Good hoof care practices
Article from 'Straight from the Horse's Mouth' - July 2009
Hoof care is one of the most important aspects of quality horse management. Hoof trimming, shoeing if necessary, good nutrition to ensure good hoof growth, and inspection for disease or injury to the foot, are just a few of the tasks a horse owner needs to worry about.
Foot care is one of the most neglected horse management practices. If your horse's feet are constantly wet, this can create a disastrous situation for proper hoof health. Most lameness instances that impair the usefulness of a horse can be prevented by proper foot care and reasonable management. Foot care should be as routine as feeding and watering. It should include:
- Routine cleaning
- Periodic trimming
- Corrections of minor imperfections
- Treatment of foot diseases and injuries
Most foot care practices can be done by the average horse owner. It is, however, important to know when to seek the help of a professional - especially for corrective shoeing, disease treatment and control.
Routine foot care
Disease organisms concentrate where animals are confined, so cleanliness is important. Horses kept in yards or small pens should have their feet picked or cleaned daily to reduce the risk of thrush. Thrush is the condition resulting from bacterial penetration into the frog and surrounding area. The bacteria produce a foul odour and cause the frog to become soft and mushy. If allowed to go untreated, serious lameness can result and extensive treatment will be necessary.
Routine daily foot care means regular use of the hoof pick to clean the horse's feet. A fine bristled wire brush is also useful for cleaning the sole, frog and hoof wall. Take care not to damage the periople with too much pressure from the wire brush: the result would disturb the moisture balance of the foot.
Foot cleaning
When picking the foot, use a hoof pick and clean from the heel towards the toe, being especially careful to clean the commissures on each side of the frog and the cleft of the frog itself. Don't attempt to open the heel excessively as this weakens the area and interferes with proper contraction and expansion of the heel.
After exercise, clean the sole and check for gravel or other foreign objects that could be lodged in the natural depressions of the foot. A nail, gravel, stick, or other objects can work into the foot and cause lameness of long duration. Objects have been known to exist in a horse's foot for as long as a year before emerging at the heel or along the coronet. When a foreign particle emerges at the coronary area, a sore called a quittor usually develops. This problem can easily lead to serious infection.
Maintaining moisture in feet
Moisture in the horse's feet helps to maintain flexibility and prevent cracking. Most of the moisture needed in a healthy and well-protected foot can come from within.
Extremely wet conditions such as muddy lots or wet stalls promote rapid drying of the feet: the natural oils and protective films of the foot are eroded from constant contact with external moisture. Large horses with small feet commonly have hoof dryness problems.
One way to maintain proper moisture in the foot is to regularly apply a good hoof dressing containing some animal fat, such as lanolin. If the dressing is not a petroleum derivative, it can be massaged into the coronet, the frog and the sole, as well as on the hoof wall. The dressing helps to keep the sole pliable and eliminates dead tissue around the frog and heel. Also, massaging the coronet stimulates growth of a healthy new hoof wall.
Talk to the team at your local RD1 store today about hoof care products available for your horse.
Some products may not be available in all stores but can be ordered on request. Disclaimer: Any views and comments expressed in this article are not necessarily the opinions of RD1 Limited nor associated agencies. This content is copyright of RD1 Limited.
