It's important to care for horses' hooves

“For want of a nail, the shoe was lost: for want of a shoe, the horse was lost: for want of a horse, the rider was lost: for want of a rider, the flag was lost: for want of a flag, the battle was lost.  And, all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”

The poet eloquently stated the importance of hoof care in the horse.  Much later, a colonial summed it up with “No hoof, no horse.”

The well-being and usefulness of a horse are entirely dependent on the condition of his feet. Since the hoof usually grows at least one fourth of an inch each month, hooves may easily become overgrown without regular trimming. Domestic horses seldom run across enough sandy ground to keep their hooves worn evenly. Consequently, the overgrown hooves are susceptible to cracking and curling. Cracks cause lameness and the curled-under hoof traps rocks and mud which lead to infections and abscesses in the bottom of the foot.  Hooves should be trimmed at least each six to eight weeks to avoid the problems seen with overgrowth.

The feet of many horses are too soft to allow the horse to be ridden over uneven or rocky ground.  These horses usually require shoes to prevent injury and lameness.  The shoes must be removed and the feet trimmed at  least each six to eight weeks to avoid the problems seen with overgrowth.

During the winter, mud and moisture may cause cracks and infection in the frog of the foot.  This condition is called thrush and is easily recognized by its four odor.  Bleeding, scabby cracks in the skin above the hoof (scratches infection) may also develop.  These conditions may often be prevented by giving the horse a clean, dry stall to stand in and by daily cleaning the feet and pasterns.

The winter may cause other problems for the horse who has to continuously walk over frozen hoof-rutted ground.  Frozen ruts bruise the feet as easily as do sharp rocks.  An entire herd of  horses may become lame when a freeze hits an area.

Feet softened by winter mud are more easily bruised and split.  A dry stall and constant inspections are good safeguards.

Snow and ice often pack into the bottom of a horse’s feet.  This causes the horse to, in effect, walk on stilts.  Much of this problem may be avoided by regular hoof trimming and by daily inspection of the horse’s feet.

It is easy to toss the horse his feed each cold, wet day and forget the rest, but the horse will fare far better if he gets regular attention.