Preliminary Study on the Connection Between the Mineral Profile of Horse Hooves and Tensile Strength Based on Body Weight, Sex, Age, Sampling Location, and Riding Disciplines

Hoof mineral profile is important as it could affect locomotion. Factors such as body weight, sex, age, and riding disciplines affect hoof mineral profile. In Mexico and globally, studies are needed on the characterization of mineral profile of hooves and tensile strength, as this could help to prevent overgrowth or microfractures. Therefore, in the present survey, 165 samples of equine hoof cuttings from different sex, ages, breeds, and riding disciplines from different regions of Mexico were analyzed for their mineral composition, and a universal testing machine was used to measure tensile strength. More than half of the samples were from males (63%) and aged 3 to 5 years (52%). Most samples were obtained from horses used for reproduction (36%) and working (29%) purposes. The most preponderant minerals were K (3,416 μg/g), Na (2,242 μg/g), and Ca (631 μg/g). Tensile strength ranged from 1.2 to 45 N. Females had higher (P < 0.05) amounts of Zn than males. Animals younger than 3 years old have lower (P < 0.05) levels of Na than those between 3 and 5 years old. Horses used for reproduction had lower (P < 0.05) Mg concentrations than animals used for running and working. Tensile strength was similar between demographic characteristics. Horses from Santa Gertrudis military ranch had higher (P < 0.05) levels of Ca, Se, and Na compared with horses from other sampling location. Copper was higher (P < 0.05) in horses from racecourse. Potassium was higher (P < 0.05) in horses from the Presidential General Staff. Overall, there was no evident connection between sex, ages, breeds, and riding disciplines from different regions of Mexico and the mineral composition of the hoof or its tensile strength. Further research should focus on the relation on specific feeding regimes, horse individual characteristic, hoof mineral contents, and tensile strength.

Summer Sores Secondary to a Hoof Crack in an Andalusian Stallion

Cutaneous habronemosis in horses is caused by larvae of the spirurid nematodes Habronema microstoma and Habronema muscae. These lesions, also known as "summer sores'', are often severe and disfiguring. Although Habronema-caused lesions at the coronary grooves have been described, cases of hoof cracks with secondary summer sores have never been reported. The present case describes clinic-pathological and surgical features of a quarter crack case complicated by cutaneous habronemosis at the dermal layers. A 15-year-old, Andalusian stallion was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Teramo because of a mass of the hoof and a severe lameness. The clinical examination revealed an exuberant granulation tissue protruding from a full thickness vertical quarter crack. The mass was surgically removed, and subjected to histopathological, microbiological, and parasitological analyses. A copromicroscopic examination was also performed. The feces scored PCR positive for H. muscae, while the skin for both H. microstoma and H. muscae, thus confirming the primary role of Habronema in causing the hoof mass. This is the first description of a hoof wall crack complicated by summer sores, with simultaneous gastric habronemosis. This case confirms that a prompt diagnosis during fly activity is imperative for an efficacious treatment and a timely prevention of disfiguring summer sores.