Horse Training - Taking Care Of Your Horse's Hooves

Do you desire to know hoof care tips and techniques?

Equines are what you refer to as ungulates. Ungulates are type of mammals which use the tip of the toes to carry their weight when moving. Most ungulates are hoofed animals --- such as horses, donkeys, zebras, camels, giraffes, and deer.

By definition, a hoof is the tip of a toe of an ungulate. It is strengthened by keratin, in the form of a thick, hard outer jacket. The sole of the hoof is kind of hard yet rubbery, but softer than the exterior. There is also a hard wall formed by the solid nail wrapped around the tip of the toe. The whole weight of the equine is carried by the soles of the hooves and also, the edges of its walls.

Horse's hooves continuously grow however they are constantly worn down thru moving continuously. The mean weight of equines is often more than 1000 lbs and it is only held up by its four hooves. An equine is valued because of its strength and ability to transport individuals and objects for pleasure and work purposes. They are valued for their function in mobility. Needless to say, an equine with feet problems can be rendered useless.

Three kinds of hoof care a horseperson should consider:

Shoeing

Imagine yourself doing hard work without any footwear. Do you think it would easy?

We cover our feet with items such as shoes because we need protection for our feet. Equines are no different. Although horses have naturally strong and durable feet, they still require to be shod if they are doing a lot of activity.

Some horses may have relatively flat or weak hoofwalls, or simply not fit for hard labor. Such horses need shoes even they are not for functional work purposes. It is better to consult a vet or a farrier about this, as whoever is doing the corrective shoeing must really know their stuff.

Cleaning

We all know that hygiene is very important and it is extremely crucial to clean the hooves of your horse mainly before and after riding. Every horse owner should use the essential tool, the hoof pick. It will be your best friend in horse grooming especially with its hooves.

It should be noted that even animals that are not at all ridden should still be subjected to hoof pick grooming to avoid thrush. It needs to be done daily. A horse with wet hooves is extremely difficult to keep.

Trimming

As mentioned earlier, hooves are continuously growing. Therefore, they require trimming for maintenance and to keep the equine in good form. Trimming must be done about one to two months, depending on the activity of the animal and the conditions it's kept in. Trimming can be difficult and it needs considerable skill. Trained farriers must be the only ones to do this task to prevent wrong trimming.

Mistakenly trimming the walls too short is often the mistake. Paring of too much sole is just like nail-cutting too short and can make lameness in the animal in addition to pain. Hoof care must be conducted by a professional and what is a few pennies spent in exchanged for an injured equine. Have a capable, trained farrier do the job. The money spent is certainly worth it.

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