For the Health of It
The Role of Footings in
Musculoskeletal Disease and Performance
Reprinted with permission from the January, 2018 issue of Equine Disease Quarterly
The surface is one of the most common factors cited
when an unexpected performance or injury occurs with
a performance horse. While the importance of surfaces
can easily be overstated, unlike many other risk factors,
surfaces impact every horse which competes at a ven-
ue. Epidemiological research also shows that the type
of surface—dirt, turf, or wax-coated sand—has a sta-
tistically significant effect on injuries even when other
factors are considered.
The mechanism responsible for the effect of surfaces
on musculoskeletal disease is well estab- lished. the
skeleton of the horse adapts to the dynamic loading of
the bone. To minimize excess structure and to provide
sufficient bone in highly loaded regions, bone is ab-
sorbed and deposited. The remodeling process produc-
es a skeleton that is adapted to the training of the horse.
Building the optimal skeleton requires that the horse
performs the specified task during training. The type
of loading during training should match the expected
loading during competition. However, the maximum
performance may not be desirable during training; for
example, the training distance may be shorter or the
jumps lower. The overall loading directions should
match that expected in competition and depends not
only on activity but also on the manner in which the
surface supports the horizontal and vertical loading by
the horse.
Both the load rate and the magnitude of loading is
critical to bone remodeling and the risk of fracture.
Surfaces must also provide appropriate footing during
all phases of the gait. Consider the initial loading on
the leading foreleg of a horse at a gallop to illustrate the
demands. During the initial impact of the hoof the loads
are low, but the impact of the hoof on the surface occurs
at a high speed. The loading, or firmness of the sur-
face, primarily a effects the peripheral bones in the leg.
The smaller bones that have adapted to maximize the
efficiency of the horse are quite susceptible to damage.
During the secondary loading, the dynamic weight of
the horse is transferred to the leg and long bones of the
horse are then loaded. The cushioning of the surface re-
duces the rate of loading of the bones and the risk to the
6 • Walking On
more proximal bones of the leg. While more research
is needed, it is likely that both the training and com-
petition surface should have optimal cushioning and
firmness to ensure proper development of the skeleton
while reducing the risk of injury. In addition to these
two factors, cushioning and firmness, three additional
characteristics have been developed to characterize the
surface response for equestrian competitions, namely
responsiveness, grip, and uniformity.
To minimize risk during competition and to support
required bone development in training, further research
is needed to better understand the effects of surfaces on
performance and injuries of the athletic horse. In the in-
terim, the current state of knowledge has been reviewed
in white papers for racing and equestrian sports. Im-
proved processes for the testing and approval of surfaces
such as those under development by the International
Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) show great
promise for implementing current knowledge in a way
that best protects both horse and rider. Improvements
in surfaces along with many other industry efforts have
led to some of the recent reductions in catastrophic
injuries in race horses, a critical effort for the protection
of the racing industry as well as all equestrian sports.
– Michael “Mick” Peterson, PhD
mick peterson@uky edu
(207) 409-6872
University of Kentucky Lexington, KY