Hoof Care Archives - Practical Horseman https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health/hoof-care/ Tue, 26 Aug 2025 21:53:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://s3.amazonaws.com/wp-s3-practicalhorsemanmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/14150009/cropped-practical-horseman-fav-icon-32x32.png Hoof Care Archives - Practical Horseman https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health/hoof-care/ 32 32 Learn How to Manage and Prevent Common Sporthorse Injuries https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/featured-articles/learn-how-to-manage-and-prevent-common-sporthorse-injuries/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 13:26:55 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=30096 It’s midway through the season and your show calendar is packed. Maybe you’re hoping to qualify for equitation finals or collect points toward year-end awards in hunter or jumper divisions. Will you reach your goal or will an injury sideline your horse?

“Football players tear up their knees—it’s what they do. Hunters, jumpers and equitation horses are also athletes and they will get athletic injuries,” says Elizabeth Davidson, DVM, who focuses on equine sports medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. In this article, Davidson explains how some common injuries happen, how they’re treated and how they could affect your horse’s career.

Tendons and ligaments that support the horse’s leg are stressed during both the push-off and landing when jumping. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Any horse can get hurt at any time, of course. But hunter, jumper and hunt-seat equitation disciplines include demands that set horses up for certain injuries.

• Jumping stresses tendons and ligaments that support the leg during both push-off and landing. The impact of landing can also damage structures in the front feet. The bigger the jump, the bigger the stress.

• Speed increases the stress of jumping, so risks are higher for jumpers who are against the clock. Tight turns also raise the odds of a misstep that could lead to injury.

• Repetitive stress takes a toll. Many horses in these sports show year-round—and when they’re not showing, they’re schooling. “With repetitive stress, minor damage can build up in ligaments or other structures,” Davidson explains. “Then something tips it over the edge.”

What’s most likely to bench your horse? Hard statistics on injury rates in hunters, jumpers and equitation horses are limited, Davidson notes. “At any horse show you’ll see horses of different ages and breeds in different training programs and with riders at different skill levels. The variables make research difficult,” she says. Still, at a large referral clinic like New Bolton Center, many horses in these sports come in with problems in three areas that we’ll discuss below.

Suspensory Ligament Tears

The suspensory ligament acts like a sling, supporting the ankle joint as it sinks under weight and helping the joint return to normal when the weight is removed. Tucked behind the cannon bone, this ligament starts just below the knee (or hock), splits into two branches that pass around the back of the ankle and ends on the front of the long pastern bone below.

What happens: If the strain is too great, the tough fibers that make up the ligament may tear. “This is an area that undergoes repetitive stress, so it’s a common site for athletic injury,” Davidson says. “In horses that jump, both front and hind injuries occur.” Although fibers can tear at any point on the ligament, proximal (high) injuries are common. The injury may be mild with just a few torn fibers, but in severe cases, the ligament may rupture or even fracture bone as it tears away.

What you see: “Your horse may suddenly be lame, but usually damage has been building up as a result of recurring stress,” Davidson notes. “Identifying the problem as early as possible, before severe injury, gives the horse the best chance of recovery.” Early detection isn’t easy with high suspensory injuries, though. A horse with a mild injury may be barely off and because the top of the ligament is hidden under other structures, you won’t find heat, swelling or sensitivity at the site.

What to do: Your veterinarian can find the problem with local nerve blocks and a hands-on exam. An ultrasound scan will show the exact site and degree of injury to the ligament, and X-rays can show if bone is damaged. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can also identify damage to the ligament. “MRI is often helpful in hind-limb suspensory injuries, when ultrasound can be difficult to interpret,” Davidson says.

Every case is different, so your vet will help you work out a treatment plan that suits your horse’s injury. Treatment usually includes these steps:

Cool down. To reduce inflammation, your vet may prescribe cold therapy (icing or cold-hosing several times a day) and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as phenylbutazone or Banamine® (flunixin meglumine).

Stall rest to let healing begin. Your vet may advise standing wraps for the injured leg and the opposing leg.

Hand-walking. Once inflammation is down, controlled walking encourages proper healing. Follow your veterinarian’s advice, starting with as little as 10 minutes a day and gradually increasing the time.

Gradual return to exercise. Working closely with your vet, set up a program that eases your horse back into work over several months, using ultrasound exams to monitor the ligament and adjust the program as needed.

Your vet may suggest other therapies, such as shockwave treatments. Stem cells or platelet-rich plasma can be injected at the injury site with the goal of improving healing. Research into these new regenerative therapies is ongoing.

Stall rest may be required for suspensory ligament injuries. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Surgery—neurectomy of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve and fasciotomy—is an option for hind-limb proximal suspensory injuries that are reluctant to heal, Davidson says. In the hind limb, a band of connective tissue traps the top of the ligament in a sort of compartment and swelling within the compartment causes chronic pain. The surgeon cuts the connective tissue (fasciotomy) and the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve (neurectomy), relieving pressure and pain. This nerve branch serves only the top of the suspensory, so the operation doesn’t otherwise affect the horse. Your veterinarian can help decide if surgery might be the best option for your horse’s case.

What to expect: Ligaments heal slowly—anywhere from two to 12 months, depending on the location and extent of the damage. The process can’t be rushed. Re-injury is a risk even after healing because scar tissue that forms isn’t quite as strong as the original ligament tissue.

“Front proximal suspensory ligament injuries tend to heal well with treatment, but hind injuries often don’t respond so well,” Davidson says. “With conservative treatment only, less than 20 percent of horses with hind proximal suspensory ligament injuries return to previous levels. Surgery greatly improves the odds.” Keep in mind, though, that current rules bar horses from FEI competition after any neurectomy.

Sore Feet

The front feet take the brunt of landing after a jump and structures in the hoof capsule work together to handle the shock. The coffin joint—the meeting point of the small pastern bone, the navicular bone in the heel and the coffin bone in the toe—disperses the force. Ligaments that lash the joint together stretch then spring back. So does the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), which runs behind the joint and helps support the navicular bone.

Horse Hart Bar Shoe
Careful trimming and shoeing are essential to keeping a horse comfortable and sound. The hoof must be trimmed at the correct angle in order for the bones to properly align and the foot to break over easily. Wedge pads or bar shoes may also help take pressure off the heels. ©Dusty Perin

What happens: The feet are designed to handle great forces, but jumping fence after fence takes a toll. Common problems include:

• Strains and tears in the DDFT or the ligaments in the foot

• Inflammation in the coffin joint or in the navicular bursa, a fluid-filled sac that helps cushion the navicular bone from the pressure of the DDFT

• Deep bone bruising, which can appear in any of the foot bones

• Inflammation and degeneration of the navicular bone

“Sometimes there are multiple problems,” Davidson says. “Again, these are injuries that occur through wear and tear—damage builds up until it hits the tipping point.”

What you see: “Because the injured structures are hidden by the hoof capsule, you don’t see swelling or other signs,” Davidson explains. “Often these problems are bilateral, involving both front feet, so the horse may not be obviously lame. He may begin to move with shorter strides, but the gait is still symmetrical.” Or the horse may be lame and improve with rest, but be sore again when he goes back to work. He may rest a front foot or shift weight from one foot to the other when standing.

What to do: A lameness exam and diagnostic nerve blocks will help the vet determine the general site of soreness. Often it’s in the heel, or caudal, region, where several key structures come together. But to treat the problem, you need to know which structures are injured.

X-rays can reveal bone damage, but they won’t show soft-tissue injuries. Ultrasound is great for imaging soft tissues in the leg, but it’s hard to get a clear ultrasound image in the hoof capsule. The best tool, Davidson says, is MRI. “With MRI we are able to look inside the hoof capsule and sort out these problems much better than in the past,” she notes. The results will help your veterinarian target treatment to fit the injury.

• A tendon or ligament injury needs a long period of rest, six months to a year. You’ll follow more or less the same program as you would with a suspensory injury with stall rest followed by a gradual return to work. The vet may recommend directed injections of platelet-rich plasma or stem cells.

• Inflammation in the coffin joint or the navicular bursa may respond to directed injections of corticosteroids, which are powerful anti-inflammatories, and hyaluronic acid, which is a natural component of cartilage and joint fluid.

• A bone bruise needs rest. This injury isn’t as serious as a fracture, but there is microscopic damage to the bone and fluid builds up within it. Healing can take three or four months depending on the degree of bruising.

• When the navicular bone is chronically inflamed, it responds by remodeling, losing mineral content in some areas and developing lumps of new growth in others. This pattern of inflammation and degeneration is often called navicular disease, and it doesn’t heal with rest.

What to expect: A horse with a mild injury has the best chance of recovery, but Davidson notes that rehabilitation can be challenging. “In sporthorses, significant pathology in the foot doesn’t have a good outlook. When the horse goes back to work, he stresses the same structures—so reinjury is likely,” she says.

Good trimming and shoeing are essential to keep the horse comfortable, regardless of what structures are involved. It’s important to keep the hoof trimmed at the correct angle, so the bones are properly aligned and the foot breaks over easily. Wedge pads or bar shoes can help take pressure off the heels. When problems persist, though, the horse may have to switch to a lighter work program.

Joint Problems

Elite horses are especially prone to joint problems. “Jumping a lot of big jumps—and jumping every weekend—stresses joints and eventually triggers degenerative joint disease (DJD),” Davidson says. Common sites include the hocks and ankles, but DJD can develop in any joint that comes under stress when the horse works.

Checking Horses Leg for Injuries
A daily hands-on leg check to look for heat, swelling or sensitivity can alert you to potential injuries. ©Frank Sorge/arnd.nl

What happens: Chronic inflammation in the joint from injury or simple wear and tear sets off a destructive chain of events. The viscous fluid that fills the joint becomes thin and watery, so it doesn’t lubricate the cartilage that cushions the working surfaces so well. Under pressure, cartilage starts to wear away and the joint stiffens. There’s more concussion on the bones, which respond by remodeling. Lumps of new bone growth appear in the joint.

What you see: Joint problems often creep up gradually. At first your horse may be mildly sore or stiff or just seem less fluid or less forward, especially at the start of work. The soreness may improve with rest, but it returns. Over time it worsens and begins to affect his performance over jumps. You may find heat or swelling in the affected joint.

What to do: Your vet can perform a lameness exam and other tests to diagnose DJD. X-rays can show damage to bone and cartilage, but by the time this damage shows up the destructive process is well under way. Damage to the joint can’t be reversed, but you may be able to slow the progress of the disease by managing inflammation. Anti-inflammatory medications like phenylbutazone can help the horse weather a flare-up, but for long-term management there are other options.

Management Options

Regardless of which modalities an owner and veterinarian elect to use when approaching equine joint health, it’s important to approach DJD or osteoarthritis (OA) not just as a cartilage or even a joint issue but, rather, a “whole-horse disease.”

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): These ubiquitous drugs, such as phenylbutazone (Bute), help keep horses with inflamed joints comfortable and are widely used as part of the approved multimodal treatment approach to OA. In older horses who do little to no work, NSAIDs can help control comfort and maintain quality of life. In performance horses, however, experts agree that NSAIDs should not be the base of your treatment program.

“I think that NSAIDs can have a place in performance horse management,” says José M. García-López, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR, associate professor of large animal surgery at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. “These can safely be used at a low dose and while monitoring the overall health of the horse, either during conditioning or rehabilitation from an injury.”

Intra-Articular Therapies: In lieu of relying on NSAIDs to help maintain joint health, veterinarians often use intermittent intra-articular therapies to control joint discomfort in performance horses. In a recently published survey, 407 equine veterinarians provided information regarding some of the more popular therapies currently being used in performance horses. Based on that survey, corticosteroids—primarily triamcinolone and methylprednisolone—are still one of the first-line, intra-articular therapies. Practitioners frequently co-administer hyaluronic acid with those intra-articular corticosteroids.

Despite these tried-and-true articular therapies, Kyla Ortved, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR, assistant professor of large animal surgery at New Bolton Center, says the tides are changing.

“I think using orthobiologics early in the disease process is better because they are designed to prevent further damage and promote healing,” she said. “If I have a horse with lameness or pain attributable to a particular joint, I won’t hesitate to use orthobiologics in the early stages of disease. And I feel more comfortable using these before jumping to steroids as I think they are more protective of the cartilage.”

Other Intra-Articular Therapies: Another intra-articular product available for horses is Polyglycan®, which is essentially a synovial fluid replacement product. “I use Polyglycan®, which is made of a patented formulation of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, at the end of any elective arthroscopic procedure and also as my hyaluronic acid fluid replacement product of choice,” said García-López, citing a 2009 study out of Colorado State University that showed Polyglycan® to have the potential to have both symptom- and disease-modifying effects.

It’s important to keep in mind that OA management is multimodal, and intramuscular (IM) polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (Adequan®) is still recommended by veterinarians. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Polyacrylamide hydrogels are also available for horses with OA and gaining popularity. Polyacrylamide gels are synthetic products, not orthobiologics, injected into the joint to provide lubrication and shock-absorbing properties. In one study of a 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel product, researchers reported that 83% of treated horses were lame-free at four, six and 12 weeks following administration.

Despite study findings, García-López believes more unbiased research is needed on these products.

“There is subjective evidence that these gels can create fibrosis of the synovium and granulation tissue formation that, in turn, can affect the composition of the synovial fluid, which is the main source of nutrition to the cartilage in adult articulations,” he said. “This family of gels could be considered in end-stage cases of OA but maybe not in early or moderate cases of OA.”

Intramuscular Therapies: It’s important to keep in mind that OA management is multimodal, and intramuscular (IM) polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (Adequan®) is still recommended by veterinarians.

“I like to use Adequan® in performance horses,” Ortved said. “I generally recommend 500 milligrams IM every four days for seven treatments every six months or at time of injury.”

García-López agrees with Ortved, adding, “In horses that have either early signs of joint inflammation or OA without significant morphologic changes, I like to place them on a course of IM Adequan® for the one dose every four days for seven treatments. This has shown good objective evidence for helping restore the ‘steady state’ between production and destruction of cartilage components. Basically, it is quite helpful to keep what is good, good.”

Physical and Alternative Therapies: Many other therapies can help round out a performance horse’s joint management plan. “Physical therapy is a huge part of management and something we need more data on and help from specialists integrating into practice,” Ortved noted.

Alternative therapies like acupuncture can also help keep your horse’s joints comfortable. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Examples of such physical therapies include postural exercises and exercises designed to improve coordination and proprioception, target muscle atrophy/weak muscles (potentially secondary to joint discomfort and disuse) and increase joint stability through conditioning. Additional therapies you might consider to help keep your performance horses’ joints comfortable include extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), laser and acupuncture/electroacupuncture.

Oral Joint Health Supplements: Many owners give their horses joint supplements, making these products one of the most popular types of equine supplement on the market. Of the studies performed in horses, evidence does support the use of some ingredients, such as (but not limited to), glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate and avocado-soybean unsaponifiables (ASU). Glucosamine is believed to play a role in the formation and repair of cartilage, chondroitin sulfate helps give cartilage its elasticity, and hyaluronan helps lubricate joints and form the matrix of articular cartilage. Some studies also suggest that ASU may reduce inflammation and protect cartilage.

But García-López cautions that data regarding the use of oral nutraceuticals in horses is lacking. “Nutraceuticals should not replace treatment with other products such as Adequan®, Legend®, Polyglycan® or intra-articular therapy, whether it is with an orthobiologic or corticosteroid,” he noted.

Nutraceuticals are not required to meet the same standard for Food and Drug Administration approval as drugs are, and so their efficacy has not been studied as extensively. However, equine and human research suggests that some of these substances have protective effects. Your veterinarian can help you decide what’s best for your horse.

Appropriate Conditioning: Adjusted work levels can help. Moderate exercise is good for joint health, but too much can trigger inflammation. Increase the horse’s turnout, give him longer warm-ups and let him be your guide in how much work you do. As long as he stays comfortable, you’re probably on the right track.

Proper conditioning is a crucial part of your horse’s joint health because it allows all his musculoskeletal components, including muscle, tendon, ligament, bone and cartilage, to share load of his body weight adequately. ©Amy K. Dragoo

“Conditioning cannot be overlooked,” adds García-López. “Equine athletes have their entire weight, which biomechanically increases exponentially during exercise, transferred through one or two limbs at a time. They need to be properly conditioned in order for all musculoskeletal components, including muscle, tendon, ligament, bone and cartilage, to share the load adequately.”

No matter which strategies you and your veterinarian ultimately integrate into an athletic horse’s joint-health plan, as a team you must critically evaluate and reevaluate that plan regularly to make sure you’re optimizing each individual horse’s treatment to his particular needs, balancing equine ability with fragility.

Keep Him Sound

“Injuries happen because of what these horses do,” Davidson says. You can’t eliminate the risk entirely and you can’t stop the clock when it comes to aging. “Most of us have one horse and we invest a lot of time, energy and money in that horse,” she notes. “We ask horses to be athletes, but we forget sometimes that they can’t keep performing at the same level forever.”

Still, many factors that increase the risk of injuries are in your control. Take these steps to help your horse stay sound for many years to come:

Don’t overtrain or overface him. Keep his work within his ability and be sure he’s in shape for what he’s asked to do. “Fitness—respiratory, cardiovascular, muscle, tendon, ligaments and bone fitness—helps avoid injuries,” Dr. Davidson says.

• Keep up with shoeing. Long toes and low heels put stress on the feet and on the joints, ligaments and tendons in the legs. Be sure feet are trimmed regularly so toes are kept short and use shoes with rolled toes to ease breakover if necessary.

Use good sense on bad footing. If horses are sliding around in the ring, ask yourself: Is this class or this schooling session worth the risk?

Stay alert for subtle trouble signs. Do a daily hands-on leg check, comparing opposite legs to detect heat, swelling or sensitivity. Watch for shortened strides and other markers of soreness. Give the horse a few days off if you suspect a problem. If the signs return when he goes back to work, ask the vet to check him out. A mild problem can blossom into a career-limiting condition if it’s ignored.

This article originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of Practical Horseman, but was updated in 2025.

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To Do This Month: March 2025 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/lifestyle/to-do-this-month-march-2025/ Sat, 01 Mar 2025 21:42:40 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=28120 As the last winter snow thaws and the days start getting longer, check out our March To-Do List for upcoming events, new training tips on E+ and everything you need to get a jump start on spring to keep your horse healthy, happy and performing his best.

EVENTS

EQUESTRIAN+ will be livestreaming the Galway Downs International Horse Trials in Temecula, California, on March 27 – 30. Courtesy Robert Kellerhouse/Galway Downs

Watch & Learn on E+

Livestream: We’re super excited to announce that we’ll be livestreaming our first Galway Downs International Horse Trials in Temecula, California, on March 27 – 30. Watch on EQUESTRIAN+.

Gymnastics for Form: In this new video series on E+, Olympic show jumper Margie Engle explains how to teach your horse to develop form over fences and demonstrates flatwork and gymnastic exercises, including raised cavalletti, bounces and an in-and-out combination with a vertical and oxer. Check out her new series here.

Check out Anna Buffini’s new video series on EQUESTRIAN+. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Lateral Work, Changes & Trot Lengthenings: Dressage phenom Anna Buffini demonstrates how lateral movements build upon one another throughout a horse’s development and how to develop flying changes and trot lengthenings through the levels. Check out her new video series on EQUESTRIAN+ here.

Spring Health Checks

Schedule a dental exam and have your horse’s teeth floated if necessary. ©Alana Harrison
  • Carefully check your horse’s pasterns for scratches.
  • Inspect his hooves for thrush and/or soggy, weak hoof walls. For more on how to treat and manage thrush, click here.
  • Get a Coggins test if your horse will be traveling this spring and summer.
  • Do a fecal egg count test and deworm based on your horse’s living situation and your veterinarian’s recommendations.
  • If your horse has had little to no access to quality pasture over the winter, consider checking with your vet to determine if you should have her vitamin E serum values checked.
  • Schedule a dental exam and have your horse’s teeth floated if necessary.
  • Work with your veterinarian to determine if your horse is due for any springtime vaccinations.
  • As your horse is exposed to more light with the longer days and his winter coat starts shedding out, accelerate the process by using a shedding blade over the large areas of his body. Follow up with a stiff body brush to remove loose hair, dirt and dead skin cells to allow his sleeker, summer coat to grow in.
  • Schedule a farrier appointment ahead of show season.
  • Have your horse’s blood selenium levels check if you live in a selenium-deficient area.
  • If your mare tends to get less-than-desirable to ride when she’s in heat and you use supplements, herbs or hormones to help manage her unwanted behaviors, check with your vet to see if now is the right time to start.

Barn & Trailer Management

To avoid wrestling mud this spring, take measures to control the sludge before the last snow thaws. ©Alana Harrison
  • Check fence lines: Winter weather can be hard on fences. Examine your fences and enclosures carefully and make any necessary repairs.
  • Clean out water troughs: Especially if your troughs have been partially frozen throughout the winter, give them a thorough cleaning.
  • Trailer tune-up: This is good to do any time of year, but especially if your trailer has been sitting around for a few months, be sure to check the hitch, wheel bearings, tire pressure, lights, brakes, flooring and all latches.
  • Start fly control: If you use a fly-control system like Fly Predators®, it might be time to deploy them depending on what part of the country you live in.
  • Mud management: Use footing material like gravel or wood chips in areas heavily trafficked, manage manure, install gutters and downspouts, intercept surface flows and plant trees and shrubs to prevent your barn and surrounding areas from becoming a muddy mess as the last winter snow thaws.
  • Spring cleaning: Power-wash stalls, scrub feed buckets, clear cobwebs, unclog gutters, declutter your medicine cabinet, organize your tack trunk, freshen up community areas and plant flowers to add a pop of color to your barn this spring.

Training & Show Prep

  • Get the fresh out: Especially if your horse has been cooped up for much of the winter, help him get excessive energy out and ramp up his fitness with longeing sessions.
  • Ready, set, check: Start your horse-show checklist to get all of your tack, apparel, equipment and other gear organized and ready for the competition season. Throw old or empty supplies out (or recycle) and replace as needed.
  • Last call: Ensure all elements of your show apparel are clean, in good repair and working properly (if you wear a safety vest, for example). The same applies to your horse’s tack and other gear.

Baby On the Way?

If your mare’s due date is on the near horizon, start preparing a foaling stall and kit now to ensure you’re prepared when the big day comes. ©Amy K. Dragoo
  • Prepare a foaling stall: Ideally, set up your mom-to-be’s foaling stall in a quiet location away from other horses and barn traffic. It should be roomy and open and free of any objects or protrusions that could pose a safety risk; be sure to provide safe water sources, non-stick bedding, fresh air and climate control for heat or cold. Washable walls and flooring will also make your life easier. Move your mare there well before her due date so she can get accustomed to her new quarters. For our full pre-foaling checklist, click here.
  • Assemble a foaling kit: Key items include a halter and lead for your mare, headlamp with fresh batteries, stopwatch, notepad and pen (or your phone) to keep track of noteworthy events, tail wrap for your mare, small hand towels, large towels for drying the foal, bulb syringe, trash bags and disinfectant. Also, make sure you have your vet’s number programmed into your phone.
  • Set up a foaling web cam: As your mare’s due date approaches, install a foaling webcam so you can easily keep an eye on her from anywhere and ensure it’s working properly well before the big day gets close.

Happy March, from your friends at Practical Horseman!

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Is Your Sporthorse Shod Properly for the Job? https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health/is-your-sporthorse-shod-properly-for-the-job/ Mon, 10 Feb 2025 23:31:42 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=27744 “No foot, no horse” is true for any horse in an athletic career. Owners and riders often wonder if their horse is shod properly or how to tell whether he is or isn’t. Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS, of Virginia Therapeutic Farriery, says that knowing the basic principles of farriery can be helpful. “If you consider the anatomy of the foot, biomechanics and the principles of farriery, you can come up with a good concept of how a certain horse is or should be shod,” he says.

“Textbooks for veterinarians and farriers describe the normal foot, but we don’t really know what a normal foot is,” says O’Grady. What’s normal for one horse may not be normal for another.

“If a horse is well shod and has strong, comfortable feet, he will last a lot longer and be able to perform at the top of his game and is less likely to have lameness problems,” says Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Guideline 1: Hoof–Pastern Axis

“We must take breed into consideration, the ground the horse travels on, use of the horse, etc., but we can implement guidelines regarding what is considered a good foot,” O’Grady says. 

To start, reviewing a brief anatomy lesson of the bones that make up the pastern and hoof is helpful: The three bones of the horse’s digit are the long pastern bone (the proximal phalanx), the short pastern bone (the middle phalanx) and the coffin bone (distal phalanx). The horse’s cannon bone (third metacarpal) and the long pastern bone form the high-motion fetlock joint (metacarpophalangeal joint). The long pastern and the short pastern bones form the low-motion pastern joint (proximal interphalangeal joint). And the short pastern bone, the coffin bone and the navicular bone (distal sesamoid) form the coffin joint (distal interphalangeal joint). Furthermore, the hoof capsule is defined as the wall, sole, frog and the bulbs of the heels.

This illustration shows, among other structures, the long pastern bone (the proximal phalanx), the short pastern bone (the middle phalanx), the coffin bone (distal phalanx) and the navicular bone. Courtesy Illustrated Atlas of Clinical Equine Anatomy and Common Disorders of the Horse

“If we stand the horse on level ground, we want a straight hoof–pastern axis. If you draw a line through the bones of the digit to the ground, it will form a straight line,” O’Grady says. “This also creates a straight line on the surface of the pastern and the dorsal (front) surface of the hoof capsule, which is important for any horse.”

The hoof–pastern axis affects the position and angle of the coffin joint. “Weight is borne most efficiently when it goes through the middle of the joint rather than in front or behind the center of the joint if the angle is out of alignment,” he adds. 

This foot shows a correct straight hoof–pastern axis (red line) with the center of rotation indicated by the white line and the foot’s proportions indicated by the yellow line. Courtesy Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS

“Secondly, with a straight alignment, the bottom of the coffin bone is parallel to the ground so the entire bottom of the bone bears weight. If a horse has low heels, the bone is tipped up at the toe; more weight is on the back of the foot. If it’s a club foot, the bone is tipped in the other direction with more weight on the toe. A straight hoof-pastern axis provides a good relationship between the bottom of the bone and the ground,” says O’Grady.

Guideline 2: The Bottom of the Hoof 

“Next, we look at the middle of the foot from the bottom—the widest part. You can actually measure it and then know that the center of rotation will be a few millimeters behind that point—toward the back of the foot,” O’Grady says. The center of rotation is a guideline used to find and maintain a proportional foot, as well as distribute weight and stress evenly. “The center of rotation is our starting point for biomechanics and also for the trim. If we draw a line across the widest part of the foot, we know where the center of rotation is and strive to have approximate proportions (though not always equal) of ground surface on either side (front to back) of the middle of the foot. The proportions are important so that weight bearing is distributed evenly on either side of the center of rotation.”

On the bottom surface of the horse’s foot, the heels are trimmed to base of frog (blue line), if possible. The foot should be proportional (red lines showing four quadrants), though not always equal. Also, the center of rotation (star) is slightly behind the widest part of foot (horizontal red line). Courtesy Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS

An owner, vet or farrier can look at the bottom of the foot and draw an imaginary line with the eye across the middle of the foot and visualize those proportions. “Two of the biggest issues we see with proportions are long toes and/or heels not trimmed appropriately and short shoes.” This will change those proportions on the ground surface. 

Guideline 3: The Slope of the Coronary Band

To further determine if the hoof has good conformation, look at the hoof from the side and assess the slope of the coronary band. “It should go from toe to heel with a nice, gentle slope. If the coronary band approaches horizontal, the heel is too high (club foot). If the coronary band forms [a severe] angle from toe to heel, nearly to the ground, it’s a low heel,” says O’Grady.

This is an example of a horse’s hoof that has low heels and a severe slope of the coronary band. Courtesy Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS

Looking at the horse from the front, standing on flat ground, a line through the coronary band should be parallel with the ground. If the coronary band slopes to one side or the other, the hoof wall on one side is too high or low.

“If you look at the horse from behind and get down low enough to look at the heels, often there will be one foot with high heels and one with low heels. This is a common problem in sporthorses called mismatched feet. Looking at the height of the heels on each foot from behind, if the coronary band on one side is a different length and higher than the other, this is termed a sheared heel, which means the horse is overloading one side of the foot. The farrier should look at the whole horse and assess hoof conformation before he or she starts trimming and shoeing.”

Additionally, one of the first things a person looks at when picking up the foot is the frog. “If the horse does not have a healthy frog, it’s not a healthy foot. Defined, the hoof capsule consists of the wall, sole, frog and the bulbs of the heels. Therefore, if any one of those structures is abnormal, or not healthy, it affects the entire hoof capsule. A horse with any kind of hoof capsule distortion, such as club foot, long toe–low heels or sheared heels, will have a compromised frog,” he says.

In hind feet, there are additional problems. “The low-heeled, bull-nosed conformation, where the dorsal hoof has a rounded or contour shape in the hind feet, is all too common in show horses, and can affect performance,” he says. This hind-foot conformation places excessive weight bearing on the heels leading to discomfort and lack of propulsion.

Mismatched feet—one foot with high heels and one with low heels—is a common problem in sporthorses. Courtesy Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS

Guideline 4: Watch the Horse in Motion

After evaluating the hoof when the horse is standing still, watch the horse in motion. “When a horse walks on a firm, level surface, he should have a slight heel-first flat landing. If he lands markedly heel-first, with a toe flip, either the heels are not trimmed appropriately and/or he’s wearing a size smaller shoe than he needs, which decreases the ground surface area of the foot,” says O’Grady. A marked heel-first landing puts extra load and concussion on the heels and related soft-tissue structures, and this concussion travels up the leg.

“Toe-first landing is definitely abnormal. When this occurs, the horse may have pain in the heels, thus avoiding the heel area, and lands on the toe or has a shortening in the muscle–tendon unit in the leg above, which won’t allow the heels to reach the ground during the stride. These horses usually have a higher heel as they try to compensate for shortening of the muscle-tendon above,” says O’Grady.

Conformation Factors

How a horse loads the foot is dictated by limb conformation. In motion, looking at a horse from the front or back and observing how the foot lands, some hooves will land asymmetrically. If you look at that horse from the front, he may have a narrow chest, with the front legs rotated outward. “When he breaks over, he breaks over toward the outside and then the foot has to swing in on an arc and doesn’t allow the foot to land flat. Generally, they land on the outside of the foot and then load the medial [inner] side. If the horse lands asymmetrically, he will have a sheared heel on the overloaded side.

“Yet some farriers think a horse should land flat when looking at them from the front or back. If you attempt to make a horse land flat, you are going against that animal’s conformation [which puts excessive stress and strain on some other parts of the leg]. There are numerous ways we can compensate or manage these horses that land asymmetrically, but we don’t want to make them land flat if their conformation dictates otherwise,” he says.

“Those scenarios are readily distinguished as the horse walks, before the farrier starts to trim the foot, and the combined observations should influence how that horse is shod,” says O’Grady.

How Much to Trim

Shoeing any horse is all about the trim. “The heels should be trimmed to the base of the frog, if possible, so all the structures in the heel share weight-bearing. When you put a rasp across the bottom of the hoof at the heels, it should touch all surfaces on both the frog and the heels. My goal is simply to trim the heels so the frog and the hoof wall at the heels are on the same horizontal plane. In most cases, we can attain that goal,” says O’Grady.

“With some horses, however, you can’t trim the heels that far back because there’s not enough hoof wall or the frog has prolapsed toward the ground. If the frog is located below the wall, we may remove the shoes for a few days so the horse can stand on the frog and reposition it,” he says.

“Some people feel you should not trim the heels, thinking it will make them lower, but it doesn’t. Heels continually grow forward, and the horse loses ground surface on the bottom of the foot. Heels don’t grow tall; they grow forward,” O’Grady adds.

While this is an example of a healthy frog, O’Grady notes that an unhealthy frog indicates a compromised hoof capsule—the wall, sole, frog and the bulbs of the heel. Courtesy Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS

“We tend to over-trim sporthorses. When winter show season starts and horses go to Florida, they’ve usually had a little time off before they arrive and sometimes the shoes were pulled off for a brief period.” This allows the heels to relax, grow and expand, which will improve function and improve the foot conformation.

“However, when the show season starts, horses are shod with pads, impression material, etc. As the horse goes through the season, the work increases, and he is shod every four weeks. The horse will start to lose hoof mass from the increased work combined with continual trimming,” he says.

It may be better on alternative resets to just shape the foot a little, leave the mass on the bottom of the foot and put the shoes back on, instead of trimming every four weeks. “At the next reset, we might need to trim a little more, but we usually don’t give these horses enough time to regrow what we take off, and the horse has less sole. If the soles are getting a little thinner by the end of the season, that’s the time to use a pour-in or put pads on for extra protection, not before,” O’Grady explains.

The Effects of Footing

“Most competition horses work on deformable surfaces [surfaces that change their shape] or synthetic footing. This is usually sand-based with different materials added,” O’Grady says. The footing a horse will be working on is often taken into consideration by the farrier in determining how to shoe the horse.

“Synthetic footing can be too soft or too hard. If it’s too hard, there will be too much concussion when the foot lands, and we have to protect the foot a little more to minimize that concussion. If footing is too deep, the foot sinks in more and puts stress on soft tissues above the foot. Footing can be too deep or too loose,” he says.

The footing a horse will be working on is often taken into consideration by the farrier in determining how to shoe the horse. ©Amy K. Dragoo

“When the foot lands, it slides for a few milliseconds. If footing is too hard or the shoe has too much traction, it stops the foot abruptly. If footing is too loose, the foot slides too much. When footing is too loose, it affects the foot when it lands, bears weight and breaks over. There’s not enough grip to allow the toe to propel the horse forward,” O’Grady says. Loose or very soft footing affects the slide when the foot lands and also affects the horse when he’s turning sharply.

Footing at various competitions may be different, and often arrangements are made to have the horse reshod to try to match the footing. “If the footing is soft, the farrier will use shoes with a ‘flotation’ effect and more surface area like a bar shoe, spider plate or a shoe with wide branches to keep the foot on top of the surface,” he explains.

“A three-day event horse will be on synthetic footing for dressage and show jumping, but cross-country might be grass—and that’s where the farrier may use traction devices or slip a pad between the foot and the shoe to protect it,” says O’Grady. The shoe is adjusted to compensate for different surfaces. The shoe itself forms a rim around the foot with the sole forming a cup, which creates more traction.

 

Other Issues

“One of the issues with sporthorses is shoeing intervals. Sometimes they are let go too long and sometimes they are shod too often. The optimal interval for farriery would be four to six weeks,” O’Grady explains.

A hoof with good conformation has a slight slope to the coronary band. Courtesy Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS

It also helps to know the horse and have a feel for what’s right for that horse. A good rider is in tune with the horse and can tell if something is a little off. “If an accomplished rider or trainer tells the vet or farrier the horse is not right, they need to pay attention. The rider can feel things we can’t see,” O’Grady says. 

“Many things can be done with farriery, but we all need to be working together on the same page,” he adds. Vets, farriers, horse owners and riders need to evaluate the horse together, using guidelines that apply to any horse’s foot. “These guidelines can be used for evaluation and to apply appropriate farriery,” he says. 

“If a horse is well shod and has strong, comfortable feet, he will last a lot longer and be able to perform at the top of his game and is less likely to have lameness problems,” O’Grady says. It’s important to talk with the farrier and know why the horse is being trimmed or shod a certain way.

About Stephen O’ Grady

Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS, of Virginia Therapeutic Farriery, focuses on foot disease and equine therapeutic farriery. He combines his skills as veterinarian and farrier to better understand and treat problems of the foot. O’Grady has written book chapters and many peer-reviewed papers in veterinary and farriery literature. His career has been devoted to competition horses and farriery. He maintains an informational website devoted to footcare and therapeutic farriery: www.equipodiatry.com.

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of Practical Horseman.

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Vet on Call: Hoof Abscesses https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health/vet-on-call-hoof-abscesses/ Mon, 06 Jan 2025 22:45:15 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=27585 What It Is

A hoof abscess is a painful infection that occurs when bacteria make their way into the sensitive tissue of the foot, causing a pocket of pus to form and pressure to build within the relatively rigid hoof capsule.

Causes

Bacteria normally present in a horse’s environment or on the surface of the hoof gain access to the sensitive structures within through a variety of routes, which include:

  • a puncture wound
  • a sole bruise
  • a corn (a specific type of bruise that occurs at the back of the sole in the angle between the hoof wall and bars)
  • a nail prick from a recent shoeing
  • an injured or diseased white line (the soft, fibrous inner layer of the hoof wall)

What’s at Stake

Prompt diagnosis and treatment of a mild abscess will relieve a horse’s pain and restore soundness so he’s able to return to work in a few days to a week. Deep infections require a more extensive course of care and can take weeks to months to heal. Left untreated, a hoof abscess can alter the way the hoof grows or lead to laminitis or an infection and deterioration of bone that will have a lifelong effect.

Signs of Hoof Abscesses

Hoof abscesses typically cause pain and lameness that can range from mild to so severe that a horse may be reluctant to bear weight on the affected limb. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Not all hoof abscesses are exactly alike, but the most common signs include:

  • pain and lameness, appearing gradually or suddenly and ranging from mild to so severe that a horse may be reluctant to bear weight on the affected limb; it may look like he has broken a leg
  • swelling, perhaps involving the heel bulbs, coronary band and/or pastern and extending to as high as the knee or hock
  • heat, detectable by touch, in the hoof wall or limb
  • increased digital pulse, which can be felt near the pastern
  • a foreign object—a nail, screw, shard of glass, stone, etc.—embedded in the sole. Don’t remove any item you may find. Give your vet the chance to evaluate the location, depth and angle to determine the extent of damage and infection within the hoof and ensure that the entire object is removed so it won’t cause any more trouble.
  • tracts in the sole or coronary band draining gray or black pus
  • foul odor emanating from the hoof

Diagnosis

A veterinarian will look at the horse’s history and recent activity and do a lameness evaluation. She’ll clean and examine the foot, then use hoof testers to apply pressure to various points on the sole to identify any sensitive spots that could point to the site of the infection. A radiograph may be necessary to reveal the exact location and extent, which will show up as a dark area on the image.

Treatment

Draining the abscess is priority one. Some will break on their own through the coronary band or sole. But that can take time—which means prolonged pain for the horse as the infection continues to grow. Instead, your vet likely will initiate drainage by using a hoof knife to pare out the abscess through the sole. That way, gravity can aid in clearing the pus.

To drain this abscess, the vet used a hoof knife to pare it out through the sole. ©Sandra Oliynyk

She’ll pack the sole to protect against infection and allow for continued drainage. Products containing iodine, chlorhexidine or ichthammol are commonly used. Then she’ll apply a bandage and often additional protection, such as a hoof boot or treatment plate secured to a shoe. Based on the horse’s needs, she may recommend a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication for pain. In some cases, an antibiotic may also be prescribed. The bandage will need to be changed daily until the drainage stops, the exit hole is dry and the horse shows no sign of lameness.

In cases where the location and depth of an abscess make it difficult to drain, first soak the hoof in a mixture of warm water, Epsom salts and povidone iodine or other antiseptic solution may help to draw the infection closer to the sole for treatment. Some veterinarians may recommend soaking as part of follow-up care. But it’s important to avoid oversoaking, which can weaken and harm the hoof.

Lookout For

Most hoof abscesses resolve without complication. But a horse requires additional veterinary care if he:

  • is still experiencing pain two days after treatment
  • has lost his appetite
  • is noticeably shifting his weight or lying down more than usual

Additional signs of trouble include:

  • drainage that persists more than 48 hours after treatment
  • proud flesh that grows out of the drain hole

Preventing Hoof Abscesses

To help prevent abscesses, schedule regular farrier visits, especially if your horse is genetically predisposed to poor hoof conformation or quality. ©Alana Harrison

To reduce the chances of your horse developing a hoof abscess:

  • Keep his environment as sanitary, dry and hazard-free as possible
  • Clean hooves daily and examine them closely for signs of injury or trouble brewing, such as bruises and wounds.
  • Schedule regular farrier visits to maintain good hoof condition, especially if a horse is genetically predisposed to poor hoof conformation or quality.
  • Be mindful of the effects of weather on hooves. Footing that transforms from dry to wet or wet to dry, often with the change of season, can soften the hoof or make it brittle, increasing susceptibility to injury and infection.
  • Consider applying a hoof dressing or hardener to improve and protect hoof condition. Your vet and farrier can advise on product selection based on your horse’s specific situation.
  • Evaluate your horse’s feed to ensure it is providing adequate nutrition. A supplement may be beneficial. Your veterinarian can offer insights on choosing one with ingredients most likely to benefit your horse.
  • Look for an underlying cause if a horse seems especially susceptible to hoof abscesses. For example, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction can weaken the immune system, increasing vulnerability to infection. 


About Julie Bullock, DVM

Practical Horseman thanks Julie Bullock, DVM, for her technical assistance in the preparation of this article. A 1989 graduate of the Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia, Dr. Bullock has an extensive background in sporthorses and a special interest in equine podiatry and lameness. A four-star FEI veterinarian in endurance, she is also an endurance rider and the huntsman with the Glenmore Hunt Club in Staunton, Virginia.

This article was originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of Practical Horseman.

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Thrush 101 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health/hoof-care/thrush-101/ Tue, 05 Nov 2024 23:43:13 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=24002 What It Is

Thrush is the degradation and weakening of the insensitive tissue of the frog—the triangular-shaped structure on the underside of the hoof. It occurs when various anerobic microbes infiltrate and multiply in susceptible areas of the frog, usually starting in the sulci (the deeper clefts located on either side of and in the center of the frog). 

What’s at Stake

A horse can become lame in severe cases. Also, if the frog is weakened enough that bleeding tissue becomes exposed, it can lead to widespread infection of the hoof.

Cause

Various microbes are associated with thrush. Historically, the most common one cultured is Fusobacterium necrophorum, a bacterium that occurs naturally in a horse’s environment and thrives in airless, moist conditions, such as the underside of a hoof that’s packed with mud and manure.

In this example of a serious thrush infection, the frog has deteriorated. It has ragged edges and the infection has made the frog appear smaller as pieces have pulled away. ©iStock/MelissaAnneGalleries

Contributing Factors

Consider this: The structure and function of a normal hoof promote the ability to self-clean. The hoof is not a completely rigid structure: With each step, the hoof wall and heels expand and contract, and the sole flexes when weight-bearing. That bit of movement can be enough to push out material that’s become lodged. Anything that disrupts the self-cleaning function or actions (more likely, inactions) that enable bacteria to invade and multiply increase the risk of thrush. The list includes:

• wet, muddy and/or unsanitary footing in a horse’s turn out area

• unhygienic conditions in a stall

• hit-or-miss hoof cleaning: for instance, sporadic picking sessions or efforts that end before accumulated debris is thoroughly cleared away

• insufficient movement or excessive time spent in a stall

• lapses in scheduled farrier visits, resulting in overgrown and unbalanced hooves

• a diet lacking in nutrients to promote overall health and well-being.

A horse’s susceptibility to thrush may also be related to:

• genetic predisposition to poor hoof quality

• suboptimal hoof conformation

• previous hoof disease that affects the ability to grow normal frog tissue. 

Signs

Early signs of thrush are unmistakable: 

• thick, black discharge oozing from the affected area

• pungent, foul odor

• ragged edges on the frog.

As the infection progresses, it can also:

• make the frog appear smaller as pieces pull away

• cause the loss of insensitive tissue

• diminish the body’s ability to protect deeper, sensitive tissue, making the area painful and often causing it to bleed.

Symptoms

In the early stages, a horse may seem unaffected by thrush. But longer term, as the infection becomes more deeply seated, he may show signs of pain. For instance, he pulls his leg away during hoof cleaning or he reluctantly walks over gravel and other uneven or hard surfaces.

The longer thrush goes untreated, the more difficult it is to bring under control. A mild to moderate infection may resolve in a week or two with treatment. But it takes time to regrow frog tissue: one to two months for the outermost layers; four to six months to produce an entirely new frog.


Situations that enable bacteria to invade and multiply increase the risk of thrush. This includes wet and muddy footing in a horse’s turn out area. ©Sandra Oliynyk

Treatment

Medical: A veterinarian can confirm that a horse has thrush and determine the extent of the infection. In most cases, the prognosis for a full recovery is good. For a mild to moderate case, treatment typically includes:

• trimming the frog to remove tissue that is exfoliating or harboring microbes

• cleaning the infected area daily with a hoof pick and perhaps a soft brush and cotton swabs to get into the tight crevices 

• applying a commercial topical anti-thrush treatment that contains either iodine or a copper-based product. It’s important to follow package directions.

• applying a commercial topical product to harden the frog

• waiting for any hoof treatment to dry before turning out a horse

• staying on schedule with farrier visits to keep all hooves properly trimmed and balanced and return the affected foot to its normal function.

Additional measures will be necessary when an infection is more serious. They may include:

• administering oral or injectable antibiotics if dermis is exposed

• providing additional protection: a bandage, medicated packing under a pad or a hoof boot.

Management: No amount of medical intervention will have a lasting effect if the horse isn’t kept in a clean, dry environment. So, be mindful of footing conditions and maintain hoof health with daily picking and regular attention from a farrier.

Prevention

These additional measures can help reduce the likelihood a horse will develop thrush:

• Pay attention to the weather to be aware of periods with wet and muddy footing.

• Identify trouble spots in the pasture and beyond and take steps to manage mud. Take note of low-lying or high-traffic areas that might benefit from the addition of sand, sawdust or gravel.

• Keep the stall clean, dry and well bedded.

• Provide plenty of turnout time and exercise to help support the hoof’s ability to self-clean.

• Feed a diet with good nutrition. 

Lydia Mudd, DVM, CF | Courtesy, Lydia Mudd

Lydia Mudd, DVM, CF, is an equine veterinarian at Janssen Veterinary Clinic, in Sheridan, Indiana. A 2014 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, she enjoys all aspects of equine practice, but has a special interest in podiatry. Dr. Mudd has earned the title of Certified Farrier (CF) through the American Farrier’s Association and stays active in the local farrier community. She notes that weather conditions in her locale contribute to an uptick in thrush cases during the spring, fall and winter.

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Lainey Ashker’s Winning Recipe for Hoof Health https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health/hoof-care/lainey-ashkers-winning-recipe-for-hoof-health/ Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:24:43 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=24092 Five-star eventer and dressage pro Lainey Ashker whole heartedly believes in the “no-hoof, no-horse” philosophy. The horsewoman, who trains out of her Keystone Acres farm in Chesterfield, Virginia, says keeping her equine athletes’ hooves in peak condition is paramount to their health, longevity and success in the sport of eventing.

Here, she discusses her daily hoof-care routine and the importance of regular farrier attention and proper nutrition for healthy hooves. Ashker also shares how she utilizes hoof packing to provide her horses’ feet with extra support during times of stress as well as a few savvy hoof-care tips she’s picked up over the course of her extensive career.

When it comes to hoof health, the old adage, “no hoof, no horse” rings true for five-star eventer Lainey Ashker. The veteran horsewoman shares her secrets for keeping her horses’ feet in peak condition. ©Adobe iStock/WH_Pics

Hoof Health: The Daily Drill

As simple is it sounds, the first key to caring for my horses’ feet is to pick them every day whether I ride or not. For horses on turnout, you never know what they might get caught in their feet. I’ve found that bar shoes, especially those with wide bars, tend to collect rocks, dirt and other debris that isn’t always obvious at first glance but could lead to potential bruising or chafing. Cleaning out their feet every day also gives me an opportunity to check for loose shoes, thrush, cracks or any other health issues that might be going on with their hooves.

In addition to daily care, my horses always receive routine farrier care. This includes regular trimming about every four to eight weeks, depending on the individual horse’s needs. Trimming is crucial for removing excess growth, correcting uneven wear and tear and preventing cracking and chipping.

Healthy, strong hooves are imperative for high-impact sports like eventing. To keep her horses’ feet happy, Ashker maintains a diligent daily hoof-care routine. © Amy K. Dragoo

I also ensure my horses are on a quality, complete diet with balanced proportions of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. If they’re lacking in any key vitamins or minerals crucial to hoof health, their feet will likely be compromised in some way. Biotin, amino acids, copper and zinc, for example, are all key nutrients for hoof health and growth.

If I suspect any of my horses aren’t getting adequate nutrients for hoof health from their grain alone, I might provide them with a supplement containing those specific ingredients. But there is no one-size-fits-all supplement plan for horses. So, it’s always a good idea to consult with your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist.

Climate Control

Smart management is also crucial to hoof health, and unfortunately, can largely depend on the climate in your area. A healthy hoof is dry and hard without being brittle. It should be pliable enough to expand and contract. This provides the more sensitive hoof tissues with protection from the environment.

While hoof conditioners can be extremely beneficial for dried-out hooves that are cracked and brittle, overuse of conditioner can result in a hoof that’s too soft and moist. And the wetter the hoof, the more susceptible it is to a host of issues. One of the worst things for hoof health is constantly changing from wet, muddy conditions to hot and dry conditions.

The Power of Packing

Similar to the strain my horses’ tendons, ligaments and joints undergo during high-impact sports like cross country and show jumping, their hooves also experience stress. After a strenuous jumping or cross-country workout, I always ice my horses’ legs. This helps their joints, tendons and ligaments recover. But, over the years, I’ve also added hoof packing to their daily care routine.

There are different types of hoof packing containing a variety of ingredients, depending on my horses’ specific needs. Some packing can help harden soft hooves; others work to ward off bacteria. I personally love Magic Cushion’s packing formula. It provides an analgesic effect to ease soreness in the frogs and soles. Plus, it can help balance moisture in the hooves.

I find it especially helpful as a precaution when the footing is a little firm or dry. Packing has also proven helpful for maintaining long-term soundness for many of my performance horses.

Hoof Packing 101

Here are Absorbine’s directions for the most effective way to pack your horse’s feet with Magic Cushion, whether they’re shod or unshod:

Packing a Hoof:

  • Ensure your horse’s feet are clean and dry; packing products will not be fully effective on wet or damp hooves.
  • Magic Cushion has thick, sticky viscosity, so wear rubber gloves to apply it to avoid making a mess.
  • Depending on the size of your horse’s hoof, soften a small amount of the product (about the size of a golf ball) with your hands and roll it over the bottom of your horse’s hoof.
  • Pack and spread the product over both the frog and sole, so it’s about a ½-inch thick.

Light Effect, Shod:

  • If your horse is shod, allow him to put his foot down directly on shavings or dirt to coat and secure the packing material.
  • The product will be effective for 12 hours and will generally wear off from 12 to 48 hours.

Strong Effect Shod or Unshod:

  • Cut piece an impermeable plastic layer, such as a feed bag or plastic wrap, to match the approximate size of your horse’s hoof.
  • Pack the hoof as directed above.
  • Place the impermeable plastic layer over the packing material.
  • Wrap with layers of gauze if your horse’s feet are very sore.
  • Wrap with vet wrap or duct tape for additional durability.
  • The product will be effective for up to 24 hours.
  • Clean out and repeat with fresh packing as needed.
After a strenuous jumping session or competition, Ashker packs her horses’ hooves to alleviate frog and sole soreness and to maintain long-term soundness. Courtesy, Absorbine

Hoof packing material’s thick viscosity is key to its effectiveness. But it can also result in the product seeping onto the heel bulb and hair near the fetlock. That can be both annoying and time-consuming to clean off—and to be honest, just isn’t fun for anyone. To combat this, I simply coat my horses’ heel bulbs with Vaseline. It acts as a protective barrier and prevents the packing material from sticking to the heel and fetlock areas.

Hoof Health: Final Word

While these tips have worked well for me over the years, they might not be right for every horse in every situation. So, it’s always wise to consult with your veterinarian to determine the right course of action for your horse’s specific needs.

Hoof packing, especially, can be beneficial for most horses. Eventers, show jumpers, endurance and extreme trail riders, reiners, and equestrians in other high-impact disciplines often pack their horses’ hooves to relieve soreness and improve performance over hard ground, rough terrain or any less-than-ideal arena footing. It can even benefit horses who don’t participate in demanding sports.

If, however, your horse shows signs of lameness or chronic soreness—or his feet seem tender after every ride—it could be a potential warning sign that something else is going on. In this case, I always recommend consulting your veterinarian, farrier, and if necessary, a lameness expert to rule out any underlying conditions. This has always proven to keep my horses healthy, happy and able to perform at the top of their game.

Learn More About Hoof Health & Packing

  • For additional tips on hoof packing, click here.
  • Learn more about how moisture can affect your horses’ hooves here.
  • For more advice on keeping your horse’s feet healthy and strong, click here.
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Shoes vs. Barefoot—Answers to Common Questions https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health/shoes-vs-barefoot-answers-to-common-questions/ Mon, 30 Oct 2023 20:13:08 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=21886 An understanding of the WIDTH protocol that I developed (considering Work, Intensity, Duration, Terrain, Horse) can answer the question, “Does my horse need shoes, or can he go barefoot?” These are a few other common questions horse owners ask about shoes and barefoot trims.

Can Horseshoes Harm My Horse’s Feet?

When applied improperly, yes. Just like anything we do with horses—training, veterinary care, trailering, for example—shoeing can hurt a horse when it’s done incorrectly. Done appropriately, and for the right reasons, shoes offer support to the hoof structures, enhance motion, prevent cracking, and protect the hoof from hard terrain. Therapeutic shoes can even help lame horses become and stay sound. Shoes designed for particular sports or work also enhance a horse’s performance ability.

A well-shod front foot that shows best practices: The coronary band should be parallel to the ground with a gentle, sloping angle to the toe; the perimeter of the shoe maintains the same curve as the coronary band; the nails are approximately 1/3 the hoof-wall height, and the clinches are smooth and short. Courtesy, Trafalgar Square Books

Does My Horse Need Shoes?

It depends. Natural models work well for wild horses. Constant roaming adequately wears the hoof, and the foot adapts to the varied landscape. A feral horse either adjusts to his environment or does not live to reproduce. Nature culls those with poor hooves; humans do not. Some domestic horses can also go barefoot. For example, a horse that wears shoes in the summer while in heavy work often has his shoes removed in the fall and is left barefoot when not being ridden through the winter. Other horses are comfortable and sound under saddle without shoes all year round.

It’s okay to be curious about how shoes might support your riding goals. Just because a horse isn’t lame or is working reasonably well barefoot doesn’t mean he is performing to the best of his ability. A horse that needs shoes to do his job but is denied them will underperform or suffer. Shoes give horses competitive advantages, such as traction, gait correction, and enhancement.

To get a better understanding, consider asking your farrier these questions:

  • What makes my horse a good candidate for shoes?
  • How might shoes help my horse?
  • How do shoes support peak performance in my discipline?

Appropriate, skillful farriery is a combination of trimming and shoeing with decisions made based on the individual horse, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. Farriers consider multiple factors but recognize that trimming is the first step to deciding whether to leave a horse barefoot or to use a shoe. Regardless of the farrier’s skills in shaping a shoe, when the hoof isn’t trimmed correctly, the shoe will not be compatible. Essentially, the trim creates the blueprint for a shoe. Think about your own footwear—if you wear size 9, size 8 is never going to fit. At a minimum, poorly fitted shoes are uncomfortable. Worn for extended periods of time they can leave blisters and potentially lead to larger issues in your feet and legs.

The same is true in horses. Improperly fitted shoes interfere with a horse’s gait and add unnecessary strain on the hoof wall, which can lead to problems. A horse with poorly fitting or inappropriate shoes is better off without them.

A well-trimmed, balanced hoof creates a blueprint for a shoe. Courtesy, Trafalgar Square Books

Can My Horse’s Shoes Just Be Reset?

Since horseshoes are durable, it is possible to reuse the same pair or set on a horse multiple times. The amount of work a horse does and his individual conformation establish how quickly shoes need to be replaced. There is no benefit to using new shoes at each shoeing when the last set is in good condition. In fact, some horses appreciate the wear pattern that has developed in the old shoes.

If a horseshoe is not worn much and fits properly after trimming, the farrier will make sure the shoe is flat and nail it back on. When the same shoes are applied again it is called resetting or refitting. A farrier may even use the wear patterns on old shoes as a guide for producing new shoes. Uneven shoe wear patterns can suggest a necessary alignment change through trimming. The exception is that a lame horse breaks in the shoe to be comfortable to his foot—much like your sneakers or boots mold to your footfall.

Horseshoes with Borium made of tungsten carbide or Drill-Tech studs are reset many times and often the nail holes wear before the actual shoe. Shoes made of lighter-weight materials wear sooner and may not be able to be reset even once. In some parts of the United States, the ground conditions are so abrasive that shoes become too worn in one shoeing cycle to reset.

Some horses are extra hard on shoes and wear them out quickly while others produce no wear at all.

Resetting shoes is practical for making the most out of the materials used. In some cases, new horseshoes at every visit—especially those with modifications—can increase the cost unnecessarily.

What Should I Know About Going Barefoot?

Not all horses wear horseshoes. In fact, with approximately nine million horses in the United States, fewer than two million are shod regularly every year. Barefoot (shoeless hoof management) has gained popularity for a variety of reasons. One is the expense of shoeing. Competitive riders can pay over $150 every five to six weeks to maintain properly fitted shoes. Over a year’s time that can add up, so sometimes leaving a horse barefoot is viewed as a cost savings. However, skipping the shoes based on budget alone may lead to more costly expenses if the horse physically needs shoes.

Barefoot trimming has also become popular in recent times as horse owners are increasingly interested in keeping horses in a natural state, but many horse activities are unnatural to horses: riding disciplines and stabling conditions are not what would be found in the wild. The decision to permanently maintain a barefoot horse requires a plan rather than simply deciding to leave shoes off. Working with a farrier who understands your horse’s feet will help assess the horse’s hoof condition and whether he can be left barefoot. Horses with naturally thick soles and hoof walls are more likely able to produce enough hoof material to sustain being shoeless. Correct conformation is also necessary to keep the hoof wear in balance. The worst candidates for going shoeless while working are those with thin soles and hoof walls and horses with poor conformation. Often, these horses have coffin bone defects from an inherent weakness that typically emerge as persistent hoof wall cracks.

Going shoeless should not be done on a whim, especially if your horse has worn shoes for some time. There needs to be an assessment to see if the horse is a good candidate and a plan must be created to achieve the desired results. It’s important to ask, “What am I gaining or losing by going with this option?”

The transition from shod to barefoot is best accomplished at the end of a normal shoeing cycle.

After removing the shoes, the farrier trims the hoof longer than he would if resetting a shoe. Leaving a little extra sole and hoof wall helps the horse adjust to being shoeless.

Many riders in colder climates tend to remove a horse’s shoes at the end of a riding or showing season, usually before winter sets in. The idea is to “give the hooves a rest.” There is nothing wrong with doing this. However, weather conditions differ year to year. The best winter scenario for maintaining healthy feet is a constant snowpack. When this happens, most horses do remarkably well barefoot. Inconsistent winters with frequent freeze/thaw cycles are not barefoot friendly. Neither is bare, frozen ground. In this scenario, there is excessive wear on hooves and severe impact on internal structures. When a long hard freeze stiffens up the ground, farriers are often called to put shoes back on these sore-footed horses. In the worst-case scenario, coffin bone fractures and ligament tears can occur simply by a horse walking on rough frozen mud. The wet conditions are also more likely to cause thrush and lead to softer hoof walls, which will be more susceptible to large tears when the wintry mix freezes.

Some horses require extra attention to shift from wearing shoes to going without, and the process may take six months to one year. Hoof casts and nutritional changes can be used to build hoof strength. It may take several applications with proper trimming to develop a proper barefoot hoof.

This excerpt from Shoeing the Modern Horse by Steven Kraus, CJF, with Katie Navarra, is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books (www.HorseandRiderBooks.com).

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Hoof Health and Weather Woes https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health/hoof-health-and-weather-woes/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 17:17:28 +0000 https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/?p=20079 Keeping your horse’s hooves in tip-top condition can be difficult during the summer. No matter how diligent your approach to care, it’s easy to get tripped up by the one factor over which you have no control: the weather. Moisture, in particular, can have mild to dramatic effects on even healthy hooves as it varies from season to season, within a season and geographically. That said, it is possible for you to help your horse take the challenges of summer weather in stride. Here’s how. 

Work your horse on quality surfaces to increase growth-stimulating circulation to the hooves.
© Amy K. Dragoo

Aim for the Ideal

In general, a healthy hoof has these basic qualities: 

  • a wall that is smooth, uniform and naturally glossy, marked with fine, faint vertical stripes formed by tubules of horn. These elongated cylindrical structures, composed of the fibrous protein keratin (also a component of hair, skin and nails), provide strength and density to the wall and allow it to be porous and maintain a certain desirable amount of flexibility.
  • a rubbery, resilient frog
  • strong bars and heels
  • a scooped-out (concave) sole that protects the most sensitive parts of the hoof and serves as a shock absorber.

Moisture’s Ill Effects

The structures that normally make a hoof strong and resilient are especially susceptible to the effects of excessive moisture in the environment. Porous in nature, the hoof absorbs wetness like a sponge, which can weaken the connective tissues that hold the horn tubules in place. This causes the wall to expand and stretch out of shape. The sole may then drop under the horse’s weight. This “pancaking” can cause the wall to weaken further, crack, split or chip. And that makes it easy for bacteria and foreign material to penetrate the hoof capsule, which includes the hoof wall, sole, frog and the bulbs of the heel. This can invite the formation of abscesses and endanger the integrity of other structures within, such as the coffin bone. A weakened hoof is also susceptible to

  • thrush—a foul-smelling degeneration of the frog caused by bacteria
  • white line disease—a mixed bacterial and fungal condition that originates
  • on the bottom of the hoof and progresses upward
  • coronitis—inflammation of the coronary band at the top of the hoof, caused by bacteria and other organisms
  • scratches—a scabby or oozing skin infection above the heels that can
  • cause lameness.

A weakened hoof wall is also less able to retain a shoe. Clinched nails will more easily loosen, pull out or tear away. Any loss of wall makes it more difficult for a farrier to reset the shoe.

hoof

Courtesy, Illustrated Atlas of Clinical Equine Anatomy and Common Disorders of the Horse

What You Can Do

To prevent excess moisture in the environment from harming your horse’s hooves:

Know how they grow. During the darkest days of winter your horse’s hooves grow at their slowest rate of the year. An increase in daylight as spring approaches triggers the production of hormones that cause the hooves to experience a growth spurt. The usual rate is approximately one-quarter to three-eighths of an inch per month, with young horses’ hooves growing faster than those of older horses. 

Schedule the farrier based on need. On average, that means every six to eight weeks, but as often as necessary, depending on how fast your horse’s hooves are growing. That could be every four weeks in the spring and at a slightly longer interval in summer.

Apply a hoof sealant. It will condition and toughen the foot while maintaining the wall’s natural moisture. It should also strengthen hooves that already are mushy, shelly, brittle or cracked. Plus, it can provide a protective barrier against fugus, bacteria and caustics. For the best results, apply sealant to a clean, dry foot, according to package directions. Resist any urge to overdo. More won’t help your horse.

Look for ways to adapt. Limit the time your horse spends in wet, muddy conditions. Keep baths to a minimum to spare hooves from prolonged periods in puddles. Avoid extreme changes of footing as best you can. This may be difficult during the summer when horses typically go from dew-covered pastures in the morning to areas where the surface underfoot is more likely to be sunbaked by afternoon. Sudden changes in footing can also occur when a horse is trailered from one locale to another, whether the destination is a new trail a few miles down the road or the grounds of a competition several states away.

Rely on routine. A quick check of your horse’s hooves prior to turnout each day can reveal signs of trouble brewing: heat, cracks, abscesses, punctures and more. Picking out hooves before each ride allows you to check the condition of the sole. You may find yourself removing small stones and other objects that have become lodged. You’ll also become aware of risen clinches or whether the shoe has sprung or shifted and needs attention.

Feed wisely. Enlist your veterinarian to evaluate your horse’s ration and assist your efforts to provide a nutritionally sound diet. The addition of a supplement containing biotin (a B vitamin) may help to support hoof growth.

Keep him moving. Maintain a consistent exercise regimen, working your horse on a quality surface to increase growth-stimulating circulation to the hooves.

Use protective gear. Shipping bandages, bell boots and shipping boots all help to safeguard against hoof injuries during trailering.

Take care of trouble spots around the farm. Identify areas where drainage is poor and take steps to improve it, perhaps by installing French drains or putting down gravel. Direct rain off roofs with gutters. Reposition feed stations and water troughs if the footing in these spots where horses gather is showing signs of wear and tear. Keep stalls well bedded and clean.

Sultry summer weather may indeed present challenges to how you care for your horse’s hooves. But meeting them head-on can help your horse stay sound all season—and that’s good news for him and for you.

Thanks to farrier Steve Kraus for his technical assistance in the preparation of this article. A member of the International Farriers Hall of Fame, he is the head of Farrier Services in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York. In his more than 50 years as a farrier, Kraus has shod horses of many breeds involved in a variety of activities. His extensive experience serves as the basis for his new book, Shoeing the Modern Horse: The Horse Owner’s Guide to Farriery and Hoofcare, due for release this fall from Trafalgar Square Books.

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2022 issue of Practical Horseman.

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Ask A Pro Samantha Burton Henley Q3: Protecting a Shiny Coat and Hooves https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health/ask-a-pro-samantha-burton-henley-q3-protecting-a-shiny-coat-and-hooves/ Fri, 17 Dec 2021 17:07:48 +0000 http://ci028fc793b0002478

Samantha Burton Henley is a master groom and riding instructor who leaves her horses out 24/7 rather than keeping them inside when powerful sun rays are shining and the bugs are buzzing. She also opts to skip fly sheets and hoods that another popular option among trainers.

Even though each horse has access to a run-in, they all choose to stand outside during the hottest, brightest hours of the day. She doesn’t stress about the bright sun rays or pesky bugs from ruining her horses’ silky coats. Thanks to a combination of powerful horse grooming hair care products her horse’s never lose a sleek, silky shine. Here are her favorites and her routine for using them.

How do you keep your horse’s coat from fading?

Her first line of defense is UltraShield® EX, UltraShield® Red, and Ultrashield® Green fly sprays. Each fly repellent formulation includes non-greasy ingredients that help protect the horse’s coat in addition to battling bugs. By keeping bugs at bay she doesn’t have to worry about unsightly bumps or welts on her horse’s coats. And, she rotates between the three products to avoid insect resistance.

Check out the full fly care line here.

“It’s insane the amount of ticks and horrible bites our horses had,” she said. “As soon as we started alternating it has been amazing how much better our school horses look this year. And we don’t have any superbugs.”

For added protection, Santa Fe is a spray-on horse coat conditioner that also includes sunscreen. The conditioner contains silk proteins to revitalize the coat, mane, and tail. Best of all, its non-slip formulation makes it safe for the entire body.

How do you keep moisture in your horse’s hooves?

Shiny, silky coats are the attention grabbers and that means hooves often get overlooked. Depending on the season, how hot and dry it is, Samantha keeps Hooflex® Therapeutic Conditioner, and Hooflex® All Natural Dressing And Conditioner, on-hand for application as soon as the horse’s feet get too dry.

“People don’t’ start paying attention until their horse is throwing his shoes from stomping his feet all day long,” she said. “Usually, we don’t start applying until August but it has been a dry year so we’re not waiting.”

Check out the full line of hoof care here.

For a polished look, she applies a coat of SuperShine® Hoof Polish & Sealer Clear before entering the show pen. The quick-drying formula provides a super high-gloss finish and the polish rubs off naturally in about a week.

What else can be done for coat health?

Good grooming is the key to maximizing the effects of any grooming product. Samantha cautions against getting in too much of a rush in currying a horse’s coat. Sweat can increase sun bleaching. Bathing horse too frequently can be counterproductive but a hosing off removes the buildup.

Remember, the inside of the horse is as important to creating that shine as grooming and conditioning the outside. Work with a veterinarian to ensure your horse is getting the proper nutrition and supplements to support your efforts.

To check out other helpful tips from Samantha, check them out here

Sponsored by:

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Ask a Pro Q1: Hoof Care https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health/ask-a-pro-tracy-turner-q-one/ Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:23:14 +0000 http://ci0271131310002787

When sitting down today with Dr Tracy Turner, the topic of hoof care was brought up. Dr. Turner is pretty straight forward when it comes to hoof care and prefers to keep it simple. The starting point all begins with a good farrier and a good trim. “You must have a good relationship with your farrier, and keep your horses in good conditions for their hooves, meaning dry yet conditioned circumstances”. 

Hoof packing reduces heat and soreness.

“Don’t over complicate it,” he states “Take a step back and consider the horses’ conformation, the type of work they are being ask to do, what kind of surface that may be on. Then, if additional support is needed due to high performance or an imbalance in the foot, consider bringing shoes or a pad and shoe into the equation. When adding in a pad, absolutely consider a good hoof packing within it. Start with the basics and add additional support as needed, adjusting to the conditions at hand for your horse.”

If you have a horse in competition, this is where you should consider altering your “basic care” and turning it up a level. “Should a horse become sore, for example an eventer that’s showing on a circuit, those horses tend to come into contact with a lot of hard ground. I would suggest packing their feet over night to help improve their recovery time and reduce the sting that can develop in their hooves due to the hard impact.”

Absorbine’s Magic Cushion® and Magic Cushion ® Xtreme

A hoof packing option:

Absorbine’s Magic Cushion® and Magic Cushion ® Xtreme is formulated to work like magic in your horses feet, no pun intended. Being one of the top 5 products recommended by farriers, Magic Cushion is all business when it comes to reducing heat within the hoof in and hour – then continuing to do so for the next 24 hours. It also calms any kind of soreness around the frog sole of the hoof. Click here to learn about all the other benefits of Magic Cushion.

Check out this informative video on Magic Cushion…

To read more about the topics that Dr. Turner covers, click here.  

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