To shoe or not to shoe, that is the question | Trainer Magazine | European Trainer Article Index

Aug 30

Aug 30 To shoe or not to shoe, that is the question

FARRIERY, RACING

When the Simon Earle-trained Saucy Night won a two-and-a- half mile (4000m) steeplechase on 3rd January 2005 at Folkestone, it’s probable he secured his place in British racing history. Not for his speed or age or rider, but rather for his lack of something – shoes. He followed up with another three wins that season and improved 35lbs (16kg) during his career without shoes. He had previously suffered leg problems, but when being left without shoes he remained sound thereafter and ran on firm ground. A month after Saucy Night’s first win Simon Earle sent out Kavi to become the first recorded British horse on the Flat to win barefoot, over 12f (2400m) on the all-weather at Lingfield Park. While they may have been the first in Britain to win races barefoot, in 2003 Sara and Brian Minsk of Nine Maple Farm in Massachusetts were the first in the US to train and race horses barefoot. So, what is the advantage to going shoeless, and can any trainer do it? The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), in the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering , states in Article 7, Shoeing of Racehorses , that “Racing Authorities should ensure that, within their Rules, it is made explicit that they have the power to prevent the use in races of shoes which may be considered dangerous and liable to cause injury. Racing Authorities are encouraged to publish clear illustrations in support of such Rules, in order that practitioners, both domestic and foreign, fully understand the terms used and the features of the shoes which are either allowed or disallowed and should establish procedures whereby shoes are regularly checked, prior to racing.” In full detail Article 7 states: (1) Plates and tips must be made of an approved material capable of being forged or moulded into shape. Tips must cover at least one third of the perimeter of the hoof. (2) Plates and tips must not exceed 150 grams in weight, provided that upon application the Stewards may give permission for the use of approved therapeutic plates up to a weight of 170 grams. (3) Plates and tips must be securely and properly fitted and must not protrude beyond the perimeter of the hoof. Plates must be secured by a minimum of five nails and tips by a minimum of three nails. The heads of nails must not protrude more than 2mm from the surface of the plate or tip. (4) Forged or rolled toe and side clips are permitted provided such clips have blunt, rounded edges and do not exceed 15mm in height and 20mm in width. Steel inserts are permitted provided they are level with the surface of the plate. (5) Bar plates are permitted, provided that the entire plate including the bar is in one piece. A bar may be welded or riveted to the plate provided that the surface of the bar is level with that of the plate. (6) Heeled plates or caulks are not permitted in flat races. Cutting plates, grippers or any othe form of plates or tips, which in the opinion of the Stewards may be dangerous, are not permitted. (7) Hoof pads shall be of a material, design and weight approved by the Stewards. What Article 7 fails to mention is the absence of shoes, and whether or not this is permissible comes down solely to individual administrative bodies, regardless of the agreements made by each country to follow the IFHA Rules. Britain, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Hungary have no additional rules regarding shoes, and horses can race there barefoot. Hungarian rider and journalist Gabriella Vonczem points out, “Personally I have never seen horses run without shoes in the last 20 years in Hungary. Owners sometimes have only the front hooves shod because of financial reasons. We often take off the hind shoes for the winter period for health reasons. Normally we put shoes on all four. Steel shoes cost less than aluminium shoes, so their usage depends on finance, but the difference between steel and aluminium is not huge. I always use aluminium for my horses for all legs. Rubber or plastic shoes are practically not used and gluing is not a trend in Hungary. Therapeutic shoes are used if necessary.” A slightly less flexible approach is taken by Poland and Belgium, where the basic rule is that horses must be shod on the front feet, although they may be left unshod on the hind feet. As Belgian trainer Max Hennau warns, “The trainer must ask permission of the Jockey Club before the declaration.” A stricter line is adopted by the Czech Republic and Germany, where Rüdiger Schmanns, Germany’s Director of Racing, informs us: “In Germany a horse is only allowed to run if it is shod with horseshoes on all four legs,” as is the case in the Czech Republic, a policy that may not be well received by every trainer. Italian horseracing journalist Franco Raimondi points out, “Some very difficult fillies run in Italy without shoes because the blacksmith was kicked. In trotting it is a common practice to run the horses without shoes, as the French say ‘deferre de quatre.’” It is interesting, too, to note that Vonczem mentions the removal of hind shoes during the winter for health reasons, a topic dear to the heart of British trainer Simon Earle. “With NH horses in particular 90% would suffer from some type of tendon injury,” Earle explains. “What can happen when a horse is shod over a period of time is the foot migrates forward and becomes long at the toe and under-run at the heel, and this puts more strain on the tendon. If the farrier supports the heel as required the horse is likely to pull the shoe off, so the horse sometimes has to be shod slightly forward. By leaving the horses barefoot with good trimming it’s easier to keep the angles correct. “I have a mixture of shod and unshod at home,” Earle says. “If a horse isn’t healthy and isn’t absorbing its food for one reason or another, for example if it has ulcers, it isn’t getting the necessary nutrients and can struggle to go barefoot. It helps if they are healthy. When my horses have their summer break the shod ones are turned out barefoot in the spring. There is plenty of foot growth in the spring; the hoof grows faster in the summer months and by keeping them well- trimmed the feet toughen up out at grass. It is better if it is not too wet and the ground is firmer. “When they come back in they have at least three or four weeks walking and then, if they have sore feet, they’re shod, but it gets the foot back where it should be. I found I shod more last winter and did struggle, due to the wet conditions. I ended up doing masses of road work as the gallops were too wet, so they needed shoeing or they would have got sore. “I may not be the best example,” he continues, “as I don’t have a large string, but I have found since I started to leave my horses barefoot that I haven’t had a tendon injury in “In trotting it is a common practice to run the horses without shoes, as the French say ‘deferre de quatre’” Franco Raimondi Simon Earle trains a mixture of shod and unshod horses (above) at his yard, with his shod horses turned out barefoot in the spring over six years. If the foot doesn’t get the stimulation it’s intended to it becomes weaker. If you allow the frog to come into contact with the ground it stimulates the blood flow and strengthens the foot.” A perfect example is the ten-year-old gelding Red Not Blue, who has improved 51Ibs (23kg) since first racing unshod, and has remained sound. “He’s won nine races and run on varying ground and has never been shod since we’ve had him,” Earle says. “There is an argument that shoes provide added traction, but horses with shoes can slip up. I might not run a barefoot horse at a course that is tight, especially if it has rained on firm ground, and some horses don’t have as much grip as others, so it’s a matter of knowing the individual. But too much grip can cause joint issues. “There are some horses who want firm ground, but their legs are just not up to it. I know that I have run some horses on firmer ground and they have come back fine. If they had been shod over a period of time then I would not have run them on firm ground for fear of getting a leg injury. I believe races are less competitive on faster ground and possibly easier to win. Red Not Blue has done all his racing in the summer.” Another trainer who knows firsthand the benefits of good shoeing and who understands the preference for leaving some horses unshod is Irish Restricted Licence holder Paul Fahey. Fahey is also a Master Farrier and, with Fahey Brothers Farriery, works as a racecourse farrier on racedays and numbers two of Ireland’s leading NH and Flat trainers among his clients. “I personally haven’t run a horse unshod, but I’ve seen plenty run without,” Fahey says. “We always shoe to support the heel, as all the pressure is coming down on the heel and that places high pressure on the tendons. There are some horses you can’t shoe that way and will pull the shoe off.” It’s thanks to Fahey Brothers Farriery that the Irish Turf Club Rules on shoes in recent years saw an increase in the size of Calkins. The Irish Rules now state: A horse shall not enter the Parade Ring or run in shoes which have protrusions on the ground surface unless they comply with the following: On Front Shoes, it is permitted to use four No. 2 nails, two inserted on the inside and two on the outside of each shoe, protrusions of which must be limited to 1⁄4”. The use of nails on the front of the shoes and the use of American toe grab plates or those with a sharp flange is forbidden. On Hind Shoes, it is permitted to use Calkins provided they are limited to 1⁄4” in height. No other protrusions are allowed. This allows for slightly higher Calkins than in Britain, where the Race Manual (B) Schedule 4 rules that “No horse may enter the Parade Ring in shoes which have protrusions on the ground surface other than Calkins or studs on the hind, limited to 3/8” in height. The use of American type toe-grab plates or those with a sharp flange is forbidden.” In France, no height is stipulated, but “any protrusion must be rounded.” “We were finding that if a horse slipped up in a race, no one checked to see if it was adequately shod,” explains Fahey. “We were in a situation here in Ireland where we were seeing meetings abandoned because horses had slipped up, but it had nothing to do with the ground, it was because they were not adequately shod and no one was checking. We found ourselves in an argument with the Turf Club, who felt higher Calkins would be dangerous to a jockey if a horse stood on him. We pointed out that if a horse stayed up it wouldn’t stand on a jockey! “Things reached a head at Tramore, when there were a good few horses slipping up and the manager had me unofficially check the shoes of those who had slipped. None of them were adequately shod for the conditions. We were also working as the racecourse farriers at Kilbeggan, where we found the same problems. At that point we realised this is not right, something needs to be done. As a result of our findings, the Irish Turf Club changed the Rules to allow higher Calkins.” As a farrier and a trainer Fahey has no issue with horses running unshod in suitable conditions, but he has successfully fought a major battle to see that those animals that are shod wear the correct shoes for racing. “A complete set of racing shoes costs €65 plus VAT and it’s a poor look out if a trainer can’t manage that when a horse runs,” he points out. “You have to start from the ground up. Let’s put it this way, if a Formula One driver sets off in a race and the conditions change he comes straight in and changes his tyres accordingly.” It’s a good point, but trainers should remember that, whatever their choice of footwear or lack of it, it’s worth checking with the relevant administrative body before running a horse abroad and ‘slipping up’ themselves over rules.

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THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN - EUROPEAN TRAINER - ISSUE 43

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