Dr. Brian Eitelman, DVM, CJF, and Aggie Vet and Farrier Services provide veterinarian and farrier services in Parker, CO, Elizabeth, CO, Franktown, CO, Castle Rock, CO, Sedalia, CO, and Larkspur, CO. To learn more, please visit us at www.vetandfarrier.com
In this episode, Dr. Brian answers the top 5 questions he gets as a farrier.
Does my horse need shoes?
How often does my horse need to be trimmed?
My horse has thrush, how did he get it and what should I do?
Do you recommend any supplements?
Does my horse need to be trained to have his feet trimmed?
Does my horse need shoes?
- Good rules of thumb, if you’re riding more than 1-2 times weekly or you ride on ground with rocks (even dirt roads have lots of pokey rocks); common exception to this is horses that live in manicured sand where most can go barefoot. Even with these horses, it can be risk-mitigation to put shoes on because they’re at less risk of being sore-footed and missing performance or poor performance from preventable foot pain.
Those with weak or sensitive feet - even occasional riding when barefoot causes them to be sore or overwear their feet simply because the foot itself is poor quality
How often should I get their feet done?
- Another good rule of thumb is every 6-8 weeks (6 if they have shoes on, 8 if they’re barefoot). Some horses can go longer but best not to push it too far. Some actually need it more often - especially horses ridden a lot or those with pathologies that benefit from feet being as tidy and balanced as possible.
How did my horse get thrush and what should I do?
- Thrush is primarily bacterial but occasionally can have fungal component. They grow in same place so it is reasonable. Thrush is normal in soil so it is “normal” for your horse to get it. Typically, it is not a problem and simply picking the feet is usually enough to keep it in check.
- Loves to grown in wet closed-off areas which includes packed feet and cracks/crevices in feet. Grows faster in warm/wet than cold wet but still grows. You’ll know it by the stinky black liquid cheese that forms close to the foot. Open the foot up to air and you’re fine. It becomes a problem when:
- One of worst times for problem thrush is when shedding frog - typically twice a year in late spring/early summer and late summer/early fall. As frog separates, creates a nice closed off or deep area for thrush to grow (commisures, central sulcus, through heel bulbs). Frog is very short at this time so it is not hard to get into sensitive areas quickly - think working through callous into blister and sensitive underneath.
- So, how to treat??
- Make thorough picking out of feet a part of your grooming routine. Because thrush lives in the environment, you won’t keep feet clean for long. Main goal is just to regularly push the reset button with picking - turn it all over, expose it to air, check for deep pockets.
- This is part of why regular farrier appointments are key - keep everything trimmed and tidy so fewer pockets/problem areas for less time. See problems coming and stay on top of them.
- Nice thing, we have good stuff to kill thrush that is gentle on tissue - my go-tos are betadine (povidine) or chlorhexidine (novalsan). But you have to clean out area thoroughly. I want the medication to get to the surface of the foot, not the dirt/manure. Betadine/chlorhexidine are great to have in your first aid kit anyway.
Any hoof supplements?
Challenges with supplements:
- Typically come in amounts too insignificant to have any effect. Typically supplementing micronutrients but still need to be dosed for 1000lb animal so need relatively large amounts.
- Micronutrient regulation is complex - uptake is usually combined with other elements so without complete system - likely not getting it. Also, uptake is usually slow or in small increments so single large serving is mostly passed through.
- Proper diet for foot health is also painfully slow to assess. Takes 9-12 months to BEGIN to assess quality of hoof. Produced at top and grows down so be willing/committed to feeding for over one year.
Biggest influences of hoof quality:
- Genetics is probably biggest component - if your horse is programmed for good feet - hard to screw it up; bad feet - really hard to “fix”.
- Workload - how much pounding is the foot taking.
- Ground type - same idea. Soft ground takes less toll than hard ground takes less toll than concrete
- Shoeing/trimming (watch video) - lack of hoof care or poor hoof care will have a negative effect
Better options
- Best: good quality hay in proper amount
- Next best/great option - look at “complete feeds” like senior feeds - food source with intentionally designed diet to take care of horse’s needs if that was all they ate. Especially low carb/starch options for horses prone to metabolic dz.
- Have relationship with qualified farrier and vet who understands feet to develop best plan for your horse.