Anuario Raza Polo Argentino Anuario2017 | Page 259

At a certain time growth stops and all the cartilage
turns into bone.
If cartilages grow evenly on all the surface, the
bone axis development will be aligned. Otherwise,
if they grow more on some part of its surface, this
will cause deviation of the bone axis, and thus an
acquired conformational defect which could have
been avoided.
The time of “growth cartilage closure” depends on
each bone. In the case of fetlocks and pasterns,
they close at six months. Therefore, deviations
involving fetlocks and pasterns will be permanent if
they are not corrected before that early age.
Forces acting on limbs exert their influence not
only due to their intensity, but also because of their
correct distribution.
Let us take, for example, forces that go in the same
direction as the limbs or in opposite directions. (i.e.:
as though from North to South or South to North;
from up downwards or from down upwards).
The forces that act from up downwards are the
result of the weight that each limb carries and of
the speed with which the horse lays down its hoof
on the ground. Those that go from down upwards,
follow the same course and are as intense, but
go in the opposite direction. These are known as
action and reaction forces.
The direction of action forces is determined by the
foal’s conformation. The intensity, by the weight
and speed with which it impacts the ground.
Reaction forces, (from down upwards), have the
same intensity but are strongly influenced by
the level of foot contact area and by the point of
breakover.
This is what I wish to emphasize in order to highlight
the importance of foal foot maintenance.
Foals’ hooves grow at a rate of approximately two
centimeters a month, until they are about a year
old.
As they grow, they wear. That is a natural process.
And as we always say, rightly, that nature is wise,
there should be no need to do anything about it.
The secret is to accompany the natural process
and provide favorable conditions so that the forces
are even throughout the whole of the growth period.
During the natural paring process, the contact
area level is achieved by stages. First, excess horn
Examples of foals’
hooves that crack
because they have not
been trimmed in time;
the outcome explained
in the text
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