The health and performance of a horse largely depends on the condition of its legs. It is the legs that are subjected to the greatest load, as a result of which they are injured more often than other parts of the animal’s body. Hoof pathologies are rarely congenital. Most problems can be prevented with proper care: timely clearing, shoeing, and providing suitable conditions.
TIPS FOR KEEPING A HORSE
Conditions when keeping a horse in captivity are different from natural conditions, which can lead to abnormal hoof development in foals and limb problems in adult animals. Best Horse Breeds There are several main factors to pay attention to.
Hydration:
Lack of moisture leads to fragility of the stratum corneum, the appearance of cracks, lack of firmness and elasticity, which leads to injuries during work or intense training. There are several ways to moisturize your hooves:
work on wet soil or water;
keeping on straw or wet sawdust;
treatment with a damp soft sponge.
When kept on pasture, these methods are not always suitable. In this case, you should place the drinking bowl or feeder in a damp area of the pasture, and also, if possible, moisten the soil in front of it: this way the animal will be on wet ground while eating or drinking.
Hygiene.
Compliance with sanitary standards is especially important when keeping in a stall. For the health of the animal as a whole and maintaining the health of the limbs, it is important to promptly change the bedding and clean the stall.
It is recommended to use straw as bedding. It does not clog into the hoof furrows and also maintains an optimal level of moisture. Horseflies And Gadflies In addition, urine is well absorbed into the straw – unlike shavings or sawdust, when used, the urine mostly remains on top of the litter, destroying the stratum corneum. Sawdust or shavings also tend to get clogged into the recesses of the sole, which leads to drying out, so when kept on such bedding, the hooves should be cleaned more often.
Physical activity.
In nature, a horse has the ability to move unlimitedly, so physical activity is an important factor for healthy hooves. Lack of movement leads to poor circulation, as well as a lack of nutrients in the tissues. Physical inactivity cannot be compensated for by a balanced diet or nutritional supplements: an animal kept in a stable must be provided with regular movement, if possible, on natural ground.
Before taking your horse out of the stable, you should clean his hooves of any adhering bedding. In winter, it is important to ensure that snow does not stick to the sole and periodically clean it from any “heels” that appear. After work, the limbs are massaged with straw from bottom to top. If these rules are followed, exercise/training will benefit the animal and will not lead to injury.
RULES FOR TREATING HORSE HOOVES
Horse hoof care includes trimming, trimming, and the use of cosmetics/medicines. It is important not to overuse such products: for example, excessive use of hoof oils can lead to the formation of a greasy film on the stratum corneum that does not allow moisture to pass through. To ensure the health of the limb, it is enough to apply the oil to the corolla – this will give it elasticity and also provide the necessary nutrition. Medicines must be prescribed by a veterinarian and used strictly in the dosage prescribed by him.
Trimming/trimming is necessary for all individuals older than 2-3 months. It is performed once every month and a half (during the grazing season – once every 3-4 months) and includes several stages.
The hoof is moisturized. To do this, you need to immerse it in water for two to three minutes.
Dirt/debris is removed using a brush and hook. Health Training: Cleaning is carried out in the following order: horny wall, sole, frog. When clearing the frog, the movement is in the direction from the heel.
The overgrown horny tissue is removed with forceps, after which the irregularities are ground off with a rasp.
The hoof is leveled and polished from heel to toe.
Despite the apparent simplicity of the procedure, its implementation should be entrusted to a specialist. Incorrect, uneven pruning, performed without taking into account the characteristics of a particular individual, leads to improper distribution of the load on the limb and the occurrence of future problems with joints, ligaments, and tendons. In addition, too much pruning leads to lameness and injury.
HOW TO SHOE A HORSE CORRECTLY?
Horse hoof care includes shoeing. Horseshoes protect the hoof horn from wear, damage, injury, and also provide better traction with the surface (when using horseshoes with spikes). Forging is also necessary for orthopedic diseases – horseshoes can compensate for the deformation of a limb or hoof, so they are used in treatment and rehabilitation.
Important: Horseshoes should not be used to correct the conformation or movements of an animal over three years old – shoeing provides only minimal correction while preserving the animal’s characteristic leg position.
To prevent a horseshoe from causing harm, it must be of the appropriate size and shape. Proper fit is also important – otherwise the function of the limb will be impaired. Famous Horses And Their Owners To maintain the strength of the hoof horn, a minimum number of nails is used. The horse is re-shod every 35-45 days.
Forging is performed as follows:
The horse is examined at rest and in motion to determine the characteristic position of the leg. Measurements are taken from the hooves and their shape is determined.
Clearing and pruning is in progress.
The finished horseshoe is applied to the sole, after which, if necessary, it is adjusted on the anvil to the desired shape/size.
The horseshoe is fixed with nails.
The ends of the nails are cut off, riveted, and then ground off with a rasp.
The quality of the shoe is checked in motion; if necessary, the horse is reshod.
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