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However, there is a growing movement to eliminate shoes on working horses. Advocates of barefooting point out many benefits to keeping horses barefoot and present studies showing that improper shoeing can cause or exacerbate certain hoof ailments in the horse. A hoof boot may help protect the horse's hooves during the transition period.
Farriers and veterinarians in a horse owner's local area can provide advice on the use and misuse of topical hoof dressings, offering suggestions tailored for the needs of the individual horse. Horses and ponies require routine hoof care by a professional farrier on average every six to eight weeks, depending on the animal, the work it performs ...
The common adage “no foot, no horse” rings true in that the shape and soundness of a horse’s hoof dictates the tasks it can perform. [3] Equine athletes asked to perform at intense levels of competition experience a great deal of wear on the internal and external structures of the hoof. [3]
The clean, picked hoof allows for better inspection for injury. Hoof care is especially important when caring for the horse. Although many horses are quite healthy without daily brushing, lack of hoof care can result in various problems, which if unattended, can result in short or long-term soundness issues for the horse.
Poor hoof balance, due to conformational flaws or poor trimming, can cause lameness from musculoskeletal injury, [20] and poor hoof balance has been associated with increased risk of catastrophic injury in racehorses. [21] Side-to-side (mediolateral) imbalance can cause sheared heals and hoof cracks. [22]
Veterinary treatment includes taking the shoe off, cutting the hoof clean and opening the nail hole to allow drainage. If the horse is in pain anesthesia of the nerve is given. The hole is irrigated and the hole can be packed with iodine-soaked cotton. Superficial infections may only need one treatment.
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith 's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with some veterinarian 's skills (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb ...
Her courses also concern the holistic care and rehabilitation of horses. Strasser's theory is based on the naturalization of a horse's management (no stalls, herd life and constant free movement), on de-shoeing of shod horses and on a trim devoted to restoring normal shape and function of their hooves.