by Wendy Herne - Assoc. Producer of PTR and Horse Owner.
Listen to the original story in PTR #267

Horses are strong, magnificent animals but did you know that something as simple as poor hoof care can make your horse unhappy and in some cases quite ill?

Horse Hoof Facts
* Horses’ hooves are made of keratin, the same thing your fingernails are made of, which is 95% protein.

* Horses’ hooves grow an average of one centimetre a month, but this varies depending on the age of the horse, with older horses’ hooves growing more slowly and young horses’ hooves growing more rapidly.

* The hoof grows from the coronary band which is where the hoof tissue joins to the leg. So if there is any damage to the hoof, the new tissue has to grow all the way from the coronary band before the damaged hoof tissue is replaced.

* It takes approximately twelve months for the hoof to be replaced completely, so prevention is better than cure; any crack that occurs in your horse’s hoof will take a long time to grow out.

* Overgrown hooves become increasingly painful and make it difficult for the horse to walk.
Eventually this will cripple a horse.

Top Tips for Caring for Your Horse’s Hooves
1. Pick up and clean your horse’s feet regularly. This will ensure your horse is used to having its feet handled and will help you to know what is normal. Make sure you remove stones and other foreign bodies from the underside of the foot. Check for signs of infection e.g. heat or tenderness. If your horse has shoes make sure you check for loose nails or loose, damaged or missing shoes.

2. Get your horse’s hooves trimmed by a farrier every six to eight weeks.

3. Ensure your horse has a good diet with plenty of the right nutrition for healthy hooves.

4. Pay particular attention to your horse’s hooves in wet weather and try to avoid them having to stand in deep mud or water.

5. Some horses benefit from having their hooves painted regularly with a good quality hoof oil.

6. If you notice significant damage to one of your horse’s hooves such as a deep crack or section that is broken away, or your horse is lame, contact your farrier or equine vet for advice.

An important condition of which all horse owners must be aware is Laminitis.

Laminitis, also known as “founder”, is a very painful and potentially life-threatening condition, which is often caused by poor diet. Feeding your horse foods high in starch, such as too much bread or biscuits, or too much new grass growth in spring or after rain can cause the condition.

Laminitis is an inflammation of the laminae which connect the hoof to the pedal bone and it occurs when toxins build up and alter the blood flow to the laminae. A horse with laminitis will adopt a classic stance in which they take their weight on their heels to take pressure off the front of their forefeet and relieve the pain.

The affected foot or feet will feel hot to the touch. Ponies are particularly prone to laminitis so it is really important to keep them at a healthy weight to reduce pressure on the feet.

Horses who suffer from laminitis almost never recover completely and remain prone to the condition. They require specialist farrier and sometimes veterinary care.

Looking for a farrier in the Sydney area?: Call Jeff Levy, Master Farrier (02) 4733-4545 who's the other star above!.

All photos: (c)Wendy Herne & info-tv.com pty ltd