How do you perform a horse’s hoof exam?

Hoof testers are used to compress the foot. They should be applied in a systematic manner, typically starting at one heel, progressing around the quarter, toe, opposite quarter, and heel and followed by compres- sion across both heels and from each side of the frog to the opposite heel.

What is the most common hoof disease in horses?

The common horse hoof diseases are laminitis, thrush, ringbone, keratoma, corn, and sole bruises, crack of the hoof wall, navicular disease, quittor, abscess in the hoof, white line disease, thin sole, hygroma, keratocele, cidito, picked up Neil, sheared heels and quarters.

What is a hoof problem?

Many problems can occur within the horse’s hoof. This article addresses common hoof problems, including abcesses, cracks, sole bruises, and corns. The abscess will take the path of least resistance and migrate up the hoof and break out at the coronary band. Once the abscess begins to drain, lameness usually subsides.

How do I know if my horse has good hooves?

I also marked, on the sole view, the open angle of his heels at the back of the foot. That is another sign of a good foot. The heels are decontracted. Contracted heels on the other hand, point towards the toe or even angle in; I have seen hooves where the heels actually touch!

How should a horses foot be examined for balance?

Determine hoof balance by looking across the hoof from heel to toe. Both sides of the hoof wall should be equal in length. Horses that toe out and wing in wear down the inside of the hoof wall. Conversely, horses that toe in and paddle out wear down the outside of the hoof wall.

What does hoof rot look like on a horse?

In most cases, horses who develop hoof rot will go lame to some degree. Lameness may vary from a slight tenderness to full on limping or refusing to put weight on the affected limbs. If your horse goes lame and you suspect hoof rot may be the cause, call your farrier and have her check his feet.

What causes hoof problems in horses?

Although some people blame poor management and hygiene as its cause, it is more likely caused by poor conformation or trimming of the foot and a lack of exercise. Exercise may help clean out the hoof when the weight of the horse pushes down on the frog and surrounding structures.

What causes hoof wall separation in horses?

A separation in the hoof wall is considered to be a delaminating process potentially thought to originate from genetic factors, mechanical stress, inappropriate farriery and environmental conditions affecting the inner hoof wall attachment (Moyer 2003).

How do you know if your horse’s foot is sore?

If you find your horse limping or changing its gait, this may be a sign of soreness. A horse in good condition will walk on the outer wall of its hooves, signaling that the soles of their feet are concave, making for pain-free movement.

Can a farrier cause laminitis?

Can a farrier cause laminitis? This is not been documented. However a lack of farriery attention so that the feet become overgrown can result in abnormal stresses on the feet and hence laminitis.

Why is my horses frog gone?

Excess frog is typically removed by your farrier when they trim the hoof, so you may not notice this normal cycle. Importantly, however, peeling of the frog can also occur along with conditions that favor the development of thrush, such as lack of exercise, lameness, chronically wet environment, and poor hoof care.

What happens if you don’t trim a horse’s hooves?

If they dont get trimmed they will grow very very long and they twist around when they grow, that the horse wont be able to walk at all and be in extreme pain from the unatural position of the feet do to the overgrown nails! Hooves are like your fingernails.

How do I know if my horse has thin soles?

You will know all too well that you have a thin soled horse when it insistently steers itself away from hard or stony ground. Likewise, when the ground goes from soft to hard, its stride will noticeably shorten and flatten.

How do I know if my horse needs his feet trimmed?

Another way to tell if the hoof needs to be trimmed is to look at how the outside of the hoof. The hoof running between the toe and the coronet band should be a straight line. If that line has a dip or a bend to it, then the toe has grown out and the hoof has gotten too long.