How To Do Just About Everything
By eHow Pets Editor
Take Care of Your Horse's Hooves
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It's best to have your horse trimmed and shod every six to eight weeks, in addition to picking your horse's hoofs daily to remove dirt and debris. Here are some more things to consider when caring for your horse's hoofs.
Look at the angle of your horse's foot from the side. There should be close to a straight line from toe to pastern (where the ankle bends in front). Measure the length of the toe with a ruler or tape measure. The toe length can range from 3 to 3-1/2 inches on an average horse. The larger the horse the longer the toe, the smaller the horse the shorter the toe.
Pick up the foot and look down the leg. Look for a perpendicular line across the bottom of the foot. The bottom of the foot should be trimmed square with the leg; it should not be higher on one side.
Check to see how the shoe fits. A shoe should follow the outline of the foot after proper trimming. Check the very back portion of the shoe at the heel area. The shoe should completely cover the very back of the heel but not make direct contact with the frog (the "V" shaped bulge in the center of the foot).
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Comments
Anonymous said
on 7/12/2006 Thrush is a common problem. It is caused by an anaerobic bacterial flora that digests the hoof. Keep it under control!! Air kills anaerobic bacteria, so cleaning the hoof regularly should expose the thrush. If it is a serious infection, try hydrogen peroxide, the gas bubbles are pure oxygen, which will kill the thrush. If that doesn't work, soak the hooves in Trifectant solution for 45 minutes.
I am a firm believer in barefoot trimming. Shoes are good if you are planning a long trip on rocky trails, or a long parade on pavement, but a barefoot horse should be able to do these things anyway!
Lastly, there really shouldn't be a groove in the middle of the frog. It should be a nice, flat, triangular structure. If it has a little cleavage in the middle, that means that the frog is contracted. Keep those hooves trimmed!
BaadGirls said
on 1/7/2007 Black and White Hooves - I think that this must be an old wives tale that someone has picked up and passed on: Horses with white hooves need shoes and horses with black hooves do not. What a load of nonsense! I previously owned a Connemara pony who had 4 white hooves and he was never shod for the 10 yrs I rode him. He was ridden on soft and hard ground. He was ridden on roads weekly and he managed comfortably alongside his shod equine friends.
Each horse should be looked at as individuals and deciding whether to put shoes on your horse is a decision not to be made on an old wives tale such as this!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 I am a Natural Balance farrier, and if you enjoy having a barefoot horse you and your horses may benefit from Natural Balance shoes or trims. This consist of looking at each hoof as an individual and trimming or shoeing accordingly. There are many web sites available for more information. Simply type in 'Natural Balance' for searches.
Anonymous said
on 1/15/2008 When picking on a hoof, try not to get kicked or to pick too deep, you can damage the frog in the horse's foot.
Anonymous said
on 7/25/2006 Lucky for me, my horse lives in a grassy but fairly rocky paddock. I know this could be very unsafe for her, but on the good side the rocks keep her hooves down and so she has never needed a farrier! I definitely recommend any option other than shoeing. It is the worst thing you can do to a horse's feet. Besides ruining them through the process of nails being placed in the hoof to secure the shoe, if your horse has shoes and you want to keep him/her barefoot, this can be difficult as once removed permanently the foot becomes very soft and therefore needs them once again.
I highly recommend old mac boots, or variations. This means your horse can have the ability to work when being ridden like a shod horse would, but in the paddock there feet are perfectly free. I also recommend daily greasing with proper hoof greases. You should also check the temperature of the hoof daily. It should be slightly warm, but not to much, and not too cold either. I have also found that spraying your horses legs with sea water definitely improves them. I sprayed this on my horse's leg (that had gone lame) and her improvement rate is much faster.