Taking care of your horse’s hooves won’t take a lot of your time. In fact, it is the basic horse care that you can easily squeeze in your daily activities.
1. Pick your horse’s feet. This is the most necessary thing you can do for your horse’s hooves. Picking their hooves isn't just the task of a farrier. As long as the owner does it, then the horse gets an early start on having a set of healthy hooves.
2. Adapt with the temperature. Try to determine what temperature your horse is most comfortable at. Notice that there will be variations in the surroundings and you have to be in tune whether they are slightly warm or a bit cold. You can do this by locating their pulse with two of your fingers pressed behind their pastern.
3. Look for signs of bacterial conditions. You can do this while you are picking on their hooves. The symptom is dark ooze or a foul smell from the cleft. When not remedied early on, this can result in further hoof damage. You can find the cure from over-the-counter medicine as recommended by your veterinarian or farrier.
4. Schedule appointments with your veterinarian or farrier. Just like a human being, your horse has needs. Aside from shoeing and trimming, you must also have your farrier check whether your horse has under-run heels, flare in the hoof walls or a club foot.
5. Check your horse’s hooves each time you pick his feet. Have the end of your horse’s nails trimmed then clinched. This is to prevent the shoe from sticking out beyond the hood.
6. Remove the shoe yourself. Just like how you have to learn how to change your car’s wheels, you must also know how to remove your horse’s shoes. Most of the farriers are more than willing to teach their customers the procedure. This makes it easier for your horse if you know how to remove a shifted or a sprung shoe.
7. Assist your horse in growing the best hooves. It must be the genes but some horses have better hooves than other horses. But you can do something about it by fine-tuning his diet. Inquire from your veterinarian the suitable feeding program for your horse. Soon enough, your horse’s hooves will benefit from this diet and show some changes.
Whenever you get the chance, always check your horse’s hooves especially when hauling. If your horse isn't covering his heels, the edge of his shoe can be partially pulled loose. Just prevent this from happening so he won't suffer any injuries.
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