Beckie’s Expert Interview
David J Nicholls--Negative Sole Planes
This month I’ve got a special Interview with David Nicholls. It follows on from my previous lessons about Negative Sole Planes.
Hi Dave. Could you introduce yourself and explain a little about what you do?
My name is David Nicholls. My qualifications are AWCF (Associate of the Worshipful Company of Farriers) RJF (Registered Journeyman Farrier, USA).
I have been a working farrier for 35 years. I am the resident farrier at The Liphook Equine Hospital where I have been for just over 20 years. I am also in partnership with two other farriers. As a group practice, we take farrier and vet referrals into our own practice. We are currently undertaking referrals from 26 other practices. We run a farrier supply store near Horsham, which is the base for all our businesses.
I have always seen the importance of education, thus I do spend some of my time lecturing and demonstrating around the globe.
Q. I’ve explained the definition of Negative Sole Plane (also known as Negative Plane Distal Phalanx Syndrome) in a previous issue and related it to problems with hind feet. In your experience, is the condition more common in front or hind feet?
It has only been in recent years that people have started to draw the connection between NPDPS (Negative Plane Distal Phalanx Syndrome) and other body issues. These range from a slight loss of performance, tight hamstrings, sore hocks, stifles and backs. In the past vets have only taken X-rays to determine changes to the bone structures of the equine patient and not to investigate alignment of the skeleton.
It is my belief that this syndrome has been around for a long time but it is more common to treat the symptoms rather than the cause.
Now this has been recognized, more equine patients have hind feet X-rays taken.
In the recent past there has been much focus on the fore feet and overall the shoeing has improved, the focus is now shifting to the rear feet. It is now noticed that perimeter shoeing (placing a shoe around the end of, what is now considered a distorted foot with a longer toe than nature intended), is the primary cause of this syndrome.
Q. Is there always lameness when a horse has a Negative Sole Plane?
Most equine patients are presented exhibiting other symptoms as previously described. Many of the early symptoms such as a lack of performance go unnoticed. By the time lameness is showing the patient is in more serious trouble.
Q. If the angles of the limbs are not adjusted and re-balanced correctly, what problems may be caused long term?
By the time we perceive there is a problem and it has been diagnosed, our equine friend is probably starting to struggle all over their body. The longer this continues the more difficult it is to reverse. However, I am always so surprised at the speed most patients respond following correction. (Always supposing we get it right first time).
Q. Are there any other problems associated with Negative Sole Planes?
The most common problems associated with this syndrome are hock pain, tight hamstrings and back pain. This syndrome can be the cause of fore limb lameness. As the equine starts to have difficulty with the hind limb issues, they start to drag themselves along using their fore limbs. Equines are designed to work from their hind end, so it stands to reason that if they reverse this and start overworking the front end, something will fail. I do see a large number or equine patients who are referred with front end issues that cannot be serviced until the hind end issues are addressed.
Q. What are the causes of Negative Sole Planes? Can it be hereditary?
Scientific research has proven a direct link between the way our domestic equine friends are cared for in the first 3-4 months of life and NPDPS.
Most of our foals are bred into a soft environment on soft bedding box confinement for the first few days, followed by a general lack of real exercise on hard dry ground. Compounding this is creep feeding and foals stealing their mother’s food, thus growing too fast.
This type of up bringing is not conducive for straight limbs and optimal internal development of their feet and limbs. As we continue to pursue this policy due to a general lack of suitable environments to breed and keep equines, we are setting them up to fail.
In contrast, self maintenance foals are usually born just prior to dawn, giving them all day to dry off and warm up. On day one they would be expected to travel 10+ miles. By day three 25-30 miles each day and all of this on DRY HARD ground.
It is this sort of exercise that develops the internal parts of the foal to their optimum and straightens their limbs.
Q. What are the shoeing methods you use to help this problem?
We have found some ways of damage limitation for this syndrome. We have not been recognizing it long enough to be sure we can prevent its occurrence. However, all is not doom and gloom, we do have some tools to treat this syndrome with.
We place the front of the shoe directly beneath the tip of the pedal bone (distal phalanx). This very short breakover allows the hind foot and limb access to leave the ground on time (as far as the scientific community is concerned), which our equine friends seem to like. This will allow them to achieve a slight heel first landing and engage the back part of the foot on the ground first. It is this action that aligns the lower limb, in particular the structures within the foot, allowing them to interact together as nature intended.
In more severe cases where it is not possible to help the patient achieve a slight heel first landing, the foot will need to be packed with impression material and a wedge frog insert pad under the shoe. The most severe cases need to be treated with the Equine Digit Support System (a shoeing system for the short term treatment of lower limb problems).
Q. How would you summarize what’s been covered today?
Although domestication and conventional shoeing practices contribute to this problem, early recognition is the key to solving the large number of seemingly unrelated issues that are combined with the syndrome.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. To this end I have embarked on a preventative shoeing program on most of the equine patients that I shoe on a regular basis. It will be interesting to see if any of them suffer NPDPS in the future. I have made this change due to the large number of successful cases I and many others have been involved with. My reason for this is: if you have to do this to return them to pre-disease soundness, then by making these changes prior to our equine friends getting into trouble, it may lengthen their life, free from lameness and its associated issues.
Life is a journey and the quest for soundness continues so WATCH THIS SPACE!
Great. Thanks for your time Dave.