Interference and Horse Shoeing

Have you ever seen a horse moving, and one foot seems to interfere with the action of the opposite foot? Well, if you've been around horses for any length of time, you've probably seen some interference. Interference is usually caused by one of two things: uneven trimming of the foot, or a natural imbalance of the foot. Here's a list of the most common types of interference, as well as what they are caused by and how they can be corrected.

Cutting or Brushing

Cutting, or brushing, is when one foot strikes the opposite limb, usually in the foot or fetlock area. Cutting and brushing generally happens in the hind limbs, and can result in injuries from bruising to broken skin. The point of interference depends on the conformation of the horse. A horse with cow hocks, for example, will brush or cut with the heel quarter.

For horses who are cutting or brushing due to conformational issues, it stands to reason that the feet must be re-balanced to correct the defect. A shoe with the sharp edge of the inside branch taken off and fitted tightly to the inside of the wall will prevent brushing. Three-quarter shoes can also nip brushing in the bud. Your farrier should also examine your horse for unlevel feet, risen clenches, shoes that have been left on too long, and badly fitting shoes, as these can all result in brushing.

Speedy Cutting

This happens when the foot of one forelimb strikes the opposite leg just below the knee. Horses with flat feet or "toe out" conformation often exhibit speedy cutting. To fix the problem the foot should be balanced, and any conformational issues should be treated with the appropriate shoeing.

Forging

Do you ever hear a metallic sound as your horse is going forward? If the toe of the hind foot is hitting toe of the front foot during motion, this is called forging. Horses with short backs and long legs are susceptible, as are horses who are unbalanced and not collected. Forging can also be habitual. You can diminish forging a little bit by fitting the hind shoe with the toe under the wall. But by far the best way to stop forging is to see that the horse sees a proper trainer and is taught to move correctly. It is also worth noting that as young horses grow, many of them go through awkward stages where they forge. In this case you have nothing to worry about, as long as the phase is transitional. If the forging continues to persist call in your farrier and a trainer for advice.

Dishing

When a horse swings his front feet outward while he is moving, this is called dishing. It usually originates in the fetlock. Dishing is often a result of horses with unbalanced feet and "toe in" conformation. And this type of conformation is often hereditary. If a sire dishes, it is not unlikely that his offspring will dish as well. Some people have tried to correct the problem by putting weights on one side of the foot, but this doesn't work. As a matter of fact, there really isn't a "cure," per se, for dishing. The best thing you can do is ask your farrier to balance your horse's foot as much as possible.

Over-reaching

Over-reaching is similar to forging, although in over-reaching the horse's hind shoe makes contact with the front leg. You can guess the results—injury! Horses who over-reach often have short backs and long legs. A good way to deal with over-reaching is to balance the feet with limb alignment as one of the main goals.

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