Besides being the month of love, February is International Hoof-Care Month. Any horse person is familiar with the phrase “No Foot, No Horse.” And how those words ring true! We spend a lot of money, time, study, and effort on what we can do to ensure that our horses have healthy horse hoofs – everything from buying hoof care supplements, topical concoctions, and protective boots to paying our farriers for regular care. I decided to ask an expert about the most important things we, as horse owners, can do to ensure hoof health.

I caught up with Certified Journeyman Farrier Tyler Davis and his assistant Albert Gregg.  Having worked closely for many years with veterinarian Dr. Charlie Boles, he has seen almost every possible problem a horse can have concerning their hooves, and here is what he had to say.

#1 – Pick up their feet to check if your horse has a healthy horse hoof.

Every day. Every ride.

“Owners that handle their horses daily get to know their horses’ hooves and what is normal or abnormal for them,” Davis said. “Catching a problem right away can be the difference between a little problem or a big problem.”

#2 – Assess your horse’s hoof health to develop a baseline.

One of the best ways to maintain your horse’s hoof health is to monitor heat in hooves and get to know what is normal for your horse. Learn to check for digital pulses, which can be a sign of laminitis, lameness, or abscess. A healthy horse hoof can be free from cracks, so you always have to check, as some are superficial, but others can be a problem. Inspect nails, clenches, and shoes, and check it is not sprung (lifted) or loose. Check for abnormalities in the sole and frog and be aware of any strong smell that could potentially mean thrush. If you suspect thrush, ask your vet or farrier right away and treat it with a product they recommend. Be aware of abscesses or soft spots on the soles or the outside of hooves as far up as the coronet band. One of the most practical ways to maintain a healthy horse’s hoof is to always check for rocks and any foreign objects that may have become embedded in the hoof, such as a nail or fence staple. If you suspect a puncture, contact your vet immediately so you may determine how deeply it is embedded and the best way to treat it.

#3 – Try to keep your horse’s hooves dry.

Constant rinsing, bathing, and drying of horses’ hooves can affect hoof quality. One of the most effective ways to maintain your horse’s hoof health is to allow it to dry in the sun before returning it to a dark or damp stall if you rinse your horse often. This type of expansion from moisture and contraction from drying is also a problem for horses living in muddy paddocks during the rainy season or in the summers, for horses turned out at night in damp grass pastures and brought in to stand in their dry, cool pens during the heat of the day.

#4 – Consider topical products for a healthy horse hoof.

It can help seal the horses’ hooves with a protective sealant such as Tuff Stuff or one of the many other products on the market, such as Hoof Alive or Rain Maker before you get them wet. Just don’t apply topical products to hooves before your farrier plans a visit, as it will make their job much harder. Also, constant or daily applications of hoof oils can actually be drying to hooves. To ensure a healthy horse hoof, always check with your farrier about a product they have had success with. This would be true of thrush and white line treatments as well as sole hardeners – every farrier has their own favorite products.

#5 – Feeding a good quality supplement and giving it adequate time to show results is one of the best ways to maintain your horse’s hoof health.

While you may see some difference within a few months of starting a horse hoof supplement, it really takes a year to see the full impact. Davis acknowledges that a large part of hoof quality is genetic but has seen results when customers have fed different products to sustain healthy horse hoofs.  Learn more about how supplements impact hoof health, and for further reading, check out Hoof Supplements: Feeding the Foot by Heather Smith Thomas.

#6 – Ground Manners:  Make sure your horse has them or has a plan for them to be enrolled in Charm School.

Farriers cannot do their best work when they are dodging hooves or teeth. To sustain a healthy horse hoof, you must work with your horse’s feet daily to get them used to being picked up and make sure they will hold and keep them up. If you have trouble, enlist the help of a trainer – seriously! Farriers, vets, and other professionals who work around horses do not appreciate hearing, “Oh, I forgot to tell you…” after your horse has taken a taste of their arm or love tapped them with their hoof. I cannot stress this enough. I can assure you our experts used more colorful language regarding this subject.

#7 – One of the best ways to maintain your horse’s hoof health is to find a farrier that you trust and stick with them.

To get a healthy horse hoof, you should give your farrier a chance to help shape and influence the health of your horse’s hooves, paying careful attention to angles, medial and lateral balance, break over, shape, etc. A good farrier, whether your horse is shod or barefoot, will keep your horse on a regular schedule in order to prevent hooves from becoming too long, out of balance, or developing cracks and chips. Ask for referrals; a good farrier will have no trouble providing you with the names of loyal clients.

We hope these healthy horse hoof tips helped you protect your horses’ hooves, especially with International Hoof-Care Month to raise awareness! Tell us in the comments if you have any special ways to maintain your horse’s hoof health that we didn’t cover!

It is common this time of year to think about having your horse go barefoot during the winter months when you’ll be riding less and the ground is moist with rain or snow. Robert Barnes of Black Iron Farrier suggests that clients may want to pull just the hind shoes to start.

Many horses have thin soles and need front shoes because 65%  percent of their weight is on their front feet. The common reason shoes are pulled during the winter is because it snows or rains for the next six months and some horses manage quite well in these conditions without their hind shoes. Many farmers and ranchers do pull shoes to avoid the expense and trouble of shoeing their livestock through the winter months.

Riding and competition horses that I shoe do the best when they have shoes all year, especially if they are ridden on hard, frozen or rocky ground and also for those horses that are being ridden in indoor/outdoor arenas. These horses need shoes to stay sound and they’ll stay more comfortable with their shoes on.

Keeping your horse barefoot foot is fine for those horses who live on nice green pastures, or horses that live on soft, even good ground. For all horses still being ridden, especially competition horses, I still like to keep their front shoes on if they are going back to work in the Spring.

Robert Barnes
Black Iron Farrier

First, pasture becomes limited or non-existent and horses must be fed hay. Hay loses many of the nutrients originally found in fresh grass, such as Omega 3, an essential fatty acid, vitamins E and C, beta carotene (for vitamin A production). In addition, exposure to direct sunlight declines during winter, limiting your horse’s ability to produce his own vitamin D. It is more important than ever to fill in these nutritional gaps by providing a vitamin/mineral supplement, like Grand Vite, Grand Complete or Grand Premium Plus that includes a stabilized ground flaxseed meal for necessary Omega-3 fatty acids, prebiotic to help his digestion and immune function optimally – so important with the change of temperature!

Hay Helps Your Horse Produce Body Heat and Adds Needed Calories

Alfalfa is beneficial for most horses because when combined with grass hay, it boosts the overall protein quality. This helps protect immune function and keep body proteins such as muscles, hair, skin, and hooves, in good condition. Consider offering your horse a 30/70 mixture of alfalfa/grass hay. A good rule of thumb — for every 10° F below freezing (wind chill temperature), feed 10% more hay than usual. But better yet, offer grass hay free-choice.   His digestive system requires a steady supply of forage and the best way to do this (and the most convenient for you) is to keep hay available at all times, day and night. Grand Digest is an excellent supplement to add for all horses especially hard keepers that have digestive disturbances and trouble maintaining their weight which is even more challenging when the cold, wet weather sets in.

When Your Horse Needs More Calories 

Wet and windy conditions increase energy needs, making it difficult for your horse to eat enough especially if he is his only feed source. Depending on the condition of your horse and his level of activity, you may need to add concentrates to the diet.  A high fat commercial feed is fine for healthy horses. For the easy keeper, it is best to avoid cereal grains such as oats, corn, barley or sweet feeds. Beet pulp or alfalfa pellets provide calories without much starch and sugar. And don’t forget fat sources from stabilized ground flaxseed meal which is the most desirable – these are all concentrated sources of calories.

Your Horse May Need Joint Protection

Horses with arthritic joints may experience more soreness during cold weather. Just remember even though the show season has ended and your horse is taking a winter break,  to continue supplementing with Glucosamine, MSM, HA and Collagen Type II, Omega-3  to protect and support your horse’s joints that are now aggravated with the cold, harsher winter weather.

Do You Need to Blanket Your Horse?

Don’t rush to blanket your horse. If he is healthy, of normal weight, and has a good winter coat, he can do very well in cold weather. Your horse’s winter coat is an excellent insulator, provided his skin doesn’t get wet. Therefore, most horses do not need to be blanketed as long as they have access to shelter from the wind, rain, and snow. If you must blanket your horse, use waterproof, breathable materials only, and monitor your horse’s coat under the blanket for sweating. When temperatures drop, a wet horse underneath a blanket can be colder than he would be with no blanket at all.

Sheltering Your Horse

Turnout is the ideal situation, along with a three-sided shelter or free access to a barn to provide protection against severe weather. If your horse is stalled, make sure the barn is well ventilated to avoid respiratory problems. But remember, if a horse is unaccustomed to stall living, this can be very stressful, resulting in ulcers and reduced immune function. So the more turnout you can provide the better.