
10/08/2025
π long toes = reduced equine welfare state π
Donβt believe everything you are told. Including everything you read here.
Instead - seek to understand the welfare state of the individual horse
Instead - use critial thinking, discernment, and empathy for the horse
Instead - learn how to objectively assess horses welfare parameters of posture, physiology and behaviour
Long toes are associated with poor welfare state, pathology, lameness, pain, stress
Long toes are prevalant, common, endemic, and normalised, and even sought in some communities.
Long toes are indentified as a longer base length in proportion to the heel base length, around the centre of balance (a point 25% down the coronet band from front to back) - example in the comments.
For every 1cm of additional toe length beyond the ideal, there is an additional 50kg of force on the flexors tendon.
If you are welfare focused, and care about the horses lived experience, I recommend paying attention to the credible science which is proven, tested, and sadly, poorly understood by the general equine population, (and many professionals too!).
Those who disagree cannot provide externally verifiable objective documentation and data to support what they say, because what they say isnt externally verifiable. Think about that very carefully before defending those opinionsβ¦
Some credible science is listed in the comments. Check it out before disagreeing. If you disagree, please provide science and data to support your opinion.
Just saying it is so, doesnt make it so, yet so many are quick to believe, because of propaganda, fake news, emotional manipulation and businesses seeking to profit from distraught owners of lame horses.
Propaganda has no place in equine welfare. Learn the facts. Become empowered. Make informed decisions.
Www.holisticequine.co.uk - supporting and promoting compassionate equestrianism for the benefit of all πππ΄