Tips for your horse’s health

No matter the time of the year, taking care of a horse’s hooves should always be a priority. Not paying attention to these can create problems are a lot harder to repair than prevent. That’s why we encourage you to try these 4 hoof care tips to keep your horse’s hooves strong and healthy all year long.

Schedule your farrier regularly

Overgrown hooves can become imbalanced and create cracks and wall separations that may make it difficult or painful for your horse to walk or even stand.

Regular visits from your farrier to trim the horse’s hooves, will allow it to grow healthy hooves without any major cracks or damage occurring. Most expert farriers recommend to do it every 4 to 6 weeks, but this can change depending on the horse and their usual environment.

Prevent thrush

When a horse’s hooves are exposed for long periods of time to moist or damp environments or even dirty or urine-soaked stalls, fungal infections are prone to happen. This fungus can spread quickly and, if left untreated, it can damage the horse’s frog, causing sensitivity and pain in the area, making it difficult for the animal to do its normal day to day activities.

If your horse live outside year-round, try to prevent water from building up in the pasture with drainage and by filling in any low spots in the ground. However, if your horse spends most of the day in their stall, make sure to clean it regularly. The best way to prevent thrush is by using a topical treatment consistently to stop thrush from even forming.

Pick out the hooves

Picking out your horse’s feet regularly will remove any dirt, rocks, or debris that becomes trapped around the frog. These can cause sensitivity and thrush to build up (even if your horse is in a dry stall, wet mud or urine packed in their hoof, can help thrush develop).

Regularly cleaning out your horse’s hooves before or after riding cand help you keep a close look of their hooves’ health and prevent painful issues from ever occurring.

Feed a Supplement

Even if your horse has naturally healthy hooves, including a supplement in their diet can make a big difference. Adding a daily supplement into your routine will help your horse maintain a strong and healthy hoof that will help prevent any major damage from occurring. Some ingredients to look for are biotin, zinc methionine, lysine, Omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium.