Hoof Slip on Different Surfaces in Horse Arenas

As a horse trots, canters, and jumps, its hooves slip forward slightly as they hit the ground after each stride. The amount of slip varies depending on the characteristics of the ground surface, the speed at which the horse is moving, and the type of shoes the horse may be wearing. A certain amount of slip is desirable because it helps to dissipate the force of landing. Too much slip can throw the horse off balance; too little slip jars the horse’s bones and muscles, leading to strain and fatigue.

Scientists from four universities in the U.K. collaborated on a research project to evaluate the amount of slip for horses landing over jumps on two different arena surfaces (3% or 10% wax content). They used a specially designed landing mat below the surface to record the moment of impact. They also used a hoof reference marker to provide a visible point of reference on the lateral hoof wall. Six horses were used in the study. Each horse jumped over the same obstacle six times on each of two surfaces. For one landing on each surface, the leading foreleg came down on the landing mat. All landings were recorded using a high-speed camera that was positioned perpendicular to the landing spot. Surface hardness, penetrability, and traction were measured after each horse’s jumps.

When measurements of horizontal hoof slip were measured, a significant difference was found between the surfaces. On the surface with 10% wax, slip averaged 4.9 cm and amount of slip was correlated with all surface characteristics. On the surface with 3% wax, hoof slip averaged 7.4 cm and did not correlate to surface characteristics that were more variable than for the surface with 10% wax.

Results of this study suggest that wax content of the surface material influenced surface properties. There was greater variability in hardness and traction with the 3% wax surface, and this had an effect on the consistency of the horse’s jumping.