Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority modifies horseshoe rule

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has modified a rule set to go into effect on Aug. 1 that will allow horses to wear horseshoes on their hind limbs with full outer rims or a toe grab, though only while running on dirt surfaces.

The previous rule had sought to prohibit all “traction devices” other than outer rims in excess of 2 millimeters in height, on all limbs. However, a large number of trainers and veterinarians had complained to HISA about the blanket prohibition, leading to a meeting earlier this week in which a compromise was reached, according to HISA.

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Under the modification, full outer rims and toe grabs on hind limb horseshoes will not be allowed to exceed 4 mm in height. The ban on traction devices other than 2 mm outer rims will still be in place for turf races and artificial surfaces.

A release from HISA announcing the modification indicated that the authority’s Racetrack Safety Committee supported the lifting of the ban on outer rims but that the committee disagreed with the contention that toe grabs were necessary.

A number of studies conducted over the past two decades have concluded that toe grabs lead to higher rates of injury, though most of those injuries were found in forelimbs. Many of those studies have been conducted by Dr. Susan Stover, who is on HISA’s board and is the chair of the Racetrack Safety Committee.

“The Committee strongly recommended the use of full outer rim shoes for hindlimb traction because these shoes provide traction while enabling the hoof to land flatly on the track surface, whereas toe grabs accentuate stressors on bone and soft tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, which contribute to injury,” the statement said.

According to HISA, the Racetrack Safety Committee met with “a representative group of horsepersons including trainers, owners, a veterinarian, and a blacksmith” before agreeing to modify the rule.