Happy and Healthy Hooves
While the obvious thing to do is to simply hire a farrier and call it a day, it’s very important to have a foundational knowledge of hoof health and do your part between professional cleanings.
Familiarize Yourself with your Horse's Hooves
The first thing is to be familiar with your horse.
What do their hooves look like when they are healthy?
Are they prone to certain issues?
What is their usual colour and texture?
By knowing what their healthy hooves look like, you will be able to recognize if anything is out of the ordinary before it becomes a problem. Get comfortable regularly examining their hooves for things like stones or other small objects that could be easily removed right away.
Have a Stocked Tool Box
Having the proper tools on hand will make your regular inspections much easier. My own personal favourite tools for hoof cleaning include a hoof pick with a stiff brush.
Regular Inspections To Keep On Top of Issues
Regularly inspecting your horse’s hooves will help you catch infection or injury early on. This will not only ensure that your horse is comfortable, but it may also mitigate the risk of further complications and expensive vet bills.
It’s helpful to pair a quick hoof inspection with something you do regularly. Perhaps you take a peak every time you change the water or in the evening before locking up for the day.
Schedule Regular Farrier Visits
Generally speaking, you should schedule farrier visits every 6 - 8 weeks for optimal hoof health. If you find that some horses are seeing issues sooner than 6 weeks, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to schedule monthly visits to stay on top of issues. Developing a good relationship with your farrier will ensure an open and honest line of communication to find the best schedule for your horses and their unique needs.
Learn Proper Horseshoe Removal
Learning how to remove a horseshoe yourself is a valuable skill that could save you time and money as well as reduce damage to the hoof should the shoe shift or become damaged. Farriers and vets are busy people and will likely appreciate you knowing this skill instead of trying to fit you in at the very last minute.
Be Conscious of the External Environment
Do your hands get dry or do your nails get brittle in the colder months? Like human nails, hoof health can fluctuate with the season, especially between dry and wet conditions. These changes can cause the hooves to become softer and expand when wet and, when they dry, expand causing ill-fitting shoes.
Standing in mud for long periods of time can also cause issues such as thrush and can be hard on shoes. The suction caused by the mud can also pull off shoes and change usual walking patterns causing horses to step on their own feet and damage or pull at the shoes.
Happy Hooves, Happy Horse
Healthy hooves are foundational to an all-around healthy horse so it’s important to take proper care of them. There are a lot of great resources out there that can teach you in more detail how to properly care for your horse and, as always, feel free to reach out with questions or even schedule a visit to the barn and see for yourself!