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Hoof Care

Articles

  • Evaluating a horse's hoof before treatment.

    What should a horse owner know and do to recognize and prevent foot/hoof abscesses?

    Hoof abscesses are common, especially in the spring, but once they open and drain, the horse will recover quickly. Be aware of abscess signs and potential foot problems and seek professional advice from your veterinarian and farrier.

  • Few horses have straight perfectly conformed legs.

    How do you shoe a horse with crooked legs?

    No horse is perfect, but some horses have legs that require extra care due to an angular deformity. This article discusses the best practices for the farrier taking care of the crooked legged horse.

  • The challenge of balancing systemic and environmental moisture in horses' hooves.

    How do I help my horse's dry, cracked feet?

    Hoof quality may relate more the the hoof's ability to regulate the moisture content than anything else. Our expert farrier, Doug Butler, gives you the facts on maintaining horse hoof quality through moisture management.

  • Yellow lab puppy eager for hoof trimming treat.

    Horse Hoof Trimmings - A Suitable Dog Treat?

    Dogs love eating horse hoof trimmings. Many horse owners offer fresh trimmings to their dogs as treats. Is this practice safe? Learn how to avoid problems when offering trimmings as treats.

  • Surgery often a necessity for a horse with a club foot.

    My horse has a club foot. Can it be treated?

    Club feet result from genetic and environmental conditions. When noticed and treated early, the farrier or veterinarian can greatly improve the prospect of normal hoof development.

  • Prolonged exposure of horse's hooves to wet conditions - Not good!

    What are dropped soles and can they be fixed?

    Big horses, small feet. An increasingly problem with horses that are not bred for good foot health. Dropped soles can result. Here is an expert farriers view on what can be done.

  • Farrier using a rasp to even up edges of horse hoof.

    What is the best type of hoof trimming?

    Is their one horse hoof trim that is better than another. Doug Butler, a Certified Journeyman Farrier and Ph.D. offers this advice based on years of working with all types of horses.

  • Horse with one hoof raised off ground revealing lameness.

    Horse Hoof Abscesses: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

    You go to feed your horse and he is standing in the far corner of the paddock. You notice a very pronounced limp as he walks to his feeder. Did he break a bone, pull a ligament or suffer a sprain? Nope - he has a hoof abscess.

  • Stampede of pounding hooves.

    Are Hoof Care Products Worth the Cost?

    Your local tack store has shelves loaded with various horse hoof treatments. What are they used for and do they really work? What works best for periodic hoof care?

  • An active mare and foal courtesy of good genetics relative to hoof growth.

    Hoof Growth - What Helps and What Hurts

    Hoof growth is a function of genetics, activity level, footing type and more. Many horses today suffer from a lack of hoof growth. What can you do? Dr. Deb Eldredge offers this advice.

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