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 Genetics is always in front of a trimmer. If you're working on an animal, you're working on genetics. This has always been a difficult issue to relate to people due to the lack of a co-ordinated strategy to measure genetics and the foot. This is mostly due to the researchers view that too wide an environmental spread makes it difficult to measure. Within breeds though, such as Herefords have a higher incidence of corns between their toes due to their tendency to be open toed. Trimmers are confronted with genetic variations in foot shapes, which, is why cattle should never exactly end up looking the same even though the same trimmer did the entire herd. Corkscrew toes can be genetic, as well as flat elongated feet, poor sole density, foot angle and heel depth to name a few. The short version of genetics in relation to feet breaks into two categories, "Durability" and "Susceptability". Some cattle live their whole lives without trouble in the foot and others in the same herd just always seem to have troubles with foot afflictions. It is not always the prettiest foot that is durable either. As an example,Some cattle have over deep heels that impede normal movement and which cannot be trimmed to a normal shape. To force an animals comfort zone of the foot into an idealistic view for shape indicates over- trimming and inducement of discomfort ranging from mild to crippling. As shown below in the 4 pictures we see an animal with supposedly shallow heel depth. The reality is the animal heel is so deep that this cow cannot stand comfortably so she falls back on her pastern and the toes just keep growing forward. So it is important to mindful that perfection to the viewer maybe genetically incompatible in some animals being trimmed.
(This article was written by the Canadian Dairy Network, it shows genetic heritability of dairy animal characteristics including feet and legs)
 
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