of owners were unaware that their horses showed behavioural abnormalities during tacking-up or mounting.»

«The display of many behaviours during tacking-up or mounting is likely to reflect lameness or tack-associated discomfort. Owners must be better educated to recognise these behaviours.»