Hoof care in a horse is very important. A horse with weak or poorly-groomed hooves can become severely lame and sustain permanent damage to the movement mechanism. Daily minimal care and regular thorough maintenance can prevent many of these problems. This is the job of the farrier, but also of the horse keeper.
Unfortunately, the care of a horse’s hooves is all too often neglected. A regular visit from the farrier is thought to be enough to keep the horse’s hooves healthy, but unfortunately, that’s not entirely true. The hooves require a daily check-up, which only takes a few minutes.
Need to check
Make it a habit to check your horse’s hooves daily. This way you can intervene quickly if something is wrong, and the damage can usually be limited. The minimum daily care consists of scratching the four hooves and checking for any cuts or softness.
In most stables the horse comes out of the stable one or more times a day to go to the pasture or paddock, or to train. In addition, it may happen that the horse kicks something, and thus damages the underside of the hoof. A small stone can be enough to cause a serious wound. Therefore, always check the horse’s hooves when he leaves the stable and comes back into the stable. With a horse that is used to giving its feet, this only takes a few minutes. If there is sand, straw or something else in the hooves, use a hoof scraper to remove the dirt. Use that moment to check that there are no wounds. Also make sure that the radius, this is the triangle on the underside of the hoof, is not soft and moist. That could indicate rock beam, a condition that must be treated. If the horse has horseshoes, the daily check-up is also the ideal time to check whether the shoes are loose or need to be replaced.
Need to grease
Greasing the hooves can improve hoof quality. However, make sure that you do not work with products too often! The hoof has a fairly good system of its own to maintain moisture levels. Applying too much moisture, in the form of hoof grease or hoof oil, can cause the hooves to become weak. Greasing once a week with hoof oil or hoof oil should usually be more than enough to keep the hooves healthy and shiny.
Supplements
Some horses naturally have dry hooves or crumbly hooves. As a result, pieces will sometimes break off, which can again cause problems. In that case it could be interesting to give the horse a nutritional supplement that improves the general hoof quality. Biotin is a good means for this and exists in various, from almost pure to mixed with other vitamins.
A good farrier
A good farrier also contributes to optimal hoof care. Depending on how quickly the hooves grow back, he will come by every 6 to 10 weeks to trim the horse and possibly shoe it. He can best determine whether the horse needs horseshoes and which shoes it needs. If the horse is acutely lame, it is recommended to notify the farrier. A hoof ulcer can occur just like that and is very painful for the horse, but can be cut open by the blacksmith so that the wound can heal.