So, years ago I was a track rat and have worked with many OTTBs since. A common theme that I see with racehorses is horses that are shod too long in the toe and too low in the heel. It took my last one about a year of shoeing/farrier work to correct this. I know that shoeing them this way puts more stress on the leg, but was curious as to why this practice is done and if it has any benefits to making them run faster?
This condition is the result of poor farriery. There are absolutely no equine athletic benefits to trimming a hoof in this manner.
http://www.behindthebitblog.com/2008/05/short-heel-long-toe-no-no.html?m=1
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They think it makes them break over faster which we know is ridiculous but change comes very slowly at the race track unless we are talking about pharmaceuticals.
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Thank you for the responses! I just wanted to see if there was some magical secret that I was missing.
More heel less toe means a faster breakover. I think they just don’t know how to shoe.
I don’t know which tracks the OP is talking about, but horseshoers have become extremely knowledgeable and any owner/trainer who does not hire the best for his expensive horses would be at fault in this area.
Often it is wear and tear at speed on the hard surfaces which crushes the heels of young horses, and causing further internal damage.
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I probably over sImplied my answer. It is a complicated issue for both the farrier and DVM. The OP asked specifically about the race horse, but experience tells me that the problem is extensive across the entire horse industry. The correction of this issue takes a great deal of time and sadly, like with everything else in racing, remedial correction has to be expedited to keep horses running. There in lies the rub. Amazingly, the long term remedy for this problem has been in practice for many many decades and yet it continues to exist in my mind because of human impatience, poor professional skills, and misunderstanding the severe consequences.
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This link gives a broader view that the OP might be interested in.
http://www.equipodiatry.com/long_toe_underrun.html
All this being said, it is a long known fact that in regards to racing, the best farriers, dvms, and other professionals gravitate to the high end tracks, not claiming tracks like Mountaineer, Fairmount, Les Bois, etc. The best are not always available. Further, the owner money for the most part isn’t there either.
And I failed to mention the crappy conformation of many of the horses. Not that this is an excuse for a long toe and low heel that is out of whack with the conformation of the leg.
I have personally found utter ignorance to be the reason for the craptastic farriery at the track.
You have some of the best farriers in the world shoeing for the top horses.
Then you have a pool of minimally educated farriers (for the most part, obviously there are exceptions) available to the rest of the masses.
I’m assuming this is true in all states, but if you stable your horses at the track, you can’t just hire any farrier off the street to shoe your horses. Track farriers need to be licensed by the state, which is truly just a matter of paperwork, some sort of approval, and fees. But it limits who you can bring in, because not everyone is willing to go through the process. And it has always seemed to me that only a certain “type” of farrier is willing to go through the rigamarole to shoe at the track- usually a more “old school” type.
Despite all the money in racing and emphasis on providing the horses the best, very few professionals (farriers, vets, trainers) seem interested in investigating how the hoof affects performance. Sure, they care about shoe styles, shock absorption, attachment methods… but the hoof itself? To me, it appears that the overwhelming majority cling to outdated “truths” about hoof form, like low heel/long toe is okay and even beneficial.
I used to lay up horses for some of the biggest racing stables in the east and the feet I would see were unreal. Connections would spend thousands on imaging and injections to try to pinpoint the source of soreness. They’d “give up” and send them to the farm for 30-60 days off. And then the horses would step off the van looking like they were wearing clown shoes or high heels… or sometimes one of each. Gee, I wonder why the horse is sore? (Sarcasm)
Most vets don’t even receive in-depth education on hoof function apart from basic anatomy. They should be at the front lines of this movement; yet in a recent survey, many vets confessed they couldn’t even identify the signs of a pathological hoof.
I apologize for my rant. I know many will not agree with my sentiments. But I strongly feel our industry would see HUGE improvements in soundness in durability if they would just push education about hoof function.
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Is much more to it than that but that’s certainly a factor.
You have some of the best farriers in the world shoeing for the top horses.
Then you have a pool of minimally educated farriers (for the most part, obviously there are exceptions) available to the rest of the masses.
Is most unfortunate but can be remedied.
I’m assuming this is true in all states, but if you stable your horses at the track, you can’t just hire any farrier off the street to shoe your horses. Track farriers need to be licensed by the state, which is truly just a matter of paperwork, some sort of approval, and fees. But it limits who you can bring in, because not everyone is willing to go through the process. And it has always seemed to me that only a certain “type” of farrier is willing to go through the rigamarole to shoe at the track- usually a more “old school” type.
Biggest problem is with State Racing Commissions handing out licenses like Christmas Candy. Testing must be re-instituted and enforced.
Keep an eye on this case:
https://hoofcare.blogspot.com/2016/0…ense-test.html
I apologize for my rant. I know many will not agree with my sentiments. But I strongly feel our industry would see HUGE improvements in soundness in durability if they would just push education about hoof function.
No need to apologize. It’s a serious and legitimate problem the the Union is leading the fight to correct. Hopefully the PA Court case will improve the situation if successful.
BTW…I hate this new format!!! Bring the old forums back!!!
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Don’t hold your breath 
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Sonofasailor: Thanks for PA litigation update.
I also agree this new COTH format sucks. It is way too busy. My screen goes frenetic as I try to manage reading and posting.
I can’t hold my breath as suggested because Mrs Shammy would have to turn off my life support and she refuses to give up my pension and social security no matter how much I suffer. 
Bring back the old COTH format!:yes:
Am I the only person not having a problem with the new format? I’m loving it on the iPhone! Anyway on to farriers…
We have some very good STB farriers here, unfortunately one of the best (I used him when I could get him to shoe my QH) was hired by the RCMP as their farrier. Wonderful for him, he’s a great guy and deserves to have easier hours and benefits after the years of hard work he’s put in.
@sonofasailor I think we are in agreement on the licensing process, though it may not sound like it from my words.
My problem is the licensing does not actually do anything to guarantee ability. They will give it to anyone willing to jump through their hoops. A lot of folks from the recent podiatrist movements are NOT willing to jump through the hoops (or sometimes can’t), while any Joe who has been hanging out a shingle as a blacksmith for the past X years usually can and will. Since in some states, stewards with no farrier experience are usually administering any assessments and approvals, licensing bears no reflection on knowledge or ability.
It’s a flawed system, IMO, that perpetuates the problem of poor shoeing in the tract.
I’m glad to hear PA is revisiting the situation and tightening the loopholes, but I truly believe it needs to be more than assessing low level competencies. I am surprised to hear NBC had been administering the test, only because I worked there and never once recall administering a test. Must have happened when I wasn’t around.
