Evaluation of the balance of equine hoof reared on grass and stacked in Bahia

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the balance of the hooves of horses reared on pasture and sated on the northern coast of Bahia. For this, 43 horses, without defined breed, average weight of 300 to 400 kg, both sexes, 21 animals reared in the field at Campo Grande Farm in Crisópolis and at the Experimental Farm of the Federal University of Bahia in Entre- Rios and 22 horses raised in stables in the Cavalary of the Military Police of Bahia. The following measurements were evaluated: tweezer length (p), bead height (t), length (a) and sole width (b) and angle of the hull (A) of the thoracic and pelvic limbs. It was found that the animals were tabulated with longer length, smaller sole width and lower bead height, but with no difference in tweezer length and hull angle of both pelvic and thoracic limbs. Regardless of management, it was found that the thoracic limbs present higher values in measures p, t, a and b and lower values in A, demonstrating to be larger than the pelvic limbs. Although casing and ironing are used to maintain the balance of the hulls, in the present study, the animals kept in a stall presented smaller and longer hooves than those reared on pasture, demonstrating that imbalances in hoof measurements were more significant in the animals kept in stall, that is, in animals that are frequently casqueted, which can lead to future problems.