Have you ever realized how your horses's hooves are actually speaking to you?
Just like us humans, our horses, show signs of health by the appearance of the hooves, hair and skin. Any experience of poor health will show up in one or all of the above.
A starting point is the growth lines or rings that exist on all hooves. The shape and spacing of these horizontal growth lines are the two critical observations. All of the body issues eventually show up in the feet, so pay attention and learn what they mean and you will be a step ahead of what may be or has been happening to your horse.
The most commonly observed expressions are:
1. Stress or Fever rings
2. Blunt Trauma
3. Chronic Laminitis
4. Dishing or Flaring
At any given moment, our horses' hooves can be like a snapshot in time. For more information, go to the February/March 2009 issue of Holistic Horse and read the article written by Brian Farcus, MA, CJF, Farrier-Friendly series. There are pictures for reference and lots of valuable information to help you learn what to look for and what it means. You can also go to www.holistichorse.com to see many more great articles and info for all horse owners.
Comments