Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Basics of Horse Hoof Care

By Colten N. Ourso


Learning about the fundamentals of horse hoof care is one of the most important responsibilities of horse owners. A horse won't ask you to clean up and care for his feet, thus, you could not just simply wait around for it to ask. You need to find out and fully understand the most effective ways for your horse's hooves to stay in great condition.

Sad to say, an unexpected number of horses are actually placed back in the paddock or stable not having their hooves being examined at all. Cleaning the hooves is wrongly assumed by unskilled horse owners, as being the duty of the farrier. On the other hand, it is just not sufficient to call the farrier to shoe your own horse. Spending time to clean up your own horse's hooves is actually the primary step to proper horse hoof care. Anything, may it be particles, muck, or small stones, which could have become lodged in the hoof must be eliminated.

It will probably only get you a few minutes every day to clean up your horse's hooves using a hoof pick. This may ensure your own horse's hoof wellness and convenience. And also, one more way of inspecting for any probable damage is actually through cleaning the hooves regularly.

Getting rid of the dirt or other caked on matter out of your horse's hoof, you will be able to let your horse walk easily. Clean horse hooves are less susceptible to stone bruises, out of hand cuts and thrush infections. Even the tiniest of stones can be held in the grooves of the frog, creating great displeasure for the horse. This may lead to painful bruising if kept unchecked that can make the horse to develop a limp.

You will need to clean the hooves of your horse at least one time or two times a day if you're able to. Right before you take your horse out for a ride, you need to check and clean the hooves. Before putting him back in the paddock or stable, you should check and clear the horse's hooves once again once you are through with the ride. To ensure good health of the horse, you must make sure that you could thoroughly clean and inspect the horse's hooves twice each week if you can't perform appropriate horse hoof care daily for whatever reason.

It is actually extremely important to keep the stable floor not damp and clean and at the same time, to ensure that the paddock area is actually drained properly. Allowing your horse stand in damp muck or on wet floor for a long time may just make harm to your horse's feet. Chips and cracks in the horse's hooves are due to a constant wet conditions.




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