Hoof Care

Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot

Subcategories:

Barefoot Horses

Veterinarians are often asked about leaving horses barefoot. I must say from the onset that I favor horses being maintained without shoes when possible. Whether or not it is feasible for a horse to go without shoes will depend on the owners’

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Laminitis (AAEP Convention 2005)

What causes laminitis? Is it the same as founder? Should I remove shoes from a horse with acute laminitis? Should I soak his feet? Does laminitis always have devastating consequences?

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Hoof Care For Your Horses

The horse’s leg below the fetlock joint is similar to the human finger; the long pastern bone, short pastern bone, and coffin bone are comparable to the three segments of a human finger. The hoof wall is made of the same material as our

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Hoof Trimming and Leg Stress: One Step at a Time

As a rule of thumb, we know that our horses should be trimmed (and shod if necessary) at least every six to eight weeks. But where did those numbers come from? Van Heel recently studied how a hoof changes between trims, and she found that neglecting

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Shoeing Wild Horses

I’ve just adopted a wild horse and have heard that they often don’t need shoes. Do we need to shoe her?

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Laminitis (Book Excerpt)

Maintaining health and comfort of horses that have been diagnosed with laminitis can be a large undertaking, but it is imperative in order to maximize the overall quality of life for these animals.

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Helping Horses Worldwide

As a responsible horse owner, you make management decisions that affect the current well-being of your horse and his future vitality.

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Hoof Supplements (Book Excerpt)

A number of nutritional factors are promoted as hoof growth aids. Such products may include gelatin, numerous vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other dietary supplements.

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Louisiana Rescue Horse Shoeing Task Force

The American Farrier’s Association (AFA) President Craig Trnka, CJF announced the formation of the Louisiana Rescue Horse Shoeing Task Force created to provide care for the horses affected by the recent hurricanes, according to a press

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At What Age to Shoe?

Questions involving the ifs and whens to shoe horses have been debated for years. There are those who will argue that a horse’s foot should not have metal attached via nails under any circumstances, while others will opt for shoeing certain horses

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Saratoga County Euthanatized

Evelyn Pollard’s Saratoga County, winner of the Dubai Golden Shaheen (a Grade 1 race–G1) in the United Arab Emirates in late March, was euthanatized on July 29 after developing laminitis. The Thoroughbred was being treated for colitis

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Horse Owner Wins Laminitis Lawsuit

Jane McGarel-Groves was awarded 350,000 GBP (about $608,280 US) in damages after suing two veterinarians that treated her 14-year-old dressage horse Annastasia in 2001 with corticosteroid joint injections. The injections inadvertently caused

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Stone Bruises

Though a seemingly innocuous injury, a stone bruise can result in a horse’s demise if left untreated.

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