WLD
Common abreviation for White Line Disease.
WALK
The slowest gait of any breed of horse.
WALL
The outer, horny part of the hoof which is the primary weight bearing structure of the equine foot.
WATER LINE
Inner, unpigmented hoof wall which is sometimes mistaken for the white line.
W.C.F.
W.C.F.: Worshipful Company of Farriers. An organization of farriers in England. Founded in 1356 as the “Marshalls of the City of London”, it was chartered under its current name in 1674. Address: 27 Kennedy Croft,
Sheldon, Birmingham, Great Britain.
WEANLING
A colt or filly weaved from its mother (usually 6 months to 1 year of age).
WEB
The width of the stock from which a horseshoe is made.
WEDGE
Leather or rubber used for building up one side or the other between the hoof and shoe.
WEDGE SHOE
A horseshoe which is graduated in thickness from a thin toe to thick heels. This has the effect of raising the hoof angle. A reverse wedge shoe raises the toe and lowers the hoof angle. Lateral wedge shoes alter the mediolateral balance of the foot.
WELDING, FORGE
The process of joining metal surfaces by heating them in a forge until they are slightly molten, then hammering them together on the anvil. Good forge welds are very strong, beadless, and may be impossible to detect with the naked eye.
WHITE LINE
The border between the sole and the hoof wall as seen on the solar view of the hoof. Usually colored pale yellow, as opposed to the water line which is normally white. Deterioration of the white line and/or inner hoof wall is called white line disease, seedy toe, and onychomycosis.
WHITE LINE DISEASE
An infection of the white line, caused by anerobic keratinolytic bacteria.
WHITMAN
Brand of rubber horseshoes made from 1878 through 1911.
WINDPUFF
A soft swelling which appears on either side of the fetlock area. Windpuffs are generally considered blemishes, but may indicate excessive strain which could lead to more serious trouble. “Articular windpuff” is the distention of the fetlock joint capsule. “Tendinous windpuff” involves the DDF sheath. a.k.a: Windgall; hygromata; road puff; popped ankle.
WINGING-IN
A deviation in gait in which the hoof arcs inward (under the horse) in flight. Winging-in is often seen in horses with toed-out conformation, and may lead to interference.
WINGING-OUT
A deviation in gait in which the hoof arcs outward in flight. Winging-out is often seen in horses with toed-in conformation, and while it is more obvious to the untrained eye than winging-in, it is less likely to cause interference. a.k.a: Paddling.
WRY FOOT
A pathology of the hoof wherein the wall at the heel(s) has folded under, and the horse in walking on the side of the hoof wall rather than on the ground surface. In extreme cases the entire side of the hoof may be involved, i.e.: rolled/folded under from toe quarter to heel.