Hoof care

Cleaning

A hoofpick is probably the most important tool in a grooming kit. Always clean your horse’s hooves before and after riding. Whether or not they are ridden, horses kept in stalls or confined areas should have their hooves picked out daily to prevent thrush. Horses on pasture should have their feet cleaned periodically.

Trimming

Like our fingernails, a horse’s hooves grow continuously. They need to be trimmed every six to eight weeks to keep them in proper shape.

Trimming is a job for a trained farrier. An inexperienced person can easily trim the hoof wall too short or pare too much sole, causing the horse to be sore. More importantly, the hoof must be balanced precisely to the horse’s natural way of going or he’s going to end up lame. The skill required to keep a hoof properly balanced takes a lot of training and practice to develop. In the long run, it’s cheaper to pay for a good farrier than risk ruining your horse.

Shoeing

Horses who are doing a lot of work or working on hard ground will need to be shod. Some horses with weak hoof walls, flat soles or other problems might need shoes even if they’re not working. Consult your farrier or veterinarian for advice.

Shoes need to be reset every six to eight weeks. Leaving them on too long can damage the hoof. If a shoe comes loose without coming off completely, it can also injure the horse. (Never pull off a loose shoe without cutting the clinches first.)

What hoof problems should I watch for?

Most foot problems can be avoided with proper care. Keep your horse on clean, dry footing. Feed him properly. Pick out his feet on a regular basis. Have his hooves trimmed or shod regularly by a competent farrier. Protect his feet with properly fitted shoes and pads if necessary.

Thrush and Canker

Thrush, the more common of the two, is an infection of the frog. Canker (hoof rot) is an infection of the whole foot. You’ll recognize both from a foul odour and discharge from the disintegrating frog. Both are caused by keeping a horse in wet, dirty conditions.

If you find that your horse is just starting a thrush infection, you can treat it with brush-on medications available in tack stores. For more advanced cases, consult your veterinarian or farrier.

Corns and Bruised Sole

Corns are caused by constant, small repeated pressures to a part of the foot. Common causes are a poor shoeing job or shoes that are left on too long.

Bruises are caused by a single, traumatic blow to the foot, such as stepping on a piece of gravel. Bruising is more likely to happen if the horse has naturally flat soles, or if the sole and frog have been pared too thin in trimming.

If the bruise or corn has not abscessed, removing the cause of the problem is usually all the treatment required. If your horse bruises easily, he may need protective shoes and pads.

Abscesses

If your horse suddenly goes dead lame on one foot, an abscess is the most probable cause. It could be caused by a puncture wound or by a corn or bruise.

Your veterinarian will drain the abscess and prescribe follow-up treatment. She will probably also give the horse a tetanus shot.

Cracks

Cracks in the hoof wall can start at the bottom and go up or at the top and go down. The seriousness of a crack depends on how deep it goes and where it is located. If the crack is deep enough that it bleeds after the horse has exercised, infection is likely.

Cracks that start at the top of the foot are due to disturbances in hoof growth resulting from coronet injuries such as wirecuts. Cracks that start at the bottom of the foot are caused by dry or thin hoof walls or improper trimming.

Serious cracks may require corrective shoeing.

Seedy Toe

Seedy toe is a separation of the hoof wall from the white line in the toe region causing a hole between the hoof wall and the sensitive laminae. The outside of the hoof wall looks sound, but the inside becomes crumbly.

Poor foot care is the most common cause. Seedy toe is easily caused when the hoof wall is allowed to grow too long. It also commonly occurs with chronic laminitis.

Laminitis or Founder

Laminitis, commonly called founder, is an acutely painful inflammation of the foot. It occurs most often in the front feet although it can affect the hind feet as well. The most common cause is overeating.
What is laminitis? Is it the same as founder?

Laminitis, commonly called founder, is an acutely painful inflammation of the foot. It occurs most often in the front feet although it can affect the hind feet as well. Founder is the name given to the resultant tissue damage and complications following one or a series of acute attacks of laminitis.

In the worst case, permanent damage to the laminae can result and the attachment of the coffin bone to the hoof wall breaks down. The whole weight of the horse bears down on the coffin bone, and without the attachment to the hoof wall, the bone rotates down and can actually be pushed right through the sole to the ground.

What are the symptoms of laminitis?

If just the two front feet are affected, the horse will stand in the "founder stance" with his hind legs well up under the body carrying as much weight as possible, and the front legs placed forward with the weight on the heel. He will be reluctant to walk and will turn by leaning back and pivoting around on the rear legs.

If all four feet are affected, the horse will lie down for extended periods and may refuse to get up. If forced to stand, he will pull his hind feet and fore feet in toward each other under the centre of his body.

Other symptoms include heavy breathing and glazed eyes due to pain. The feet will feel hot and the digital artery, located over the fetlock joint, will have a pounding pulse.

Each attack of acute laminitis can leave a ring formation on the hoof. A horse suffering from chronic founder will have multiple rings on his hooves. He might also have seedy toe, a separation of the hoof wall from the sensitive laminae in the toe area. If left untrimmed, the hoof wall also overgrows to form a "slipper foot".

What causes laminitis?

Many different situations can cause laminitis. Grazing on lush pasture (particularly overweight horses), overloading on grain, eating lawn grass clippings, or drinking large amounts of water when overheated can all cause a horse to founder.

Other causes include a mare retaining the afterbirth, hard or fast work on a hard surface or standing too long on a hard surface, and stressful situations such as colic.

What should I do if my horse has an attack of laminitis?

The first thing to do is identify and remove the cause of the problem and call a veterinarian. Treatment is given to relieve pain and reduce swelling and the horse is put on a carefully monitored feeding program. X-rays of the feet may be required to monitor progress.

Long term management of a horse with founder requires careful attention to feeding to prevent a recurrence. The horse will probably have to be kept off pasture and fed hay. To keep the foot in as normal a shape as possible, corrective trimming at regular intervals by a farrier will be necessary. Corrective shoeing might also be indicated.

Chronic cases can be kept reasonably sound by proper trimming and shoeing and a sensible feeding program. However, if the horse cannot be kept pain-free, euthanasia may be the kindest option.

How can I prevent my horse from getting laminitis?

Laminitis is a disease that can be avoided by following proper horse management.

Avoid feeding excesses and keep your horse at a reasonable weight. Watch for and avoid grass blooms on pastures; pull horses off the fields and onto dry lots if necessary. Feed hay in the morning and turn horses out after the lushness and dew is off the grass. Keep grain in closed bins and the door to the feed room closed.

Give horses unlimited access to fresh, clean water, except immediately after exercise, when the amount should be regulated.

Make changes to routines slowly and progressively

Pay attention to breed and body types; some are more likely to founder than others. Be particularly careful with horses with thick, cresty necks and with ponies. If you have a horse or pony that has previously foundered, be extra careful to avoid a recurrence.

Navicular Disease

If your horse is lame on and off with no apparent cause, your veterinarian may suspect navicular disease. The pain is caused by degeneration of the navicular bone, a small bone inside the foot, and the tendon which passes over it.