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German VersionContracted Hooves
This is characterised by the restricting of the horn capsule at certain areas of the hoof. The various types are defined according to the location:
- Contraction of the Crown
- Contraction of the Sole
- Contraction of the Bars
Contraction of the Crown
Excessive overloading of the weight bearing rims of the hoof results in the sole and the frog becoming superfluous, and the weight/energy is only transferred through the wall of the hoof, which constricts in the region of the Crown. The end result of this is the crown becomes narrower than the adjacent (hair covered) leg.
This condition has it's origins in the horse wearing irons that are too narrow for the hoof profile, causing the horn wall to grow over the edge of the Iron. Alternatively, an adequately shod horse undergoing a terrain change from soft to hard ground conditions can also display these signs. In soft "going", the sole and frog of the hoof are able to contribute to the weight bearing function of the hoof, which is not apparent in hard "going".
One needs to initiate a fairly long drawnout therapy to remedy this. The Ground Border Wall needs to be repeatedly shortened to allow the frog and sole the possibility of making contact with the ground. Keeping the hoof damp softens it, which gives the horse much relief. Ensuring soft "going" for the horse (soft paddock/field) is also important.
The recovery is complete when the entire hoof is replaced by new horn and the contracted profile dissapears.
Contraction of the Sole.
There is a contraction of the horn in the region of the sole, causing the base of the sole to arch up and the horn wall to convex outwards, resulting in the main weight bearing structure of the Ground Border Wall being the outer rim. This is mostly evident in the toe region (the opposite effect seen when one compares this to Crown Contraction in it's side profile). The hoof usually becomes wider and shorter, and the horse struggles with soft ground conditions. Thus moving the horse to a hard stable box (not strewn with sawdust or straw), and significantly shortening the Border Wall at the toe, results in an improved hoof condition.
Contraction of the bar.
This is the most common form of hoof contraction and can be symmetrical or asymmetrical; and characteristically affects the posterior section of the Ground 
Border Wall, causing the frog to become constricted and squashed. With every treading action the horn capsule constricts, in doing so reversing the action of the Hoof Mechanism - the bars press inwardly, the sole arches and the hoof´s Corium and Ligament structures become squashed.
Causative factors include uneven weight bearing properties of the unshod hoof seen in pigeon-toed or duck-footed profiles. This also occurs as a result of shoeing a horse with irons that are too wide, or leaving too long an interval between replacing shoes.
The toe of the hoof lengthens, causing the width of the hoof to narrow and resulting in the posterior Ground Border Wall (Bar) bearing the entire weight. To remedy this, the parts of the contracted bars that are narrower than the Bulb of the Hoof need to be cut away (the frog is considerably narrower than the width of the Long Pastern Bone), thus symmetrrically evening out the Arch of the Sole.
The end effect is once again to create the possibility where the natural Hoof Mechanism is re-established, and the bars are once again able to move outwards when downward pressure is applied. Unshod horses are best kept on a soft field during this recovery period.
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