21/11/2025
We’re now closing comments. A small minority have chosen to respond with aggression and personal attacks.
To everyone who contributed in good faith, thank you. We look forward to continuing an open, evidence-based discussion here in Glasgow with those committed to genuine welfare and professional dialogue.
The clinical team here at Glasgow Equine Hospital and Practice are committed to the use of evidence-based practice and are constantly striving to provide the best possible care for all the animals we see through their research and further learning. There are times that some of the information shared on the internet does not align with the evidence-based care that we provide. The post shared is one of them, Patrick was keen to share his thoughts.
‘I absolutely understand that people want to protect horses from harmful trimming practices – we all share that aim.
But the information in this post isn’t consistent with what we see in veterinary practice, nor with what farriery, biomechanics, or comparative anatomy actually demonstrate.
Allowing the toe to continually grow forward is not a neutral or natural choice. A long toe/low heel configuration is pathological, not physiological.
Non-domesticated equids living in the environments in which they evolved do not develop this conformation. Their feet are short in the toe, robust in the heel, and maintain a tight, strong hoof capsule because they move continuously over abrasive terrain. The long-toe/underrun-heel pattern occurs almost exclusively in domesticated horses because of the surfaces they stand on and the workload they do – it is the result of pathology, not “Mother Nature’s blueprint.”
From a clinical standpoint, we see every week that excessive toe length leads to:
• increased strain on the DDFT and navicular apparatus
• delayed breakover and stumbling
• crushed/underrun heels and collapsed digital cushion
• chronic sole pressure and bruising
• mechanical laminitis in compromised horses
A real-world example:
We recently managed a gelding whose toe had been left unshortened for several cycles because the owner had been advised that “the hoof knows best” and toe reduction was harmful. By the time he presented, the forward-run toe had levered the heels under the foot, overloaded the laminae, and significantly increased strain on the deep digital flexor tendon.
After appropriate remedial farriery – including bringing breakover back to where the limb’s biomechanics require it – the horse became immediately more comfortable and the heels began to recover. This is not hypothetical; this is weekly reality for clinicians and farriers.
No responsible farrier or vet is “chopping toes off.” Bringing the toe back to restore normal breakover is essential to preventing lameness and supporting a healthy hoof capsule.
I’d be very happy to meet and discuss the biomechanics, look at real cases, and find common ground. We all want the same thing: horses that move comfortably and stay sound.
If you’re willing, let’s work together rather than allow misinformation to divide the people who care most about these animals.’
Professor Patrick J Po***ck BVMS, PhD, MSc, CertES(Soft Tissue), FHEA, DipECVS, FRCVS.
European and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Equine Surgery
