By Zac Sanger
One of the key ingredients for a great ride is hoof care and one of the most important parts of hoof care is proper maintenance. Proper maintenance starts with a well-balanced trim no matter if your horse is going barefoot or with shoes. Think about how great your ankles, knees, hips, and back feel when you’re wearing a great pair of shoes that aligns your body correctly. Well, that’s how your horse feels when he or she is properly aligned with the right trim. Getting the alignment and angles correct on your horse may take months and maybe even years to achieve which is the very reason maintenance is so important.
I often get asked, “What can I do to help with the process?”
- Diet – Just like what we eat affects our hair, nails, skins, ect., your horse’s diet will affect his/hers hooves.
- Supplements – Biotin is a great supplement to aid in the growth and strengthening of hooves.
- Exercise – Exercise not only helps maintain proper weight which takes pressure off of the hooves but it also helps the frog of the hoof pump blood through the leg.
- Vigilance – At first glance the foot may look like it’s in good shape and that it doesn’t need a trim but upon better inspection you’ll notice that the hoof has worn in areas throwing of the balance of the hoof.
- Staying On Schedule - It’s always tempting to try to stretch another week or two out of your trim or shoes but in the long run that will only work against you especially if you and your farrier are working to correct problems.
There’s an old saying that sums up proper maintenance, “No feet, no horse.”
