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How Often Should I Have My Horse Trimmed?
The horse's hoof grows approximately ¼ inch per month. Growth is
regulated by the heart rate in the individual animal. Old horses grow
slower, young horses grow faster because of this. The recommended time
frame is four to eight weeks, with six weeks being most popular.
Regular trimming can prevent many hoof disorders.
If My Horse Wears Shoes, Does He Still Have to Be Trimmed as Often?
Yes, more often because no hoof wears off, while protected by a shoe.
How Do I Know if My Horse Needs Shoes?
A horseshoe can perform many functions: protection, support, stability,
and to relieve pressure from sensitive areas. Any activity or
disease/discomfort that would require one of these functions will
necessitate the use of a horseshoe. Some examples of horses needing
shoes are: foundered horses, thin-soled, thin-walled, leg deformed,
broken coffin bone, performance horses, rough ground. The horseshoe can
also change a horse's way of going by adding weight or a moving weight.
When is it Good to Leave My Horse Barefoot?
Not all horses have to be shod. A horse with strong thick walls and
sole can do quite well barefoot. Balanced trimming on a regular basis
is all the farrier attention many horses need.
Why Do Some Farriers Put Shoes on Hot and Some Do Not?
Aluminum shoes are not burned on feet because they shape very easily
cold. We shoe "hot" because it softens the metal, making it easier to
shape/pull clips, and the searing heat of the hot shoe helps to seal
out bacteria that might otherwise enter the white line area.
Do High Nails Hurt the Horse? Is that What "Quicks" the Horse?
High nails are good nails because if the horse pulls a shoe he won't
tear the wall off. The clinches will easily straighten as they come
through so much strong hoof wall. The foot is healthier an inch above
the ground surface. A horse is not quicked by how high or how the nail
exits the foot. It is quicked by where the nail enters the foot. Nails
must enter in the whiteline or just outside of it to be safe.
How Can I Tell if My Horse Has Thrush?
Thrush is an anaerobic bacteria present in horse manure. A horse
afflicted with thrush will display a strong odor when you pick the
feet. The substance will be black and tarry. Thrush eats away at the
frog and can exit in the bulb areas at the heal because frog tissue
extends to there. Most horses with thrush are not lame but they can
become so. The destruction of the frog inhibits heal expansion and can
cause contracted heals.
What Is a Horse Owner to Do When their Farrier and Veternarian Can't See Eye to Eye?
Call a therapist. First, respect both professionals and communicate
effectively. Try to pick a team that gets along well while your horse
is healthy, that way, if trouble comes there will be no issue.
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