Horse Hoof Care

Essential Medical Supplies

Bearing in mind that "home doctoring" is dangerous—that when your horse is sick or lame you should call your veterinarian—you still require certain basic and simple medical supplies always at hand in your stable. The following are, in general, both adequate and ample, unless your veterinarian advises otherwise. With these supplies, you will be able to maintain regular horse hoof care and perform other essential preventive measures.

Alcohol, rubbing
Vaseline for lubricating scabs
Pine tar or a commercially prepared hoof dressing
Antiphlogistic poultice—as prescribed by your veterinarian
Colic medicine as prescribed by your veterinarian.
Tetanus antitoxin
Burow s solution (astringent)
Boracic acid powder (dusting)
Creolin or Lysol (disinfectants)
Metaphen (tincture) "| surface
Merthiolate (tincture) J antiseptics
Iodine, tincture, regular (for abrasions)
Bandages, gauze
Bandages, woven
Cotton

horse hoof care - shoes

NEED—Horses are shod to prevent the wall of the hoof wearing down to the sensitive tissue—to provide a good grip on slippery surfaces and race tracks—to protect the hoof from corns, cracks, and contracting—to induce change of gait and action—and to correct faulty hoof structure and growth.

TYPES OF SHOES—The shoes on the fore and hindfeet are different. The shoes on the forefeet are more rounded at the toe, wider and shorter than those on the hindfeet.

A bar shoe is one in which the usual open end is closed with a bar of metal. It is used to supply pressure or support to a particular area of the hoof such as the frog. It is used in specialized horse hoof care, such as the treatment of cracked hoofs and contracted heels and hoofs with thin soles.

A feather edge (beveled) is used to reduce the risk of brushing (interfering)—and to correct contraction of the heel.

A three quarter shoe is frequently used after the removal of corns. NAILS—The normal shoe has seven nails—four on the outside and three on the inside. Occasionally, however, the shoes are attached with eight nails, four on each side.

CALKS—A calk is a protrusion (or sometimes a dull spike) at the toe and the heel ends of the shoe to prevent slipping. It is generally made by bending the ends down. In some instances, the calks are screwed into the shoe.

QUARTER CLIP—A quarter clip is an upward bend of the metal at the forward sides of the shoe (usually the hind) to increase the security of its attachment to the hoof and to minimize loosening from scuffing and stumbling.

PATHOLOGICAL SHOEING—Pathological shoeing refers to shoeing for focused horse hoof care to correct or relieve deficiencies of gait, movement, conformation, disease and lameness.

THE BLACKSMITH—or horseshoer, is also known as a farrier. A farrier will be very knowledgeable about essential horse hoof care and can provide expert recommendations for the proper shoeing of your horse. The horse's shoes should generally be changed every four to five weeks. If, at the normal time for reshoeing, the shoes are very little worn, they should be removed, the hoof trimmed and the shoes reset.

The blacksmith's essential tools consist of: anvil, vise, hammer, tongs, knife, rasp, pincers, pritchel and buffer.

Steps in shoeing a horse are:

1. Preparation (trimming the hoof).

2. Making the shoe.

3. Fitting the shoe.

4. Driving the nails.

5. Finishing the shoe.

Correct normal shoeing is characterized by five essential features: Security of the shoe on the foot, correct nailing, maintenance of the natural level and alignment of the foot, provision for expansion of the foot, prevention of sole pressure. To put it another way, it is most important that the smith fit the shoe to the foot and not vice versa. It is important, also, that the bars of the hoof be left intact; that only the ragged edges of the frog are removed; and that the walls of the hoof are not rasped.

COLD SHOEING—This refers to nailing on a prepared shoe fitted in advance, or of a standard size, without heating or fitting it. This should be used only in an emergency, when a blacksmith is not available.

POOR SHOEING—Faulty, inexperienced or careless shoeing and unnecessary rasping result in corns, contracted heels, injuries due to improper placement of the nails and, in some cases, navicular disease. The bars of the hoof should not be removed since they are a continuation of the wall, running alongside the frog to form a buttress which keeps the heels apart. Unfortunately, the bars are frequently removed, causing sore feet. Consulting a trained professional can often help you to provide essential horse hoof care and avoid potential problems.

Back to Page 1