Managing Wet Feet
- Topics: Article, Hoof Anatomy & Physiology, Hoof Care
Hoof care is one of the most important aspects of quality horse management. Hoof trimming, shoeing if necessary, good nutrition to ensure good hoof growth, and inspection for disease or injury to the foot are just a few of the tasks a horse owner needs to worry about. Yet no matter how much attention is paid to these steps, if your horse’s feet are constantly wet, this can create a disastrous situation for proper hoof health.
A Product of His Environment
Water is nature’s hoof moisturizer, but moderation is key. Too much moisture can lead to deformed hooves because as the hoof becomes softer, it loses its structural integrity. Prolonged and excessive environmental moisture leads to dangerously high hoof moisture levels.
To better understand hooves getting saturated, Stephen O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS, owner of the Northern Virginia Equine practice in Marshall, Va., gives the analogy of water’s effects on a board: "If you pour water over a board, the water will run off the board. But if you tie a rock to the board and submerge it in a water trough, the board will become saturated, become soft, and eventually fall apart
Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.
TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.
Start your free account today!
Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Related Articles
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with