5 Basic Hoof Care Routines For A Healthy Horse
While maintaining your horse’s hooves, you need to know how their feet work, clean the hooves regularly (with a pick), trim the hooves, keep the correct horseshoes on the horse, and make regular visits to the farrier.
The adage that goes, “No foot, no horse,” aptly conveys the importance of looking after the hooves of your horse. Improper hoof care can cause an animal to experience pain and discomfort and even become lame. Diseases and infections can also the effects of hooves that are not properly cared. You should invest in products such as horse hoof supplements that are meant to promote the health of your horse’s hooves and be aware of the hoof care routines that you can follow to keep your horse healthy.
You need to be familiar with the horse’s feet
If you are unfamiliar with the characteristics and anatomy of a horse’s foot, then you might want to do a bit of research. General knowledge and background information will aid you understand how your horse’s feet should look and will help you find if the feet are healthy and normal or whether they have abnormal characteristics. The frog portion of your horse’s foot should normally feel like a brand new rubber eraser. But, during your horse’s shedding period, it is very normal for the frog to look dry. This will use bad smells, debris, and cracks on your horse’s hooves.
Have a regular examination of your horse’s feet
If you see any stones and/or debris wedged into your horse’s feet you can pick them out yourself. Regular picking will keep the hooves clean and free from any foreign objects and will allow you to closely inspect them for any signs of injuries and damage. This will help prevent more serious health problems in the future. Picking debris from the horse’s feet prior to exercise can reduce soreness. Any stones, mud and other debris that might have accumulated must gently be taken out with the help of a hoof pick. You can tell if the frog has a bacterial infection by checking for odd secretions or a bad smell.
You should be able limit hooves of a horse
Whether your horse is wearing horseshoes or is allowed to walk barefoot, you must make sure that you trim and level hooves regularly.
Be certain to get horseshoes that fit properly for size. For horses that wear horseshoes, it is important that the shoes are not loose, as these can give discomfort and even cause lameness. Be sure that the nails are holding the shoes tight to the hooves in order to be sure that no stone or other type of debris gets caught between the shoe and the rim.
Take regular visits to the farrier
Farriers are experts on horse hooves and will be able to answer your questions. Be sure to schedule routine visits. Farrier visits should take place monthly in the summer, but visits can be spaced a little farther apart in the winter months. If your horse is wearing corrective shoes, more frequent visits may be needed.
The hooves of your horse will affect the overall welfare and health of the animal. The right products, and paying attention to the hooves, can greatly improve the horse’s health.
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