Posts Tagged ‘hooves’

Spending time with your horse not only enables a close bond to develop between you both, but it also enables you to learn how your horse responds to situations and how they are in themselves. In time you will learn your horse’s body language. A happy horse will generally appear calm and be responsive to you. He will keep a low head, relaxed jaw and have soft eyes. A happy horse will seek affection from you and show respect by not invading your personal space. When a horse yawns this is not a sign of being bored, but a sign that he is calm and relaxed. You can tell by the way a horse holds himself if there is something wrong; a troubled horse will be reluctant to stand still and will hold his head high with a tense jaw and darting eyes. When a horse is anxious, you must let him settle in his own time without trying to force the issue – otherwise he could end up feeling trapped and even more stressed.

Grooming your horse gives you the opportunity to check him over regularly. You should perform regular inspections of your horse’s teeth, eyes, hooves and shoes as well as keeping an eye on his droppings. Any change in the normal should be reported to your vet at the earliest opportunity – any delay could cause you extra worry, expense and a potential claim on your horse insurance. It is also important that your vet has regular worming and vaccination appointments set with you. If you rotate medications you stand a better chance of killing off as many different types of worms and parasites as possible and also giving less time for them to build immunity. Colic, heart and immunity problems can all be caused by lack of suitable medication. It is important that your horse is vaccinated against rhinoneumonitis, influenza and encephalitis. Tetanus and rabies are also advisable, but not essential. If you are a regular with the horse trailers at horse shows etc, your horse may need to show a negative Coggins test, which is for a serious equine virus called equine infectious anaemia (EIA) for which there is no cure or treatment.

Having regular farrier visits is also essential for a happy and comfortable horse. It is important for your horse’s comfort, mood and performance that you do not allow his feet to get too long and unbalanced. Your horse will need his hooves trimmed by a farrier at least every eight weeks; sometimes more often is necessary.

Your horse will need a blanket or coat during the wet and cold winter months and during the summer, a fly protective horse sheet or mask is advisable. If your horse is prone to lathering during or after exercise then it may be best to use a horse cooler until he has calmed down. Drinking water directly after exercise could put a horse’s body into shock. When you have been exercising your horse, allow him to cool down sufficiently before a meal. After eating you should give your horse at least an hour before exercise.

Horses need to have a purpose, whether it is riding, showing, therapy, carriages or dray. Horses love to be needed. It is important for a horse’s sense of purpose and focus that he receives regular praise – especially when young – for performing simple tasks such as simply standing still or in the right place. As horses are naturally inquisitive animals, they will become more brave, positive and confident the more new experiences you introduce to them.

A horse is a beautiful and magnificent creature that deserves a good home for life with excellent care. As a horse owner you have a responsibility to provide the best healthcare possible for your equine companion.

Keeping a horse can be a very expensive business, and without good horse insurance provided by a specialist equine insurer, it is possible to quickly run into financial problems if your horse should become sick or sustain an injury. Providing the very best for your horse will reap you the rewards of love, loyalty and devotion from your equine companion.

Compare or buy AFI Horse Insurance online – Professional Horse and Rider equine insurance specialist. We take your horses insurance seriously

Author: Stephanie Andrew
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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I am just curious, but what are the main reasons why you would shoe your horse. All three of our horses are barefoot, but we live in an area where there is minimal gravel and such, which is why I would think shoeing would be necessary. But other people in the barn shoe their horses. Would it be because of showing? What are the main reasons why people shoe horses and is it really necessary? I always heard barefoot is the best if possible. But I’m still curious.
Yep, we have a 4 yr old Appy/Mustang/Curly mix and his hooves are like rocks we’ve been told. They said he should never have to be shod. Also, as an added question, if you are riding on pavement, such as parades or just road riding, is it still necessary to be shod or just more recommended for added comfort? Thanks for all the answers

This Spring, owners of laminitis horses are starting to chew their fingernails because spring is just around the corner. Despite record cold weather in parts of the country, green grass and other signs of spring are popping up regardless. This, of course, makes people who have laminitis horses quite nervous!

If you are one of those people, don’t panic. Luckily for you, there are a lot of horse health care steps you can take to prevent your equine buddy from experiencing laminitis symptoms… or at least keep them to a minimum. The same is true for horses who are insulin-resistant, or otherwise on the edge of falling into laminitis.

In this article I cover some basic steps you can take to keep your laminitis or laminitis-prone horse healthy this spring. If you want to learn more about this chronic condition in general, check out the ebook, Understanding and Mangaging Cushing’s Disease, Insulin Resistance and Laminitis. Horse Health Care: Preparing Laminitis Horses for Spring Before spring really hits, horse owners can take steps to ensure that their laminitis horses are healthy and ready for warmer weather and greener pastures. Assuming that your horse is currently not experiencing any symptoms of laminitis, here are three steps you can take to ensure that he’s ready for the coming season.

Check Weight and Insulin Levels Overweight horses and insulin-resistant horses are both prone to laminitis. Before you turn your laminitis horse out on pasture, make sure that he is at a healthy weight. Overweight horses tend to develop mechanical laminitis, meaning their hooves can’t stand the weight of their bodies. If your horse is overweight, you probably need to help him lose weight before spring. If he still has his winter coat, you may have to run your fingers through his coat to see if he’s fat or just furry. If he is fat, you can help him lose weight either by feeding him a more appropriate diet (see the section on diet below) or exercising him more, or both.

This is also a good time to have some blood work done on your horse to check on insulin levels. Insulin-resistant horses may or may not be overweight, but are prone to grass founder or laminitis. Signs of insulin resistance include a cresty neck and unevenly distributed fat over the withers and base of the tail. A preventative blood test now to check insulin levels can save you grief this coming spring.

Double Check Overall Health Because laminitis horses tend to experience symptoms when they are generally unhealthy, check for signs of overall health. Signs that your horse isn’t healthy include poor hair coat, eye discharge, change in temperament, stiffness, sensitivity to hot or cold weather or weather changes. If your horse shows any of these signs of poor health, now is the time to increase his nutritional program, and restore his overall health. The combination of one ounce of XanGoMangosteen juice plus Simplexity Essentials seems to work well for most horses.

Avoid Over-Vaccination and Drugs Vaccination is a normal part of most barn routines, and yet over-vaccination can be one of the main causes of laminitis. In addition, laminitis horses are extremely sensitive to drugs or vaccinations in their bodies, and even one round of “normal” vaccination can trigger a laminitic episode.

Managing Laminitis Horses During the Spring Once spring has well and truly arrived, there are more horse health care steps you can take to protect your equine friend from a laminitis episode. Laminitis horses have to be carefully managed in terms of diet and nutritional supplements, hoof care, and pasture turnout.

Diet for Laminitis Horses The best diet is simple, low in carbohydrates, and high in fiber. Small amounts of equine senior feed is acceptable for some laminitis horses, while others do well on a small amount (8 ounces) of oats or barley. At the same time, some laminitis horses can not tolerate any grains.

A probiotic/enzyme supplement like FasTrack or Simplexity Spectrabiotic supports the digestive function and limits the production of endotoxins. Simplexity blue-green algae provides a source of food-based vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Small doses of antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10 may be indicated. You should not need to give more than 60-120 mg a day of a good quality Q10 product like those produced by Simplexity Nutramax Comal, or Thorne brands. Generic brands of Q10 may not be active.

Hoof Care for Laminitis Horses Spring is also the time many people pull their horses up and put shoes on. However, if possible it is best to keep laminitis horses barefoot for as long as possible. They must be trimmed regularly. If their toes are allowed to grow long or their heels are allowed to get too high, then the normal mechanism of the hoof is impaired. Overly correcting angles on overdue hooves creates unnecessary discomfort for the horse and sets back his effort to establish new laminar attachments.

If your horse must have shoes, you might try a heart bar shoe or a shoe with a Theraflex pad for at least one shoeing period. If contracted tendons are the main problem then wedge pads are used to raise the heels. A reverse shoe may suffice if the tendon tightening is mild. I always shorten the toe to ease breakover. I rarely if ever lower heels. Shoeing must be done by a competent farrier that has worked before with foundered horses. These horses have special needs which may require beveling the inside shoe rim to protect the sole and clips to take pressure off the nails and hoof wall. The shoeing interval must be regular and tailored to the horses needs. Amazingly, owners will spend thousands of dollars to save a foundered horse but neglect hoof care after the crisis is past.

Pasture Management for Laminitis Horses Turn-out on lush grass should be approached cautiously. Many horse laminitis cases have hormone imbalances that affect their sugar metabolism. Fast-growing, lush grass is high in sugar. In the spring, laminitis horses should closely-monitored for an increase in digital pulse if turned out on pasture.

The safest time to turn out laminitis-prone horses on pasture is late at night or early in the mornings, when the grass is not in a flowering stage of growth or stressed by drought or frost. It’s best to turn these horses out in pastures that have not been sprayed with artificial fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides.

While I prefer horses to be grazed on unfertilized, native grass pastures, grasses in nutrient-poor soil are often under stress and produce high levels of sugars. Since steadily growing grasses tend to deplete their sugar levels (which is a good thing), regular mowing to encourage this kind of growth can help control sugar levels. Regular mowing also helps control weeds.

Keeping Laminitis Horses Health I hope these tips help you keep your laminitis horse healthy this coming spring. It’s been a trying winter for most of the country, so having a healthy happy spring would be a wonderful blessing for horses and humans alike. If you need more help with your laminitis horse, check out the resources in the next section.

Madalyn Ward, DVM, is a recognized author and veterinarian in the field of holistic horsekeeping. For free tips on horse health, horse personality types, and horse nutrition, plus one-stop shopping on holistic horse products, visit http://www.BuyHolisticHorse.com.

Author: Dr. Madalyn Ward, DVM
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Practice makes perfect. That statement is very true for Dressage. Of course, if you only practice by yourself, you may not get any better, but a good coach can help you improve your riding skills. If you have ever had to re-train a horse, you know it. The same counts for re-training a student, or even yourself. Bad habits are habits too, and changing habits has never been easy. Still, it is do-able.

When I started taking dressage lessons, the first lesson was almost all talk. Not much riding. It surprised me, but later on I really appreciated it and was able to go back to what I learned during my rides without my instructor.

Today we are explaining the basis of it all: Rhythm.

Rhythm is the result of a defined beat pattern of the hoof fall. A relaxed horse can step into a natural rhythm in all four of the natural gaits:

1. Walk – this should be and clear regular 4-beat gait.

2. Trot – a clear and regular 2-beat gait.

3. Canter – a clear and regular 3-beat gait.

The walk is 4-beat gait; when either one of the horse’s front legs leaves the ground, it is followed next by an opposite hind leg that reaches forward underneath the belly, creating a diagonal balance point. So the horse doesn’t step on the heels of his own front feet with the rear hooves, he moves each foreleg forward out of the way before a hind hoof on the same side of his body hits the ground.

The trot is a 2-beat gait; in Dressage we need the legs to move in diagonal pairs and hit the ground at the exact same time. When posting we move with the inside hind leg, sitting when it is on the ground and rising when it comes off, to help the horse balance itself.

The canter is a 3-beat gait. On a circle to the right his left hind leg pushes him forward onto his left front/right hind diagonal pair of legs which he’ll use for momentary balance before rolling onto his right front, or leading, leg; thus creating a 3-beat gait. There should be a clear moment of suspension.

To teach a horse rhythm you will ride the majority of your lessons in the trot. The trot is the easiest to control since you only work with a 2-beat rhythm. You also will not have to follow his head and neck, as in the trot, it is relatively still. It is easy to feel, easy to count, and easy to feel if it gets too quick. Once you and your horse have mastered the rhythm in the trot, you will notice that the rhythm in the canter is much easier to maintain.

There is good rhythm and bad rhythm. Good rhythm is when the horse’s canter is a true 3-beat, bad or incorrect rhythm is when it becomes a lazy 4-beat. Rhythm faults in the walk are when it comes close to 2-beat (lateral gait – like gaited horses), and in the trot when it resembles a lame, hopping horse.

I the next couple of days, we will discuss the next level of the training scale: Relaxation with Elasticity & Suppleness.

And now I would like to give you our Free eBook: “What to Do In Time of Emergency – A Guide & Workbook for Families with Horses”.

All I ask is that you sign up for our weekly newsletter with lots of good information for the Dressage and Horse Enthusiast. Just go here to our blog at http://www.PerformingHorse.com.

You will get instructions of how to download your copy and will receive “Tips & TidBits from our Barn” our newsletter.

Now Go Out And Ride

From Monique Myers @ http://www.performinghorse.com/AboutMe.html

Author: Monique Myers
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Beading Necklace

Hoof maintenance is a crucial part of looking after your horses health. You should look at your horses hooves every day, and minimum twice per week.  You should become familiar with what is usual and what is not, and be able to to spot any issues that might be starting. 

Reading this simple guide will hopefully help you in your daily grooming practices.

1. Approaching your horse ensure the symmetry is close, however they don’t have to be exactly equal, but very close to the same size and shape. 

2. Look carefully for defects in the wall and coronary band.  Lift up the hoof, run your hand over the exterior of the wall to feel for impairments.  You can use the exact technique for the coronary band and then press it softly. Applying these two procedures will also highlight tender areas and moisture holding areas.

3. Examine the sole. Examine the colouring in each hoof. If correct they should be identical in colouration.  A well defined dark spot indicates bruising or damage.

4. Examine and compare the frogs.  The front hooves should be the sae size and shape, the same applies to the rear hooves. Try and lightly press each frog using your hoof pick, mostly, excluding the desert areas, they should be slightly spongy.

5. If already shod, hold the horseshoe and see if it wiggles. Look for missing clinches, if the shoe is loose you may choose to remove the shoe before your horse loses it on its own and perhaps removes a chunk of hoof as well.

If you keep a good close eye on each hoof, you can avoid a great deal of problems by noticing the problem before it gets severe.

We recomend you work into your daily hoof cleaning some simple steps. Use a pick from heel to toe.  If packed solid you may need to loosen it up a touch before it can be taken off. Once the material has been taken out, check all the parts of the hoof and be positive that there is not a bad odour as this is usually a obvious sign of thrush.  Be certain there are no pebbles or gravel lodged anywhere, even under the shoe.

Your horses hooves should exhibit a natural sheen on the hoof wall. 

If you see a smooth uniform surface with no cracks, circles, dishes, flares and a concave sole that touches the shoe, then you can be pretty sure that your horses hooves are in good health.

For more horse information, horses for sale and more, please visit the Horse and Pony Directory.

Before buying or choosing a new horse, it is important to check its health. Although it is impossible to be 100% certain that a horse is completely healthy, there are a number of tests which can identify most potential health risks. Following is a checklist.

The first indication is the general appearance. It should have a shinny, even and flat coat. The body should be well muscled, neither fat nor skinny. When standing, it should spread its weight evenly on all four legs, with each hoof pointing straight ahead. While normal to rest a leg from time to time, it should not be for long periods or always the same leg, as this would indicate an injury or weakness.

Slowly run your hands down the legs, from top to bottom, with careful attention to joints and the lower leg. There should be no bumps, swellings or hot spots. The hoof walls should be even, free of cracks and completely smooth.

Lift a hoof and examine the sole to ensure that there are no marks or indications of previous injury and that it is correctly shaped. Repeat with the other hooves. The angle and tilt of all four hooves should be correct and identical. If the horse is reluctant to lift one of its feet, this may be because it does not want to lift a good leg and put more weight on a bad one. The hooves are perhaps the most important area to examine in terms of horse health, as so many otherwise good horses have problems here.

The gums should be shinny, moist and pink. If one presses on the gums with a finger, they will turn white, but should return to pink within two seconds of removing your finger.

Check the teeth (you may want to use the services of a horse dentist) for spurs, unevenness or excessive wear. Try feeding the horse hay and watch how it eats. It should use both sides of its jaw equally and eat steadily. Dropping hay or leaving hay partly chewed indicates a problem either with the teeth or the jaw joints.

Examine the horse’s droppings. They should consist of firm balls, with a mild and inoffensive odor.

The horse should look happy, alert and interested in what is happening. Its ears should stand up and should move alertly in response to sounds. It should be interested in what is happening around it, but not nervous.

Have someone work the horse in an exercise ring while you watch. They should gradually go through all the gaits (walk, trot and gallop), in both directions. The horse should show easy, smooth strides, with the weight distributed evenly on all four legs.

It should not sweat (except during hot weather) until it has been worked for some time at speed. Its respiration should gradually increase as the gait picks up but it should not breathe hard except at a fast gait. As the gait is reduced, its respiration should quickly reduce. Once the horse stops, its breathing and pulse should quickly return to resting normal. Neither during nor after exercise should the horse shown any sign of discomfort, pain or limping.

One should also ask the current owner about the medical history and ask permission to discuss the horse with its regular vet. Ask to see the inoculation and medical records for the horse. Ask if it has every had any illness, in particular colic or laminitis. Be concerned about any incomplete or evasive answers.

Aleasha C asked:

Okay, I have a horse. But, I would like some care tips. I’m no expert and just want to make sure I’m doing everything right. What percentage of grains, horse feed, hay, and grass should be in the diet? How often do I need to float the teeth? How often should I worm? How often should I pick the hooves? Any other care tips and advice on horse ownership is appreciated. Thanks!