Our domestic companions, however, typically have a round breakover far removed from the area of the coffin bone. Breakover is delayed, movement can be labored or changed to other joints, and interference is a common problem. Recent research is showing that this move away from the natural shape affects the forces and structures of the foot in many ways. Microscopic comparison of the orientation of the lamina between wild and domestic horses show significant changes. In the wild horse, the lamina is thicker and the orientation is parallel to the ground.
Domestic horses have thinner lamina and an angled orientation to the ground.
This change in orientation makes it easier in the domestic horse for the lamina at the toe to stretch, and could be a factor in laminitis or founder. The longer, round toe in the front also increases the lever over which the domestic horse has to break over to move the leg forward. Basic physics and common sense tell us that longer levers can be used to generate more force in a particular area. These shoes have merit, provided the breakover is moved more toward the rear of the foot by rasping away the front of the toe. Understanding the wild horse may help us to address problem heels without causing problems elsewhere.