Hoof Care
Hoof Knowledge??
I saw one of Tommy Onions' answers about a hoof care specialist. I would like to know some of their tips. What they recommend on up keep, good feed that promotes healthy hoof growth, are supplements good?? I have read a lot of things on what to do what not to do. I keep mine barefoot( if poss). Just looking for tips for my barefooted horses. Thank You
I have been riding for 30yrs. I KNOW how to take care of my horses! I was just looking for tips for barefoot horses. Not how to keep them clean.
Find a good hoof care specialist ie someone who has been trained and is experienced. Farriers know how to prepare a hoof for shoeing which is not the same as performance trimming and certainly not the same as trimming to correct pathologies. This is not to say that there aren't farriers who are skilled and knowledgable about trimming for barefoot performance. Most of the US male trimmers used to be farriers; Dr Strasser of course is a vet. Check out the Strasser or AANHCP websites for lists of trained trimmers.
Learn to do your own basic hoofcare - there are heaps of courses and books and DVDs to help you but there's no substitute for finding a good hoofcare specialist and learning from them. The best thing for the horse is to have the wear and growth in its feet in balance. The best trim is little and often which mimics that natural pattern of wear. Unless you can get (and afford to pay) a trimmer to trim little and often - learn to do your own maintenance trims.
Learn about the hoof - its functions, anatomy etc - and how changes in its form affect how it functions; and how changes in its functions affect other parts of the body - and vice versa.
The horse spends 95% of its life standing up; if its foundation is unstable it is in a state of constant muscle tension and some degree of physical stress. The effects of this are cumulative and serious. So, understand the vicious circles the horse can get trapped in - poor hoof form -> poor posture / uneven movement -> muscle pain -> poor posture / uneven movement -> poor hoof form. Having an understanding of the operation of the dorsal ligament and stay apparatus helps and learn some basic therapeutic massage techniques.
Find out how to condition feet. The hoof form should be suitable for the terrain the horse lives and works on; if it stands in a stall all week or it has broad flattish feet don't expect to to be able to go out and move comfortably on rocks at the weekend. It won't be just its muscles that'll be hurting but its soft, poorly conditioned feet. To condition its feet a horse needs to live and move 24/7 on varied terrain - or you need to simulate that in some way. If you can't condition its feet and you want to work on abrasive surfaces - use hoof boots (especially on the fronts) but make sure they are properly fitted.
Learn about diet - the modern horse's diet is way too high in sugar - in the form of carbohydrates - grains, molasses, fructans etc Most proprietary feeds have molasses added; grain is high in sugar as are fast growing production grasses. The horse needs a high fibre diet - with adequate protein to regenerate muscle, build horn etc. The amount of carbohydrate it can safely ingest depends on the amount of energy it burns up - ie how much exercise it gets. The sedentary horse needs more fibre than protein and more protein than carbohydrate. And most leisure horses are fairly sedentary - compared to the 30-40kms+ a day they'd move in the wild. Too much sugar not only predisposes to laminitis - it puts on weight - and neither are good for feet. Many horses would benefit from adding protein and fibre and reducing sugars in their diet.
Supplements - the best food for feet is movement. In a healthy hoof, movement promotes circulation and circulation increases hoof production. With a diet that is balanced the horse shouldn't need much else. However - soils these days are depleted and unbalanced and feeds are also - so sometimes adding methionine and biotin - amino acids involved in the production of keratin is helpful. I try to avoid top dressing feeds unless I know for certain the horse has a deficiency and what's needed to address that. It's important to know about how different things interact - ie how some minerals cancel or enhance the effects of others.
Other than that add variety to the feed in any way you can - staying within the rules;provide companionship and motivation to move; don't rug if you can avoid it; don't use hoof oils or harsh chemicals; soak the feet in water daily in hot weather for 10 minutes or so; avoid using drugs unless absolutely necessary; avoid riding in ways which overstress the muscles and skeleton.... just keep referring back to the basic species' needs as a guide.
Hope this is helpful.
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