We all know the saying- no hoof no horse!
A Horses hooves are an essential foundation to their overall health and performance. By taking proper and detailed care of our horses hooves, you can help to maximise their potential and support their overall well-being.
Regular Hoof Care is essential for maintaining healthy hooves. Enlisting a qualified and knowledgeable farrier is best practice for carrying out regular trimming, shoeing’s, or speciality hoof work. The farrier however can’t tend to your horse every day! So, the onus does lie on the horse manager to conduct daily monitoring. This will include cleaning out hooves daily, applying any hoof ointments as directed and observing for any abnormalities that may arise, such as seedy toe, a sprung shoe, or any discomfort.
A healthy balanced diet is crucial for maintaining our horse’s overall well-being, including their hooves. Nutrients such as Biotin are recorded throughout literature for their benefits to hoof growth and condition. Breeds such as Thoroughbreds which are well know for poor hooves, as well as horses that have suffered from hoof related discomfort, can receive feed supplementation targeted at improving Hoof condition. Ranvet’s Hoof Food is just one example, providing a horses daily Biotin requirement, as well as other important hoof promoting nutrients including Zinc, Methionine, Sulphur, Choline, Magnesium and Gelatin.
Regular exercise is important for maintaining our horses condition and therefore the strain on their hooves. It is important to consider the type, intensity, and impact of your horses’ activities and how they may influence the condition of their hooves. The surface which you horse is exercised on can also have an impact. Sand surfaces for example can be quite drying and abrasive to thin soles, as can rocky terrain. For some horses, protection such as hoof boots may be beneficial.
Are you managing poor hooves with your horse? Get in touch with our nutrition team today for a free diet evaluation or request a free sample of our Hoof Food.
