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Discussion on Hoof care
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Member:
Sonoita
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Posted on Friday, Jul 21, 2006 - 5:21 pm:
Dr.O
Is there anytime when you can wait more than eight weeks to trim a horse? I mean is it safe to wait that long? I have had farriers tell me it was okay to do this. I have a friend that just had her horse come down with founder and the vet said the farrier should have seen this. the horse did wait 11 weeks to be trimmed. I did look at the hoof care on here it it says 6 to 8.
Happy Trails,
Wanda
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Member:
Christos
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Posted on Saturday, Jul 22, 2006 - 6:23 am:
A farrier must see the horse every six to eight weeks, Wanda, but that does not necessarily mean that there'll be significant hoof growth for him to remove.
A barefoot horse with balanced hooves and plenty of exercise may hardly need a correction, usually some light rasping is all that's needed.
A shod horse (or a barefoot one on soft ground and very little exercise) going 11 weeks between trims is abnormally slow hoof growth, I think blood supply to the hoof and nutrition must be checked.
Too much work on hard ground will slow hoof growth and cause road founder. Can this be such a case ?
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Member:
Sonoita
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Posted on Saturday, Jul 22, 2006 - 7:33 pm:
Christos,
I will have to ask my friend when her horse was shod or trimmed. We did have a poker ride I just can not remember if she was done before or after. the ride lasted 6 hours. Some hard ground some soft. Colorado can be pretty rocky too.Hmm!
Happy Trails,
Wanda
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - 6:10 am:
When you ask "is there anytime" that leaves a lot of possibilities and certainly there are some horses that some time might be able to go longer. As Christos points out a well trimmed barefoot horse (I will add with good conformation) that is regularly ridden may need minimal trimming by 8 weeks.
However the strain on the supporting structures of a horses leg are at their lowest just after a good trim and then slowly builds as the foot grows back out. Exactly at what point things might break down (particularly flexor tendinitis, heel pain, or tearing of the laminae at the toe) is impossible to predict. A horse owner more oftens needs to be asking themselves is 8 weeks too long rather than too short.
DrO
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Member:
Sonoita
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Posted on Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - 9:51 am:
Dr. O,
When I asked " is there anytime" I meant like in the winter my farrier likes to go 10 to 11 weeks before a trim. The farrier says they do not grow as fast. I have been worried about this approach. Am I wrong? It seems that you are saying past 8 is questionable.
Happy Trails,
Wanda
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Member:
Ajudson1
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Posted on Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - 10:15 am:
Wanda,
I go that long in the winter. It's too cold for me, the farrier, and the horses! They do grow slower in the winter.
If you live in a milder climate I would imagine that you can't stretch the trims out past 8 weeks. And a special needs horse may need it every 4-6 weeks.
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Member:
Tuckern
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Posted on Monday, Jul 24, 2006 - 11:38 am:
I trim my own horse's feet ("wild horse trim") and have noticed that they are ready for a trim about every four weeks. I know they are ready because on my gelding the dead sole starts exfoliating, and then i just take the walls down to just above the live sole.
On my mare, who is my riding horse, the dead sole is pretty much worn off when I ride her, and just have to rasp the walls a little.
There are actually many barefoot horses that don't need to be trimmed at all, they are getting enough work every week, that the feet are self trimming. Of course these are high performance horses that average about 20 miles a DAY (wow!  ), which is how much a horse in the wild moves around.
Nicole
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - 8:03 am:
You are right to worry Wanda but I cannot assess your horse directly and there are enough variables here (see the other posts above) that makes it difficult to guess if this will be a problem for your horse. Why not measure the toe length just prior to and after being trimmed regular then if it is exceeded during one of these long spells you know it is not in the best interest of your horse. Keeping a calender and accurate records with notes on average weather conditions could make for an interesting project.
DrO
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Member:
Sonoita
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006 - 10:13 am:
I will put a calendar in my tack shed and do just that.
Thanks everybody, I will let you know.
Happy Trails,
Wanda
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