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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.
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.
Swelling and bleeding bars can cause a horse to try to slide its tongue over the bit. [8] Sudden action on the reins always causes the animal severe pain. [19] A particularly painful situation is when the bit rests on the molars, without the support of the corners of the mouth or the tongue. [8]
Corrective trimming and shoeing is used to alter the forces placed on the hoof and soft tissues of the digit and lower leg. The goal is to reduce strain or load on structures that are at-risk of damage secondary to conformation , movement, or past injury, or to treat areas that are healing and can no longer handle normal forces.
Trimming the heels helps to ensure frog pressure and increases surface area for weight-bearing on the back half of the hoof. [38] While horses may stabilize if left barefooted, some veterinarians believe the most successful methods of treating founder involve positive stabilisation of the distal phalanx, by mechanical means, e.g., shoes, pads ...
A horse's teeth grow continuously throughout its life and can develop uneven wear patterns. Most common are sharp edges on the sides of the molars which may cause problems when eating or being ridden. For this reason a horse or pony needs to have its teeth checked by a veterinarian or qualified equine dentist at least once a year.
The nail creates a wound on the inside of the hoof wall. [3] A close nail or a nail bind is the placement of a horseshoe nail so close to the sensitive structures inside the horse's hoof that it causes discomfort to the horse. The nail is not necessarily placed in the sensitive structures itself, but creates a pressure on the quick of the horse ...
Its main cause is a missing tooth which allows the opposing teeth to grow into the gap, but it can occur because of uneven wear or if the deciduous cap or baby tooth is retained too long preventing normal tooth growth. It can prevent the horse from freely chewing and cause the improper wear of the molars and incisors.