hoof care

1. Foot Care and shoeing

2. • Aims
– Be able to undertake horse care tasks and to maintain
the health of the horses –
• Objectives
– Identify the frequency a horse needs its feet attending
to.
– Reasons for shoeing and trimming horses.
– Consequences from incorrect shoeing and trimming.
– Identifying when a horse requires re-shoeing or
trimming.

3. What makes hooves grow?
• Nutrition - the foundation for hoof health and
performance
Environment and exercise - to strengthen and
stimulate hooves
Trim - to balance hooves and optimise wear

4. External hoof structure
1.
Coronet Band
2.
Periople
3.
Hoof wall
4.
Toe
5.
Quarter

5. External hoof structure
1.
Bulb of heel
2.
Frog
3.
Sole
9.
9.
Central cleft of
frog
8.
Bars
7.
Seat of corn
4.
Hoof Wall
5.
Toe
6.
White line
10.
Lateral cleft of frog

6. Break over

7. Farrier
• Hooves grow about a quarter inch each
month, and need trimming to stay even and to
prevent breakage
• Horse needs attention from the farrier every
6-8 weeks.
• Occasionally needs more frequent attention.
• Shouldn’t go any longer than eight weeks, as it
can impact on the soundness of the horse.

8. The aim of shoeing horses
• To provide the horse with a well balanced foot .
• To help maintain the hoof shape.
• The use of horse shoes can give the horse a
secure grip, due to the groove called a fuller
which runs around the surface of the shoe,
• Grip can also be aided when the use of studs are
correctly used.
• Horses with hoof ailments and poor
conformation can be assisted with the use of
specific horse shoes which are specially designed
to help with that ailment.

9. Hot shoeing
• Hot Shoeing
• In hot shoeing the old shoe is removed
• The hoof is expertly trimmed and re balanced.
• Then a new shoe is chosen and assessed against the hoof for suitability.
• The shoe is then placed into the forge and when removed the farrier can then
work the steel into the correct shape as required and be placed back into the forge
again if necessary.
• To obtain the perfect fit the shoe is lightly placed onto the hoof to assess if it is
the correct fit and it is this process of holding the hot shoe onto the hoof for a few
seconds which burns the insensitive structure and causes all the smoke and smell.
• The shoe can then be altered again using a hammer and anvil until it fits the
horses foot exactly.
• By using this process the shoe is made to fit the hoof with great precision.
• Once the shape of the horse shoe is correct it is placed into cold water to cool it
down and then nailed onto the hoof so that the shoeing process can be continued.

10. Cold shoeing
• Cold Shoeing
• With cold shoeing no forge is used in the actual shoeing
process.
• After the old shoe has been removed and the hoof has
been expertly trimmed and re balanced a pre prepared
shoe of the correct size and shape is used.
• It takes a great deal of skill to match the correct shoe to the
hoof as making alterations is not as easy on a cold shoe.
• Once the correct shoe has been chosen it is then nailed
onto the hoof so that the shoeing process can be
completed.

11. Signs that the horse needs re-shoeing
• nail clenches raised.
• overgrown toes.
• foot not balanced.
• shoe physically loose.
• Shoe twisted.
• shoe excessively worn.
• shoe fallen/ cast
• Signs of bruising/ soreness.

12. Lameness after shoeing
• If the horse is lame immediately (1-5 days)
after shoeing contact the farrier for advice.
• Nail bind-Bruising to sensitive laminae
• Nail prick – Penetrated the sensitive laminae
• Footy – Shoes “pinching”

13. Effects of poor hoof care and its
consequences
CORNS
BRUISED
SOLE
ABCESS
THRUSH
HOOF WALL
CRACK
LONG TOE

14. Pictures of specialist shoes
Racing
shoes
Light
weight
Concave
fullered
shoe
Egg bar
Increases
ground
bearing
surface at the
heel. Suitable
for Navicular .
Heart bar
Often used
for horses
with
Laminitis
Polo shoe
Reduces risk
of speedi -
cutting
Rolled toe
Improves break
over and reduces
pressure on the
toe.
Straight bar
Protects the
heels,
prevents
bruising.

15. What A Well Shod Hoof Should Look Like
• The well shod foot should allow the internal and external structures to expand on impact and therefore assist in
lower limb circulation.
• There should be no restrictions to movement caused by the fitting of shoes.
• The angle of the hoof wall in relation to the floor should be at 45 degrees on the forelimbs and on the hind limb
this should be 55 degrees, these measurements follow the angles of the coffin bone.
• The coronet band should form and approximate 30 degree angle at the heel.
• All the clenches should be at the same height and flush with the hoof wall.
• The horses action and way of going must be taken into account when shoeing a horse.
• An imaginary line drawn across the underside of the hoof should show symmetry.
• An imaginary line if drawn directly down the centre of the hoof would show both halves the same.
• There should be no flaring out of the hoof wall at the bottom.
• There should be ample hoof to support the heels.
• Provide the horse with the appropriate shoe for the chosen discipline to be undertaken.
• The shoe should in no way cause lameness or discomfort.
(BHS,2009)

16. A well-trimmed, sound hoof, showing
the direction of wall growth

17. Group task
In general terms describe the following…
• Newly shod foot
• Shod three weeks
• Shod six weeks (due for shoeing)

18. • Aims
– Be able to undertake horse care tasks and to maintain
the health of the horses –
• Objectives
– Identify the frequency a horse needs its feet attending
to.
– Reasons for shoeing and trimming horses.
– Consequences from incorrect shoeing and trimming.
– Identifying when a horse requires re-shoeing or
trimming.