Taking care of hooves is a crucial part of ensuring your horses health. You should check your horses hooves daily, and minimum twice per week. You should become familiar with what is usual and what isn’t, and be able to to see any problems that may be beginning.
Following this simple guide might assist you in your daily practices.
1. As you approach your horse ensure the symmetry is close, however they don’t have to be exactly equal, but very similar to the same size and shape.
2. Examine for faults in the wall and coronary band. Pick up the hoof, run your hand over the outside of the wall to feel for impairments. Apply the exact procedure for the coronary band and then press it softly. Using these two techniques will also point out soft areas and moisture bearing areas.
3. Look carefully at the sole. Check the colouring in each hoof. Ideally they should be identical in colour. A well defined dark spot indicates a bruise or damage.
4. Look at and compare the frogs. The hooves at the front should be the sae size and shapeand it should be a similr case with the back hooves. Try to gently depress each frog with your hoof pick, mostly, excluding the desert areas, it should be a little spongy.
5. If already shod, grasp the shoe and see if it is loose. Check for lost clinches, if loose you may choose to remove it before your horse loses it by itself and perhaps removes a section of hoof with it.
If you continuously check each hoof, you will be able to avoid a lot of problems by noticing the problem before it worsens.
I would recommend you work into your routiene a couple of quick steps. Use a pick from heel to toe. If packed tightly you will probably need to loosen it up a touch before it is taken off. Once all the debris is removed, examine all the areas of the hoof and make positive that there is not a bad odour as this is usually a clear indicator of thrush. Make sure there aren’t any pebbles or gravel stuck anywhere, even under the shoe.
The hooves should show a natural shine on the hoof wall.
If you find a smooth level surface with no cracks, circles, dishes, flares and a concave sole which touches the shoe, then you should be confident that your horses hooves are in good condition.
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