Proper Care for Your Horse's Hooves

Your horse's hooves are the base for their entire body. Since a horse spends 98% of it's time standing up you will need to pay special attention to the horse's hooves and feet. The difference between the hoof and the foot is the foot is the entire base of the leg. The hoof, the bones, and all the internal structures are considered to be parts of the foot. The hoof refers to only the exterior covering of the foot that has no blood supply or nerves. The hoof is similar to a humans' finger and toe nails in characteristics. The hoof is however, much more important in a horse's body than a human's fingernail is to their body!

Caring for your horse's hooves is very important. You will need to clean the hoof periodically. A simple hoof pick should be part of every horse man's grooming kit. The pick is very simple and basically just a metal rod with a hook on the end to scrap the dirt off and away from the hoof. The hooves should always be cleaned with a hoof pick prior to every ride and also and the end of every ride. If your horse is in a stall you will need to clean their hooves daily whether you are planning to ride or not. This will help to prevent thrush in your horse. If your horse lives in the pasture you will want to check their hooves and clean them at least once a week to be sure no objects have become lodged in your horse's hoof.

Trimming your horse's hooves is also very important. The hoof is growing continually and should be trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Some horse's hooves grow slower, and some grow faster. The growth rate of your horse's hooves will help you decide how often they should be trimmed. Trimming is not something you should do yourself. You will need to find a farrier who is trained to trim the hooves. Farriers have received ample training on horse anatomy and know how short or long to leave the hoof. If your horse's hooves are trimmed improperly the horse may become sore and lame for months.

Some horses will need shoes. This is another job for a trained farrier and should not be attempted by yourself. Horses that will be spending a lot of time on hard surfaces such as pavement or blacktop will need shoes. Shoes will help protect the hoof from too much wear and tear from the hard ground. If your horse is on soft ground for most of the time no shoes will be needed. You and your farrier can decide what shoes are best for your horse and set up a shawing schedule. There are also a few other hoof conditions that may result in shoeing your horse. These include flat soles and week hoof walls. Shoes will need to be reset every 6 weeks. Loose shoes are dangerous to the horse and should be removed immediately. To pull off a shoe be sure you cut all the clinches first.

If your horse has healthy feet it will be one less thing to worry about. If your horse's feet become troublesome be sure to contact your veterinarian and farrier soon so that you can remedy the problem quickly. A horse is never happy when it has sore feet! Some simple care and cleaning of your horse's hooves should help to keep them healthy and strong!