Square Toes, Box Toes: What's the Difference?© Tom Stovall, CJF
A square toed shoe is a shoe forged or modified to follow the periphery of the foot from the heels to some point in the toe quarter, then to deviate from the periphery across the toe to the other toe quarter in a line that is fairly straight and relatively perpendicular to the midline of the foot; i.e., instead being rounded at the toe as is a normal shoe, the toe is squared off. The transitions from branch to toe in a square toe are sharp and abrupt. Square toes are usually considered a hind shoe, although some applications may find them used on the front end. The purpose of a square toe is to facilitate turnover in a specific direction, and sometimes at a specific time, by creating an avenue of least resistance to the fourth phase of motion, turnover. The shoe creates the path of least resistance; the position of the shoe on the foot influences the timing of the foot's turnover.
A box toe is similar to a square toe. The shoe is forged or modified to follow the periphery of the foot to some point in the toe quarters, then to describe a relatively straight line across the toe. The basic difference between square toes and box toes lies in the transitions from branch to toe and is extremely important: a square toe has sharp transitions; a boxed toe has rounded transitions. Why all the hoopla about transitions? A sharp transition forces the horse over the squared portion of the toe because the transition acts as an impediment to turnover, while the straight portion of the toe creates little resistance to turnover. In effect, a square toe can act as a lateral extension shoe, a shoe that is most assuredly not a benign experience for the horse, because the foot may be forced to torque while in a support phase. A boxed toe, because the transitions are smooth, cannot act as a lateral extension and allows the foot to turn over without impediment in any forward direction, while creating a path of least resistance to turnover in the desired area. Thus, no matter the position of the foot at turnover, the foot is not forced to torque while in a support phase. A related consideration is the configuration of the shoe's web. Unless modified, shoes made from flat stock offer more resistance to turnover than do those forged from oval or half-round stock. For this reason, a square toe or boxed toe forged from flat stock is intrinsically more difficult for the horse to turn over than the same shoe forged from half-round. Additionally, whether the shoe is punched or creased influences turnover because, all other things being equal, a creased nail pattern has more resistance to turnover than does a punched nail pattern. Similarly, the particular position on the foot on which the shoe is placed is also an important consideration.
The transitions of a square toe set full to the toe act as lateral extensions on both sides of the toe create a mechanical advantage that is potentially damaging to the horse if the horse's conformation or circumstances create a situation in which the horse is forced to attempt turning its foot over the lateral extension while the foot is loaded. A square toe, set full to the toe, tells the foot, "You WILL go this way!!" On the other hand, a square toe, set under on the foot as far as possible, tells the foot, "Go this way." A boxed toe, set full to the toe, is sometimes used on rather pointed-toed horses as an interference shoe. A horse with an excessively pointed hind can have a tendency to deviate laterally or medially at turnover, a tendency that can cause interference problems under some circumstances. A boxed toe, set full, can suggest, not force, the direction of turnover, and is sometimes an effective therapeutic shoe for this, and similar, problems. A boxed toe, set full, tells the foot, "Please go this way."
A punched, boxed toe, set under, is the most benign shoe a horse can wear behind: it does not create impediment to turnover in any direction; rather, it facilitates turnover at the toe. If such a shoe is forged from half-round, turnover is effectively facilitated in any forward direction. A punched, boxed toe, set under, tells the foot, "Please go this way if it's okay with you; if not, that's okay too!" A punched, boxed toe, forged from half-round and set under, can make a hero out of a farrier if his clientele includes many horses with hock problems. Tom Stovall is an American Farriers Association Certified Journeyman Farrier since 1983, a Member of the Texas Professional Farriers Association, and a Member of the Artists-Blacksmiths Association of North America. Thanks to him for his permission to post this article. Return to the Farriery Articles listing page.
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