“No Feet, No Horse!”
The old adage ”no feet, no horse” and “shoeing is a necessary evil” have been declared for generations by the horse-owning public. It is not expected that all horse owners will or should trim and shoe their horse’s feet. This all too often is a neglected part of horse care. Clean hooves help prevent common ailments such as thrush. A basic understanding ofhow to evaluate and care for your horse’s hooves is important.
One of the most basic parts of horse hoof care is cleaning (picking) out manure, mud and stones from your horse’s hooves. This is especially important during the winter months, when packed mud and snow in your horse’s hooves make it uncomfortable for your horse to walk. Keep your horse’s feet as clean and dry as possible. The flooring of your barn stall should not be damp. Also, the paddock area should have proper drainage to minimize the amount of time your horse stands in water or mud. Continuous contact with wet conditions will promote rapid drying of the hooves and may cause them to crack and chip.
Trimming will prevent sand cracks and breaking off of the hoof wall, which often results in lameness. Trimming provides balance so that a horse moves consistently and at its best. Horses should receive routine hoof care every 4 to 8 weeks. Regular hoof care means a safer horse to ride, both to the rider and the horse.