CT Hoof Normals for Sport Horses: New Reference Ranges (110 Feet)

Equine Vet Journal 2025

Author

Obi Veterinary Education
March 08, 2026

Luca Szabó; Danica Pollard; Annamária Nagy

Background

There were no published CT reference ranges for hoof wall and sole measurements. This study aimed to establish such ranges in non-lame sport horses and to examine associations between measurements and signalment, limb laterality, and medial-lateral side.

Methods

This retrospective cross-sectional analysis evaluated soft-tissue reconstructions from fan-beam CT of 110 front feet from 56 non-lame horses (30 Thoroughbreds, 26 Warmblood showjumpers). Scans were obtained with the limb semi- or non-weightbearing; key parameters included 0.5-mm slices, 135 kV, 0.5-s rotation. Standardized planes enabled midsagittal, transverse, and frontal measurements of total hoof wall and its deep and superficial layers; the dorsal hoof wall to palmar length of the distal phalanx (DHWDP) ratio was calculated. Paired tests compared medial vs lateral sites; multivariable mixed-effects models assessed explanatory variables.

Results

Mean total dorsal hoof wall thickness was 14.03 ± 1.37 mm in Thoroughbreds and 15.79 ± 1.41 mm in Warmbloods; mean DHWDP ratio was 0.24 ± 0.02 in both breeds. The sole was significantly thicker laterally than medially at the palmar site (≈2.1 mm greater whether measured perpendicular to ground or to the sole surface), with no significant medial-lateral difference at the mid-sole site. Only the bodyweight:height ratio showed consistent positive associations with dorsal hoof wall thickness across layers and sites (and with total and deep sole thickness at the mid-sole site); medial-lateral differences generally persisted after adjustment.

Limitations

Findings may not generalize beyond the two breeds studied. Scans were acquired in semi-/non-weightbearing positions without standardized limb posture, and reference ranges were generated using soft-tissue (not bone) reconstruction; measurements differed between reconstruction algorithms. Applicability to fully weightbearing fan-beam or cone-beam CT requires confirmation.

Conclusions

This study provides CT reference ranges for dorsal, medial, and lateral hoof wall and sole thickness—and the DHWDP ratio—in non-lame sport horses. These norms can aid interpretation of foot CT in performance horses; further work should validate mediolateral differences, extend to other breeds, and test transferability to fully weightbearing or cone-beam systems.

Midsagittal computed tomographic reconstruction of a foot, using soft tissue algorithm, demonstrating measurements of the deep layer (blue lines), superficial layer (orange lines), and total hoof wall (blue lines plus orange lines) at three measurement points. The palmar length of the distal phalanx is measured from the tip of the distal phalanx to its articulation with the distal sesamoid bone (yellow line).

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