HOOF CARE AND SHOEING
The structure of the hoof
NO FOOT NO HORSE
Horses naturally keep their own feet as they should be. Through evolution, only horses or ponies whose feet could withstand the natural surroundings survived. Sadly we have altered that by moving the horses from their own habitat, changing what they eat and their routine and making them do more or less work than they naturally would.
As a result of our changes, we must then make sure the horse’s feet are looked after. A good diet with enough fresh grass (this does not mean lots of grass, as for many breeds like Welsh ponies too much, or rich grass is very bad for them) vitamins and minerals are essential. In addition if the horse’s feet wear down too much from our changing his natural ground or from extra use, we must make sure we protect the hooves.
The hoof takes approximately 9 months to grow from the top down.
SHOEING
This is the most common solution to the changes we have made.
On average, the horse will need shoeing every 5-7 weeks, with a cost of £75 upwards in 2022.
A horse can be hot or cold shod. With cold shoeing, the foot is made to fit the shoe rather than the other way around. It is also more difficult to see where the shoe fits as there is no smoke to highlight where the shoe is not touching.
You can see clearly in these pictures there is no smoke at the arrow on the burnt hoof, showing the gap where the shoe is not touching. This would therefore cause unlevel pressure.
WHY WE SHOE
If the hoof has worn down and the horse is getting sore.
To correct the hoof growth or leg confirmation- for example, if the hoof has worn more on one side than the other causing the hoof to be unbalanced.
Signs a horse needs to be reshod
The hoof has grown causing issues such as the horn growing over the shoe or the frog not in contact with the floor (this is needed to aid blood flow to the leg and hoof as the frog acts as a kind of pump every time the horse moves).
The clenches have risen meaning the shoe will soon become loose.
The shoe is loose or off (this is called cast). If you wiggle the shoe, there should be no movement.
The shoe has worn thin, making it more liable to fall off or slippery for the horse.
How to remove a loose shoe
This is best left to the professionals, but if you have your horse shod and a shoe is pulled loose or twisted, you may need to remove it to save the nails piercing the foot or the clips bruising the sole.
You will need a buffer, hammer and hoof nippers (pinchers). It is a good idea to have a set of shoeing tools, just in case. This would include the tools already mentioned and a drawing knife, clench tongs, rasp and hoof tester.
A buffer
A hammer
A nipper
A hoof knife
Clench tongs
A rasp
Hoof tester
Place the flat end of the buffer under the clench and knock it up with the hammer.
Our lovely blacksmith Robin says to rest the hoof on your leg so the hoof does not move as you use the hammer.
Once all the clenches are completely lifted, start levering the shoe off from the heel to the toe.
Once the shoe is removed you can run the rasp around the edge of the hoof to stop the hoof cracking if it has chips where it was pulled off. If you do this, only do it lightly as you could remove the growth needed to refit the shoe.
What to look for in a newly shod hoof
The shoe should be made to fit the hoof, not the hoof to fit the shoe. The foot should not have been rasped back or dumped (where the front of the hoof is cut back).
The foot should be balanced front to back and side to side with an angle of approximately 45 degrees in front and 50 degrees in hinds.
There is no daylight between the hoof and shoe.
The frog touches the ground.
Only light trimming on the sole and frog.
The shoe is correct for the horse and the type of work done, for example a thin hunter shoe is usually no good for a heavy weight horse.
The nails- usually 3 on the inside, 4 on the outside- are the correct fit in the shoe so they are not protruding therefore wearing easily, or too small so they will become loose quickly
The clenches are a third of the way up the hoof wall, all in line and nicely bedded in (not sticking out).
The clips- usually a toe clip on the front and quarter clips on the hind- are well seated in (not sticking out).
Barefoot
There is a trend to go back to nature for your horse which I think is excellent, but I also believe if you change the horse’s natural surroundings or way of going, you need to make sure your horse can cope.
I have seen many horses literally crawling, with a shuffling gait, having sores over their heels from wearing boots and many more painful results of people going back to nature, (I have also seen horrific injuries and painful results from shoeing).
Many people are offering barefoot trimming and charging a fortune without having any qualifications or formal training. You must investigate anyone thoroughly (facebook and online are excellent for this).
After the trimmer has been, your horse should have a balanced hoof front to back and from side to side, with very little removal of the sole and frog, and not be in pain. If changes need to be made to balance the hoof, this should be done gradually.
If you do decide to go down the route of having no shoes, keep a careful eye on how your horse moves. If he seems to be not as forward, hugging the grass verges or generally unhappy, you must make the decision to put barefoot boots on him. These are very expensive and again come with many issues such as rubbing and sores, like you wearing new shoes in. Your horse can not tell you so you have to be very vigilant.
If he has problems trust your gut- cut his work or put shoes on him.
Do not be swayed by yard bullies or opinionated people, have confidence you know your horse.
Saying this, many of my horses and ponies go without shoes in the school and withstand 3 hours of work most days (calm and steady), but we have an excellent blacksmith and very little road work. We are constantly checking if they are ok and looking for any sign of discomfort in the foot. If there are any signs we cut the work or put shoes on, mostly just fronts.
Final Thoughts
Your horse’s feet are one of the most important parts of their body.
NO FOOT NO HORSE
As their protector and because you are the reason they are no longer in their natural surroundings, it is up to you to protect their hooves.
You know your horse the best, be vigilant, ask the professionals (vets and qualified blacksmiths), speak up for your horse and do not be scared to follow your gut.