How do I take care of a horse's hooves?

 Hoofs are an important part of your horse

A horse's hoof is a wonderful piece of biological engineering, and as such requires special attention, especially when it comes to moisture. The hoof is an integral part of the horse an important organ in the horse’s body, and it must be healthy and clean, and if the hoof is damaged, this leads to the horse being exposed to diseases that may be difficult to treat. There are several steps to take care of the horse’s hoof. Hoof care is a vital part of maintaining the overall health of your horse. You should check your horse's hooves daily, and at least two to three times a week. You should get to know what is normal and what is not, and note any problems that may start. Using this list of simple tips may help you in your daily horse grooming routine.

List of quick simple tips:

1. When you get close to your horse, make sure they are close in size, they don't have to be exactly the same, but very close to the same size and shape.
2.  Carefully examine the horse's hooves. Pick up the hoof and run your hand against the outside wall to feel the blemishes. Use the precise procedure of the coronary tape and then tap it gently, these two procedures will also show sensitive areas and moisture-bearing areas.
3.  Examine the foot carefully. Check the color of each hoof. They should be the same in color. A clearly defined dark spot indicates a bruise or hole in the wound.
4.  Look and compare the hooves. The two front hooves should be the same size and shape and the same as the back hooves. You should gently tap each hoof with a machine, in most areas, except for the dry ones, they should be slightly damp.
5. If your horse is trembling, hold the hoof and see if it is squirming. Check for hoof loss, if the hoof is loose, you can choose to remove the hoof before the horse loses it on its own and may take part of its hoof with it.

Watch your horse's hoof

If you keep a close eye on your horse's hooves, you can avoid a lot of problems by spotting the problem before it becomes severe. I would recommend working on your daily hoof cleaning with a few simple steps. Use your hoof from heel to toe. If it is tightly packed, you may need to loosen it a little before removing it. Once all debris has been removed, check all areas of the hoof and make sure there is no foul odor as this is a clear sign of thrush. Make sure there are no pebbles or stones anywhere, even under the shoe.

Healthy hooves... healthy horses.

Your horse's hooves should display the natural, shiny luster of the hoof wall. smooth homogeneous surface, free from cracks, rings, plates, and burners; The concave sole touches the shoe, so you can be absolutely sure that your horse's hooves are in good health.

General tips for your horse

When the exercise is over, the horse's body temperature is high. Therefore, it is recommended to gradually slow down the intensity of the exercise, and walk in the last quarter of an hour of exercise, until the horse's body cools down. During this walk, loosen the bridle so that the horse can extend its neck and back freely.

Here are 10 steps that the rider must take after the exercises:

• Offer water to the horse after reaching the stable, and give it water once every half an hour after exercise.
• Loosen the cinch.
• Lift the stirrups and do not leave them hanging on the sides of the horse.
• Remove the bridle and replace it with a halter. And never use a bridle to tie a horse.
• After the horse is securely tied, loosen the saddle and remove the saddle and insulating padding.
• Clean the horse's back of sweat and dirt with water, you may need to spray its legs and belly with cold water to remove the dirt and cool its body.
• Make sure there are no cuts or scrapes from the saddle, harness, or bridle on the horse's back. Look for any scratches on its legs, and check the position of its hooves. Let the horse stand still, and watch if he is leaning on one limb more than the other, as this is an indication that he is feeling pain in some of his hooves.
• After the horse has cooled off, and before you put it back in its stall, give it some space to move around and drink more if it's still thirsty, graze a little, or move if it wants to run without any weight on its back. Observing his movement will give you a chance to notice if your horse has lameness or colic.
• It is recommended to wait an hour before feeding the horse after completing its training.
• It is normal for you and your horse to suffer from muscle spasms after a day of training, and leaving the horse to move instead of tying it in a specific place will reduce the effects of these spasms.

Horses and their toes

It has been known for a long time that horses abandoned their toes to turn into hooves, 5 million years ago in order to run at higher speeds. But experts now believe that traces of those long-lost toes are still present in the four limbs of horses. It has been known for a long time that horses abandoned their toes to turn into hooves 5 million years ago in pursuit of running at higher speeds. But experts now believe that traces of those long-lost fingers are still present in the four limbs of horses. A team of scientists conducting a recent study on the feet of modern horses discovered that there are "buds" of 5 fingers in both horses and fetuses in the womb and in horses. Adults of all types. While there is little evidence that hoof health supplements have a good effect on hoof moisture resistance, some insulating creams or hoof paints may help the hoof's belly not absorb too much moisture.

We wish you a healthy life, your family, and your horse.

See also:

Horse trailer.