Keeping horse hooves healthy depends on the type of activity and terrain you plan to do with him. A horse that lives in a pasture spends most of his time walking, trotting, or cantering. Keeping the hooves healthy for these activities is important. If you plan to keep your horse inside and ride him only occasionally, keeping his hooves healthy may not be as important.
Ride your horse to keep his hooves healthy.
Most horse hooves are rarely if ever fitted with shoes. Most horses are likely to develop hoof problems if they are kept in shoes. So if you plan to ride your horse, you should also occasionally make sure his hooves are kept healthy. The best way to do this is to have your horse fitted with a shoe that matches the terrain where he will be doing most of his walking. A horse that wears a shoe designed for dry, hard-packed terrain is more likely to develop hoof problems if he wears a shoe designed for an indoor arena.
Walk your horse to keep his hooves healthy.
Horses that live on farms and work with the farm equipment, such as tractors and ploughs, need to walk on hard surfaces. The more often a horse walks, the softer his hooves will become and the less likely he is to develop hoof problems. Walking your horse also keeps his hooves strong and healthy. A healthy hoof is less likely to get injured while working.
Don’t ride your horse at all and keep his hooves healthy.
If you don’t ride your horse at all and keep his hooves healthy, he will grow his hooves out long enough to be shod. This keeps his hooves strong and healthy, but it will also prevent him from being ridden.
Jump your horse and keep his hooves healthy.
A horse that participates in jump events, such as a showjumping event or a cross-country competition, is routinely shod. A horse that jumps needs shoes to protect his hooves from being injured. But a horse that spends most of his time walking and trotting does not need shoes, so keeping his hooves healthy is important.
How often should you brush your horse’s Hooves?
A horse’s hooves grow continuously, but they can also become very dry and brittle during periods of drought or very hot weather. When your horse’s hooves are very dry and brittle, you should use a hoof dryer to help them become softer and more flexible. Dryers are only effective when the hoof is soft enough to get a good “brush” of the dryer.
Every two weeks is usually a good goal for how often you should brush your horse’s hooves. You can brush your horse’s hooves when they are soft, but when the hoof is dry. If you wait until the hoof is dry for a more thorough brushing session, the hoof will become flat and stiff, making it more difficult to keep it healthy.
How much should you brush your pony or foal’s hooves?
The best way to brush a foal’s hooves is to have a person hold him upside down while another person brushes the bottom of his hooves. You can brush a foal’s hooves as often as the person brushing them feels they need to. But brushing a foal’s hooves too often will not make the hoof softer or healthier, it will just cause the foal’s hooves to become more sensitive to pain.
For a young horse, brush his hooves every two weeks for about five minutes, using a soft bristle brush with a brush head that is about the size of a nickel. Use a quick-dry, absorbent paste to brush a young horse’s hooves. For an older horse, brush his hooves every two months for about five minutes, using a soft bristle brush with a brush head that is about the size of a nickel. Use a quick-dry, absorbent paste to brush an older horse’s hooves.
Which brushes are best for cleaning a foal’s hooves?
For cleaning a foal’s hooves, use a soft bristle brush with a brush head that is the size of a quarter. You can also use a foal’s hooves lathe. For cleaning a horse’s hooves, use a brush with a long handle that is made of hard nylon or a brush with a short handle made of natural bristle. The best brush for cleaning a horse’s hooves is one that is made of hard nylon, because it picks up only the dirt and absorbs the moisture. Never use a horse brush on a pony or foal’s hooves, because it will damage the hoof.
How much should you trim your mare’s hooves?
A horse’s hooves grow as long as the horse’s leg does. When the hoof is too long and excessive, it should be trimmed back to the same level as the rest of the leg. Mares are often trimed once a year, when the growing hoof is too long.
Most mares are trimmed at the spring thaw, when the hoof is soft and pliable. When your mare’s hoof is trimmed, it is trimmed at the same level on each side of the leg. New hoof growth begins immediately above the trimmed hoof. If you trim your mare’s hooves too short and the hoof does not grow back, it is best to leave the hoof untrimmed and let the new hoof grow out.
How much should you trim your gelding or stallion’s hooves?
If your gelding or stallion has “splayed” hooves, his hooves are longer on one side than the other. Splayed hooves are common in racehorses, whose legs are lengthened by their racing activity. Splayed hooves often need to be trimmed once or twice a year. If you do not know your gelding or stallion’s splayed hooves, it is best to bring him to the stables after his work is done each day and let the stablehand or groom trim his hooves.
Wrapping Up:
Horses can become very dirty and mired in mud when they are working in the fields. To keep his hooves clean and dry, a horse will usually walk in the mud at least once a day. When the hooves are clean and dry, the hoof wall is flexible and the hoof is less likely to get injured when the horse walks in the mud.
If the hooves are wet or if the hoof wall is wet and the horse walks in the mud, the hoof wall is more likely to get injured and the hoof is more likely to get injured. It is important to keep your horse’s hooves clean and dry to protect them from injury and to let them grow strong and healthy.
