Effects of 3D-printed horseshoes on kinematic hoof-parameters at trot on hard surface

Researchers recently introduced a tailormade three-dimensional (3D) printed shoe that fits the conformation of the individual horse. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of this novel 3D-printed shoes on kinetic parameters compared to traditional steel shoes. The 3D-printed shoes, with frog- and heel-support, were designed based on a 3D scan of the hoof, printed in plastic materials, and then glued onto the hooves. Six rider-sound horses underwent a 3D-printed shoeing cycle and a steel shoeing cycle of seven weeks in a randomised order in which measurements were performed in week 1 (T0) and week 7 (T1). The horses were trotted with a pre-set speed range over a pressure- and force plate covered by a rubber mat. Kinetic parameters (n=10) were collected at a frequency of 250 Hz. Data were analysed using a linear mixed effect model with shoeing conditions and timepoints as fixed effects and horse and limbs as random effects. The results showed a significantly larger vertical impulse (VI) and peak vertical force (PVF) at T0 in the 3D-printed shoes (+179.0 N.s/kg,

Effects of 3D-printed horseshoes on kinematic hoof-parameters at trot on hard surface

Researchers recently introduced a tailormade three-dimensional (3D) printed shoe that fits the conformation of the individual horse. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of this novel 3D-printed shoes on kinetic parameters compared to traditional steel shoes. The 3D-printed shoes, with frog- and heel-support, were designed based on a 3D scan of the hoof, printed in plastic materials, and then glued onto the hooves. Six rider-sound horses underwent a 3D-printed shoeing cycle and a steel shoeing cycle of seven weeks in a randomised order in which measurements were performed in week 1 (T0) and week 7 (T1). The horses were trotted with a pre-set speed range over a pressure- and force plate covered by a rubber mat. Kinetic parameters (n=10) were collected at a frequency of 250 Hz. Data were analysed using a linear mixed effect model with shoeing conditions and timepoints as fixed effects and horse and limbs as random effects. The results showed a significantly larger vertical impulse (VI) and peak vertical force (PVF) at T0 in the 3D-printed shoes (+179.0 N.s/kg,