Taking care of hooves is a crucial part of maintaining your horses health. It’s advisable to inspect your horses hooves each day, and minimum two times per week. You should become very familiar with what is normal and what is not, and be able to to spot any issues that might be starting.
Using this simple list might assist you in your daily routiene.
1. Approaching your horse make sure the symmetry is releatively close, they do not have to be exactly equal, but very close to the same size and shape.
2. Examine for defects in the wall and coronary band. Pick up each hoof, run your palm along the exterior of the wall to notice any defects. Use the same procedure for the coronary band and then press it softly. Applying these two techniques will also highlight soft areas and damp holding areas.
3. Carefully inspect the sole. Check the colouring in every hoof. Ideally they should be the same in colouration. A clearly defined dark spot indicates a bruise or hole.
4. Examine and compare the frogs. The hooves at the front should be the sae size and shapeand it should be a similr case with the hooves at the rear. Try to softly press each frog with your hoof pick, in the majority of areas, apart from the desert areas, it should be slightly spongy.
5. If already shod, clasp the horseshoe and see if it is loose. Check for missing clinches, if loose you might opt to take off the shoe in case your horse loses it on its own and possibly takes a piece of hoof with it.
If you keep a good close eye on your horses hooves, you should avoid a lot of problems by catching the problem before it worsens.
I would recommend you include into your routiene a couple of quick steps. Use your hoof pick working from heel to toe. If packed tightly you may need to loosen it up a bit before it is removed. Once all the debris has been removed, look at all the areas of the hoof and be positive that there isn’t a smell as this is normally a obvious indicator of thrush. Be certain there are no pebbles or gravel lodged anywhere, even beneath the shoe.
Your horses hooves should show a natural shine on the wall of the hoof.
If you find a smooth level surface with no cracks, circles, depressions, flares and a concave sole that meets the horseshoe, then you should be confident that the hooves are in good health.
For more horse information, horses for sale and more, please visit the Horse and Pony Directory.
Mail this post