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An Ounce Of Prevention…

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AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION: Why Wise People Wear Closed Shoes at the Barn

By Suzi Carragher – suzicomm@gmail.com (Shared with permission)

Look around most reputable riding stables and you’ll likely see a rule “No Open Shoes.” Many folks assume that because they aren’t the ones riding the horse, the rule doesn’t apply to them. To quote that sage Bart Simpson, “Au contraire, mon frère!”

Without a why, many folks dismiss the rule. Real horse men and women know stuff happens at barns – unexpected, nasty, gnarly stuff. We know that an ounce of prevention will keep us out of the hospital and working with our beloved horses and clients. That’s why we suit up for the task at hand. Just so we’re all on the same page here, a closed shoe is one where both the toes and heel are covered, e.g., boots, athletic shoes, a sturdy walking shoe. The shoes should encapsulate your foot in a sturdy fabric or leather and offer foot and ankle support.

Injury Prevention: The most obvious thought that pops in people’s minds when they read the “Closed shoes only” rule is a hoof-on-foot injury. If you haven’t experienced this form of pain, let me tell you from personal experience – IT HURTS… A LOT! In my case, I was escorting a horse back to his stall, when I stopped to answer a quick question. He shifted his weight and lazily put his hoof directly on my right pinkie toe. POP! It was broken. Thankfully, I was wearing my boot, because without it, the toe likely would have been taken clean off. I was lucky.

Other reasons aren’t as obvious. Stables are busy places. Errant shoeing nails, carpentry nails, staples, thumb tacks, jump cups, hoof picks, improperly disposed needles, trash that didn’t quite make it to the bin, and other items are more likely to cause an injury if discovered by a foot in an open shoe than a closed shoe.

One of the most common forms of footwear is the flip flop sandal. They are wonderful things. They are summer, the beach, and popsicles! But, they are terrible for your feet. They lack arch support, which can lead to plantar fasciitis, a painful inflammation of the thick band of tissue along the bottom of your foot. Riders: Try dropping your heel and feel the pain! Flip flops are also blamed for a number of other injuries, including: stress fractures of the metatarsals, stubbed toes, and broken toes. One Washington, D.C. podiatrist says he sees at least one flip-flop related injury weekly from May through September.

Infection Prevention: Remember, barns are busy work places. Vets are in and out treating patients. Dewormings are being administered. Machines are being used. Critters other than horses visit or take up residence in the feed area or shavings. Urine, manure, blood, pus, nasty week old beverages, and other stuff make their way onto the ground. In researching this section of the article, I found enough data on zoonosis, diseases that can be passed from animals to humans, to write quite a few articles. The fact is closed shoes provide more protection against picking up an infection than open shoes. There are a number of infections that can be picked up at a barn ranging from fungal infections, like ringworm, that will ruin your summer swimming plans to rabies.

Tetanus Tetanus is a bacterial infection that occurs when Clostridium tetani bacterial enters the body though a wound and produces toxins that impair your motor neurons. It gets transmitted through wounds like puncture wounds, crush wounds, splinters, and infected cuts. The risk is increased if the area is contaminated with dirt or manure, both of which are plentiful at barns. If you contract tetanus, you can look forward to spasms and stiffness in your jaw muscles, stiff neck, difficulty swallowing, abdominal muscle stiffness and ultimately painful body spasms. You may also endure fever, sweating, elevated blood pressure, and rapid heart rate.

Tetanus can be treated, but not cured, according to the Mayo Clinic article on the subject. Treatment includes the administration of antitoxin medication, antibiotics, vaccination, sedatives to control muscle spasm, other drugs to regulate involuntary muscles, and in some cases, people with tetanus get to stay in the hospital to receive respiratory support. Still think open shoes are okay at the barn?

Campylobacter Does your barn have a mare with a foal? Or kittens? Or bunnies? Do you stand closely to pet them? Campylobacter is a common infection in baby animals that when passed to humans can cause diarrhea. It’s important to know that animals shed the germs for up to seven weeks if untreated, and all it takes to enter your system is a small nick on your foot. “But, my sandals are so cute, and I’m just here to watch the lesson,” you say.

Worms I remember my friend dewormed her new horse, and we stood amazed by what came out of that gelding. It was spectacular! Now, had we not been wearing our boots we’d have been standing in a wide assortment of intestinal parasites, including hookworms, tapeworms, and roundworms. It seems that little ones get the brunt of the worm invasion, because they’re not great at hygiene. Roundworms are intestinal parasites that infect 10,000 children annually. Untreated they can cause blindness. Hookworms attach themselves to the intestinal lining and can cause life threatening blood loss. Infections are treatable with anti-parasitic drugs, but you’re not going to like what happens until they’re cleared out. Are you reconsidering your footwear?

Leptospirosis Leptospirosis is caused by Leptospira interrogans, a spirochete. (Spirochete is such a cool word. It means spiral shaped bacteria, so now you can astound your friends at parties.) It is considered to be “the most widespread zoonosis in the world,” according to MedicineNet.com. It is spread through contact with bodily fluids, like urine, as well as contaminated soil and water. It enters the body through minor cuts. Once inside, the spirochete heads for the kidneys, liver, and central nervous system where it multiplies and wreaks havoc. Symptoms include: rash, fever, chills, headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases are accompanied by kidney failure, liver failure, and meningitis. Pregnant women who become infected have a high rate of fetal mortality. Leptospirosis can be treated with antibiotics, though some cases require hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics.

If this doesn’t convince you to wear closed shoes to the barn, then consider that venomous snakes, spiders, mice, rats, staph, and other no-see-ums can also be present at horse facilities. The prevention steps for all these infections all include proper hygiene, e.g., hand washing, and avoiding the pathogen, e.g., wearing closed shoes.

Lastly, consider this message on the University of Connecticut’s Department of Animal Science webpage: Steel Toed Boots

  • If you are working at any of the livestock units, steel toed boots are a must! For individuals concerned about the risks of using steel toed boots, MythBusters Episode 42 has dispelled the myth that you can lose toes if something heavy actually lands on your reinforced boots. In any case, according to Federal Law it is still required.

**One Last Tip on Open Toed Shoes**

It’s the pet peeve of some professors in the department that students wear open toed shoes in laboratories. Closed toed shoes are actually required in all laboratories and at all livestock units even if you are “just visiting”. Let’s try to keep our professors and our toes happy! The bottomline: Your instructor cares about you and your well-being. They aren’t telling you to lose your sandals at the barn to cramp your style or be a cosmic killjoy, but to keep you and your family safe so you can continue having fun with the horses. Tip: Keep your sandals and clogs in your car, so you can change out of your boots after your time at the stable.

Sources that informed this article: