Summer Hoof Care!

The lack of recent rain has meant that many parts of the UK currently have ground that is very hard, which can lead to equine problems such as solar bruising and joint conditions linked to concussive forces. 

Many experts believe that horse shoes can potentially increase concussive damage, because shoes hold the frog off the ground, thus reducing blood circulation through the hoof and contributing to physiological damage to the supporting limbs and structures.

Horse shoes are also said by many experts to load excess weight on the hoof wall, known as ‘peripheral loading’ - the greater the peripheral loading, the worse the blood flow throughout the hoof capsule. Barefoot advocates maintain that by taking the horse’s shoes off, the frog is no longer held off the ground, so the ‘peripheral load’ is relieved by transferring some of the load to the horse’s sole. Because solar loading appears to promote blood flow through the foot, this promotes a strong, healthy hoof – many owners of barefoot horses cannot believe how much ‘freer’ and less ‘footy’ their horses are once they have made the transition to barefoot.

Many barefoot advocates use horse boots, to protect their horses’ feet in certain circumstances. Mike Chawke of Ireland’s Little Farm Stud breeds competition horses and is an RF(BngC), MF(IMFA), CE-F qualified farrier. “Even as an experienced farrier with over thirty five years’ experience, I am not convinced that all equines need nailed-on shoes,” Mike says. “Why not leave your animal in its natural state, with support from an experienced hoofcare professional of course, and simply fit hoof boots when you ride?”

Katie-Marie Palmer helps with a horse called Remi, who recently made the transition from shod to bare. “We bought some EasyCare Trail boots, which are really simple to put on and take off, and also used comfort pads in them, which offer added shock absorption for when you’re riding on hard, concussive surfaces. Remi started landing

‘heel first’ as soon as we put her in them, which was great as she had been very much ‘toe first’ when shod. We cannot rate the boots highly enough,” she says.

Please see our website www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk for details of the many hoofboots available.