How reliable is the use of hoof testers? The intra- and inter-operator repeatability of force application to different regions of the foot

Abstract

Take-home message: Forces appliedwithhoof testers vary significantly within and between operators, which is important in everyday practice, especially when comparing left and right. Introduction: The application of hoof testers is common in practice, but little is known about the consistency of their use. In this study, we determined the repeatability of hoof tester use for experienced vets, novices, and farriers. Materials and Methods: We constructed an instrumented hoof tester by fitting a single load cell to the cut-off end of a standard pair of hoof testers. We recruited 24 volunteers and grouped them based on their professional background and experience. Participants were asked to repeatedly apply hoof testers to the toe, quarter, frog, and heels of a clamped cadaver leg, up to the maximum force they would use if they had no reaction from the horse. Results: Force application differed significantly between groups for the frog and heel region, but not for the toe and quarters. Veterinarians applied higher forces to the frog compared with farriers and novices. Experienced operators applied the highest forces to the heels and the lowest to the quarters. Intra-operator reliability varied significantly between regions and operators. Novices had the best repeatability for the frog and heel, but the worst for the toe and quarters, whereas the farriers had the best repeatability overall. Discussion and Conclusions: Forces applied with hoof testers vary widely, so we suggest that an instrumented hoof tester is a relatively cheap means of making this test more reliable.