If you’ve been following us throughout September, then you know that we spent the month talking about rain rot: what causes it, how to recognize it, how to prevent it, and what to do when your horse has it.
We are moving from Rain Rot September headfirst into Hoof October, so hold onto your shoes!
There is an old saying in the equine world: “No hoof, no horse.” And like most sayings that tend to persist over time, there is truth behind it.
Your horse’s hooves support hundreds, and sometimes more than a thousand, pounds of weight. They also have to absorb a tremendous amount of force with every step, trot, run, and jump. And unlike other horse care regimens that you can tend to skip here and there, monitoring, paying attention to, and preempting hoof problems is more critical than anything else.
Like most things in life, we often tend not to pay close attention to something until it goes wrong. With horse hoof health, when things go wrong, they go terribly so. So, before we spend Hoof October talking about things like thrush, abscesses, cracks, moisture, hoof products, and other concerning and problematic conditions, let’s start with 101 - the basics.
That begs the question, “What does a healthy hoof actually look like, and what should you be doing to ensure that a healthy hoof stays as such?”
What Does a Healthy Horse Hoof Look Like?
You don’t have to be trained as a farrier to learn to recognize the difference between a healthy hoof and one that isn’t so much.
A healthy hoof should generally have a strong hoof wall without major cracks or obvious damage. The sole and the frog should be checked regularly for changes, unusual odors, tenderness, foreign objects, or anything else that looks different from your horse’s normal.
In that last part of the sentence lies the most important part - your horse’s normal.
Picking your horse’s hooves isn’t just about removing dirt, rocks, and manure. It gives you the opportunity to monitor your horse’s hoof health. When you are picking, look for subtle changes and any potential problems that might grow bigger if not addressed.
How Often Should You Pick Your Horse’s Hooves?
For those who aren’t well versed in the equine world, the word “pick” means to inspect and remove any foreign objects from a horse’s hoof. Ideally, a horse owner should check and pick their horse’s hooves as a part of a regular grooming routine.
Horses that spend a good amount of time in muddy paddocks, wet stalls, rocky areas, or other environments where debris can become packed into the hoof may require even closer attention.
When you are picking your horse’s hoof, however, don’t just clean it and move on. Take a second to really look and examine whether there are any odors, whether the frog is changing, and address any new cracks that you haven’t seen before. It is the little observations that mean the most when it comes to catching minor problems before they become problematic.
Your Farrier Is Part of Your Hoof-Care Team
Regular hoof trimming is one of the most important parts of maintaining healthy hooves. The number of times a horse needs to be trimmed or shod can vary depending on the horse, its environment, hoof growth, workload, time of year, and whether the horse is barefoot or wearing shoes.
That is why finding a farrier to partner with is so important. Your farrier isn’t just there to trim the excess hoof. Regular visits also give you another set of eyes to look for any significant changes that you need to investigate further.
Moisture Matters More Than You Might Think
After spending an entire month talking about rain rot, this might sound familiar. Even with hooves, moisture matters.
Too much moisture can create problems, but in the same respect, excessively dry conditions aren’t necessarily ideal either. Constant changes between wet and dry conditions can also affect your horse’s hoof.
It’s important to consider what your horse stands in every day. The conditions of what they stand in affect the way you address their needs. Hoof care isn’t just about what you put on the hoof; it is about your horse’s hoof environment.
Common Hoof Problems Every Horse Owner Should Know About
Throughout Hoof October, we are going to take a much closer look at individual hoof problems, but there are several conditions every horse owner should at least recognize.
Thrush can affect the frog and is often associated with unhealthy conditions around the hoof, including prolonged exposure to wet or dirty environments.
Hoof abscesses can be extremely painful and may seemingly appear overnight, sometimes leaving a horse suddenly and significantly lame.
Hoof cracks can range from relatively minor cosmetic issues to cracks that require professional attention.
Bruising can occur from trauma, hard surfaces, rocks, or other factors.
There are also other hoof conditions that require the attention of a farrier or veterinarian. The important thing isn’t that you learn how to diagnose every hoof problem; it’s that you learn to recognize when something is amiss and address it early on rather than later.
Don’t Forget About Nutrition
Healthy hooves don’t start at the ground. They start from within.
Your horse’s overall nutrition plays a significant role in both the quality and the growth of your horse’s hooves. A balanced diet that provides the proper nutrients your horse needs is part of maintaining healthy horse hooves, just as nutrition contributes to a healthy coat, skin, muscles, and overall body condition.
Before you consider adding supplementation to your horse’s diet because it says it helps “hoof health,” talk it over with your veterinarian if you have concerns about whether it is necessary. As with all things, more isn’t always better.
What Should Be in Your Hoof-Care Kit?
Every horse owner should have a standard hoof-care kit that they keep readily available for routine care. A hoof pick is the obvious starting point, but your hoof-care routine certainly shouldn’t stop there.
Having appropriate cleaning and hoof-care products on hand can make it easier for you to perform routine horse care, and it can also help you to recognize and take time to examine what might need a bit more attention.
As we discussed throughout Rain Rot September, don’t forget about biosecurity. Keeping grooming and hoof-care tools clean is one of the most important parts of healthy hoof care, particularly when equipment is shared between horses.
Know When to Call the Professionals
One of the most important parts of caring for any animal or pet is knowing when something needs to be addressed outside of what you can do at home. Sudden lameness, significant heat or swelling, severe cracks, wounds, drainage, persistent foul odor, or a horse that doesn’t want to bear weight on a hoof shouldn’t be waited out or ignored.
When you’re unsure, call your veterinarian or farrier.
Catching a problem early is almost always preferable to waiting until it becomes a much bigger one.
Hoof October Is Just Getting Started
Healthy hooves aren’t the result of one product or one farrier appointment.
They’re the result of paying attention.
Throughout Hoof October, Purely Equines is going to dig deeper into hoof health, including common hoof problems, prevention, everyday hoof-care habits, and some of the things every horse owner should know.
We’ll be talking about thrush, abscesses, moisture, seasonal hoof care, and more.
Visit the Purely Equines Horse Care Hub, where we’re building a collection of educational tools, resources, tips, and articles designed to help horse owners make informed decisions about caring for their horses.
Because good horse care goes far beyond the barn. And this October, we’re starting from the ground up.
