Taking care of hooves is a vital part of looking after your horses health. Ideally you should check your horses hooves every day, and minimum twice each week. You will be able to become very familiar with what is normal and what isn’t, and be able to to spot any issues that might be starting.
Following this simple list might assist you in your daily practices.
1. Approaching your horse ensure the symmetry is releatively close, they don’t have to be exactly equal, but very close to being the same size and form.
2. Carefully examine for faults in the hoof wall and coronary band. Lift up each hoof, run your palm along the exterior of the wall to pickup any impairments. Apply the exact technique for the coronary band and then squeeze it softly. Using these two procedures will also highlight soft spots and damp holding areas.
3. Examine the sole. Examine the colour of each hoof. If correct they should be similar in colouration. A clearly delineated dark spot will indicate bruising or puncture wound.
4. Look at and compare the frogs. The two front hooves should be of similar proportions and shape, the same applies to the back hooves. You should lightly press each frog with your hoof pick, in most areas, apart from the desert areas, it should be slightly spongy.
5. If already shod, grasp the shoe and see if it moves. Check for lost clinches, if loose you may opt to take off it in case your horse loses it by itself and perhaps removes a piece of hoof with it.
If you continuously check each hoof, you will be able to avoid a great deal of issues by catching the problem before it worsens.
I would recommend you include into your hoof cleaning routiene a couple of quick steps. Use your hoof pick from heel to toe. If packed solid you will probably need to loosen it up a bit before it can be removed. Once the material is removed, check all the areas of the hoof and be positive that there is not a bad odour as this is normally a clear cut sign of thrush. Be certain there are no rocks or stones stuck anywhere, particularly underneath the shoe.
Your horses hooves should display a natural sheen on the wall of the hoof.
If you find a smooth uniform surface free of cracks, rings, depressions, flares and a concave sole which touches the horseshoe, then you should be confident that your horses hooves are in good condition.
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