There’s an old saying among horse people, “no foot, no horse.” A horse’s entire weight, often more than 1,000 lbs., is supported by four, relatively small feet. Without healthy feet, a horse could really experience a lot of health problems throughout its life.
With that in mind, as a horse owner one of most important aspects of health for horses is proper foot care. A horse that is shod improperly, irregularly or unsuccessfully is at a high risk for hoof problems or injury.
Dr. Gary Webb, an Animal and Equine Science Professor at Missouri State University said that in Missouri our climate and rocks can potentially cause a lot of problems for horses’ hoofs. He went on to say, “If you don’t keep up with trimming, the toe can get really long and you get some sheer force pulling it away from the foot. The hoof is softer in the winter because it’s wetter so it splits and causes a lot of problems for the horse. This is compiled with the large amount of rocks encountered by animals in the Ozarks.” Trimming a horses toe is essentially like humans trimming their fingernails.
These are just the beginning to potential problems horses can run into concerning their foot health. Other common ailments are thrash and canker. Thrash is an infection of the frog (or the softer tissue on the bottom of the horse’s foot, surrounded mostly by the sole) and canker is an infection in the entire foot. Horses can also get corns and bruises from improperly managed shoes, if the sole and frog have been pared too closely in trimming or from leaving shoes on for too long. Webb recommends either trimming or shoeing show horses every six weeks and trail horses every eight weeks.
Most of these problems can be resolved before they ever occur. Webb said, “A little bit of prevention can go a long way in preventing foot troubles.” It’s important to use a hoofpick often to clean the horses shoes, preferably before and after riding. Also make sure and keep hoofs trimmed or properly shod.
Dr. Stephen Jackson conducts Equine Research in the state of Kentucky. Through his research he has come to the conclusion that adding protein to your horse’s diet can strengthen the cell wall of the hoof and allow for better foot health with fewer problems. Good nutrition is always important for maintaining the health, including foot health, of horses.
In terms of overall health of the horse, hoof health ranks among the most important elements of concern. In Webb’s opinion, “hoof health is critical, especially if they’re being ridden a lot. Soundness issues are important in terms of maintaining their usefulness.”
Regardless of whether or not your horse is used for work or for play, it’s imperative that foot and hoof health is at the top of your priority list. Keep hooves clean, keep them maintained, and keep them healthy with good nutrition and you will be able to enjoy your horse’s companionship and usefulness for many years to come.
