How To Care For Your Horses Feet
Caring for your horses feet is a necessary part of ensuring your horses wellbeing. As the adage says, no hoof no horse! You should look at your horses hooves each day, and at the least, three times weekly. A good horse owner will grow used to what is usual and what isn’t, and to realise and fix any possible problems before they begin. By implementing the following guidelines into your every day grooming routine you are going to be able to better look after for your horses hooves.
1. Stand back and observe at the horses hooves to ensure that both pairs are identical in length and shape, although they do not need to be precisely the same, they ought to be fairly close to the same size and not look to be either too extended in the toes or look to be club footed .
2. Look for cracks or splits on the hoof lining and coronary band. Lift up the foot, pass a hand around the exterior of the wall to check for any problems. When that is complete use the same method on the coronary band and then push lightly around the hoof wall, these two methods should additionally point out any sore areas as well as any built up areas of fluid.
3. Carefully look at the colour underneath of the foot to make sure that it is consistent in colour. When there is a visibly noticeable dark circle or spot it may possibly be a sign of a stone bruise or a internal puncture wound.
4. Inspect and assess the frogs. The front feet ought to be comparable in size and nature as well as the same on the back feet. After that you should gently push on the frog with a hoof pick, in the majority of countries, with the exclusion of drought or desert places, the frog needs to be to some extent damp and spongy.
5. When the horse has shoes, hold onto the shoe in order to see if it is loose. Look for loose-fitting or missing nails, if the shoe is loose-fitting you should take off the shoe in case your horse looses it while running about and perhaps ripping a piece off its foot with it or even worse getting a puncture wound from one of the nails by stepping on a partially pulled off shoe .
When you frequently look at your horses feet as part of its normal grooming, you are able to avoid potential heartache by stopping any problems before they become acute. Whenever it comes to picking the hoof I suggest you apply the following easy steps. Use the hoof pick down the side of the frog from the heel to toe. If the mud is securely packed in you may want to break it up a little before it is picked out. After all the dirt is picked out, look at all parts of the foot and ensure that there is not a foul smell because it may be a indication of thrush. Also ensure that there are no rocks or sticks wedged anywhere, even underneath the shoe.
In order to have a healthy foot your horse should show a genuine shine on the hoof wall and an even consistent surface without cracks, flares and dishes and a concave sole that is supported by the shoe.
Kelly Walker is a full time saddler based in Queensland Australia. For extra information and all your saddlery requirements visit: kwsaddlery.com.au