Soft Ride Newsletter | View online

Are you keeping your horse comfortable from trailer to show ring?

Hi,

The Soft Ride team is hitting the road again! We are headed to Columbus, Ohio, for the All American Quarter Horse Congress, and our team will be setting up the Soft Ride booth throughout the week before the show opens on Saturday, September 26.

For horses traveling to shows, the trip begins long before they enter the arena as well. There may be hours spent standing in a trailer, followed by days of walking across fairground pavement, concrete, and other unfamiliar surfaces. Then, after a long day, the horse returns to a temporary stall where he may spend considerably more time standing than he would at home.

Traveling horses have a lot to manage. Paying attention to their feet throughout the journey can help keep them comfortable and ready for the work they are being asked to do.

The Journey Begins in the Trailer

It can be easy to think of a horse as simply standing in the trailer during a long drive. In reality, a horse has to continually adjust its body position to remain balanced as the trailer moves.

As the vehicle accelerates, slows, turns, and travels over uneven pavement, the horse continually adjusts his position to maintain balance. While the whole body is required for balance, horses feet and legs do the brunt of the work- making microadjustments to position as the body responds to the movement underneath him. On a long trip, these small adjustments happen over and over again, and those repeated adjustments can become physically demanding.

Soft Ride Comfort Boots provide a substantial gel orthotic between the hoof and the surface beneath it. The Deep Gel™

Orthotics contain enough non-crushable urethane material to support the hoof and sole while cushioning the foot from the repetitive vibration and concussion produced by the road. The orthotics are designed to maintain their supportive properties while absorbing and redistributing the forces reaching the hoof from the trailer floor and the road.

Having an elevated frog support inside the orthotic is also important for keeping the hoof comfortable during trailer rides.

The frog is a weight-bearing structure inside the equine foot, and loading through the frog and central portion of the foot is part of normal hoof function. Properly supporting this region encourages appropriate natural weight distribution through the foot. Because normal hoof loading is crucial to the circulation of blood through the distal limb, maintaining appropriate loading of the frog and sole is an important consideration when a horse spends long periods on his feet in a trailer.

For a horse spending hours standing and continually adjusting to the motion of a trailer, providing this combination of support, cushioning, and appropriate frog loading can make the travel environment more comfortable so the horse can unload more rested and ready for what comes next.

What is "Road Founder"?

Once we start talking about long-distance travel, hard surfaces, and hoof comfort, it is worth revisiting a term many horse owners have heard: road founder.

The term is commonly used to describe laminitis associated with substantial mechanical stress on the feet, particularly prolonged work or exposure to hard surfaces. Soft Ride's earlier newsletter, What Is Road Founder?, discusses the potential contribution of hard surfaces, road vibration, trailer travel, and heat to potentially causing this condition.

It is important to remember that laminitis can be induced by several recognized causes. Endocrine disease, systemic illness, and supporting-limb overload are among the established pathways to laminitis. Hard-surface concussion and excessive mechanical stress are another concern in certain circumstances.

The signs of acute hoof pain can include reluctance to move, a shortened stride, increased hoof heat, a stronger digital pulse, and changes in stance. A horse may be particularly uncomfortable when walking on a hard surface. These signs warrant attention, and suspected laminitis should be addressed promptly with a veterinarian.

If you would like to take a deeper look at the causes, signs, prevention, and management of road founder, we recommend reading our previous newsletter, What Is Road Founder?. It provides a more detailed discussion of this important subject.

When the Road Becomes the Showgrounds

After the trailer arrives, the demands on the equine hoof changes.

At a large showground, horses may walk repeatedly between trailers, stalls, warm-up areas, competition arenas, wash racks, and other parts of the facility. The travel surfaces may include asphalt, concrete, packed gravel, hard-packed dirt, or other footing that is considerably firmer than what the horse normally encounters at home.

For a horse with healthy, well-conditioned feet, occasional exposure to firm ground is generally part of normal life. The concern comes when the duration, intensity, surface, or workload exceeds what the horse's feet are prepared to tolerate.

Heat From Paved Surfaces

Temperature is another consideration, particularly during warm weather.

Asphalt and other paved surfaces can become substantially hotter than the surrounding air when exposed to direct sunlight. A horse walking or standing on a hot surface is therefore exposed to heat coming from below as well as the environmental heat around him.

The hoof is a living structure. Beneath the less sensitive hoof wall and sole is vascular and sensitive tissues, including the lamellae and soft tissue structures of the distal limb. Temperature changes at the hoof can affect the tissues and blood vessels within the foot. Research has demonstrated that external heating and cooling can alter laminar tissue temperature and digital perfusion.

Heat from pavement should be considered alongside workload, duration of exposure, environmental temperature, and the horse's individual health. Heat alone should not be assumed to cause laminitis, but minimizing unnecessary heat exposure is a sensible part of managing a horse during hot-weather travel and competition.

This is one reason the barrier between the hoof and the surface matters.

Soft Ride Comfort Boots provide substantial gel orthotic between the hoof and the surface beneath it. Along with cushioning and support, that material creates a barrier between the hoof and hot surfaces encountered during travel or at the showgrounds.

Comfortable Hooves on Hard Ground

A horse does not have to be actively competing for his feet to be working hard.

Walking across a large fairground can involve considerably more hard-surface travel than a horse experiences during his normal routine at home. He may walk across pavement to get to the arena, stand on concrete while waiting, or spend time tied to the trailer between classes.

For horses with thin or sensitive soles, previous hoof problems, or other conditions that make them uncomfortable on firm ground, these seemingly ordinary activities can become significant.

Soft Ride Comfort Boots provide cushioning and support while the horse is standing or walking on these surfaces. The rockered shape of the Soft Ride boot also facilitates breakover. Instead of asking the horse to lift the hoof over a flat, abrupt leading edge, the rocker provides a gradual transition as the hoof moves forward. For a horse whose feet are already uncomfortable, making each step easier and more supported can be especially valuable during a long day away from home.

Ventilation Matters, Too

There is another consideration when a horse wears a hoof boot for extended periods: airflow.

A boot that surrounds the hoof needs to allow heat and moisture to escape. The hoof is living tissue, and maintaining an appropriate environment around the foot is important for hoof health.

Soft Ride Comfort Boots incorporate ventilation openings along the sides of the boot shell. This allows air to move around the hoof rather than creating a completely enclosed environment.

Ventilation is particularly useful during travel and at shows because the horse may be wearing the boots for longer periods than he would during a short trailer ride. The boots are designed to provide cushioning and support while still allowing airflow around the hoof.

This is one of those small design details that becomes more meaningful when you consider the entire journey. The horse may begin the morning in the trailer, walk across pavement to the arena, stand on hard, sometimes hot, ground between classes, and return to the trailer or stall later in the day. His boots need to remain a supportive, breathable environment throughout that process.

Then Comes the Stall

After a full day at the show, the horse finally gets back to his stall.

This is when another type of hoof fatigue can become apparent.

At home, a horse may move around his pasture throughout the day. Even when he is not exercising, he is generally taking steps as he eats, drinks, investigates his surroundings, and changes locations. A temporary show stall can be very different. Depending on the horse and the facility, he may spend long periods standing in one relatively small area.

Standing for extended periods places continuous weight through the feet. A horse that has already spent the day traveling, walking across hard surfaces, standing between classes, and competing may benefit from having a comfortable, supportive surface under his feet while he rests. The goal is simple: give the horse's feet a comfortable place to stand while the rest of the horse gets a chance to rest.

The Whole Trip Matters

It is easy to think about hoof protection only when a horse is working.

Travel reminds us that the feet are working long before the horse enters the arena.

They support the horse while he stands in the trailer. They respond to the constant changes in movement during transportation. They absorb forces from the ground when he walks across pavement and hard-packed surfaces. They support him while he stands waiting for his class, and they continue carrying his weight when he returns to his stall at the end of the day.

Looking at the entire trip changes the way we think about hoof comfort.

A well-maintained trailer, good driving practices, adequate rest, suitable footing, and attentive hoof care all contribute to a horse's welfare while traveling. Soft Ride Comfort Boots can be another part of that plan. 

When we take care of the feet from the time the trailer leaves home until the horse settles back into his stall at night, we give the horse a better opportunity to stay comfortable, recover from the demands of travel, and perform at his best when it is time to go to work.

Safe travels from all of us at Soft Ride. We hope to see you at Congress!

Soft Ride on the Road

Saved by Soft Ride

We LOVE hearing from our customers and getting updates on how your horses are doing! Please send us your story and a photo of your horse in their Soft Ride products for a chance to be featured on our social media, in an upcoming issue of our newsletter, and to be entered in a Soft Ride giveaway!

Email us here: socialmedia@srboots.com  

Tag us on Facebook: Soft Ride Equine Comfort Boots

Instagram: @soft.ride

Soft Ride Mission

As we continue our drive to keep your horse on his feet, we've received more than 15 patents, ship to over 50 countries, and work with more than 6,000 veterinarians around the world, as well as every veterinarian school in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. And with horse owners from every discipline using our products, we can safely and proudly say, "The best in the world rely on Soft Ride."

Disclaimer: This content is for education and is not medical advice. If you suspect medical illness or injury contact your veterinarian for medical advise.