Trimming a Horse s Hooves

Transcription

1 Hoof Anatomy

2 Trimming a Horse s Hooves 1. Look at horse s feet to see what/if any corrective trimming needs to be made 2. Use the hoof knife to clean up bars and sole a. You don t want the sole to be level with the hoof wall 3. Use hoof nippers to remove excess hoof wall 4. File off any flaring on the sides using a rasp 5. Check to make sure the hoof angle matches the pastern angle 6. Finally, apply a Pasture Roll/Mustang Roll a. Using the rasp, round the edges of the toe i. This will help ease the break over and prevent chipping or cracking of the hoof wall 7. If the horse is going to have shoes applied (shod), DO NOT apply a pasture roll

3 Hoof Angle Hoof angle is measured from the tip of the toe, to the fetlock joint. Ideally, you want the hoof and pastern angle to be in a straight line. This helps ensure that the short pastern and coffin bone are in- line and aren t under unnecessary stress. Sometimes you will have to correct the hoof angle by removing more of the toe or heel. When the hoof angle is too steep (high hoof angle), it is referred to as a Club Foot/broken- forward pastern angle. o Commonly caused by allowing the heel to grow without trimming.! Often seen in post- legged horses. o To correct a Club Foot, you must trim the heels to decrease the angle. When the hoof angle is too low compared to the pastern angle, it is sometimes called a broken- back pastern angle. o Commonly caused by allowing the toe to grow excessively long, which will then cause the heel to grow forward and lower. o To correct a low hoof angle, you will trim the toe and leave the heel, increasing the hoof angle. Examples

4 Steps to Shoe a Horse 1) First, trim the hooves without applying a pasture roll. This is so that when you apply the shoe, it will sit flush with the hoof wall. 2) Choose the size that fits the horse a. 000 (mini) " 10 (draft) 3) Select front shoe or back shoe (if applicable) 4) Shape the shoe to the hoof 5) Hammer in the nails (come in different sizes) a. Bevel facing IN b. Emblem on nail facing in As the nail is hammered in, it with push toward/through the hoof wall If bevel faces out, nail will turn in the opposite direction, toward the lamina and sensitive tissue c. As soon as the nails break through the hoof wall, bend them over to keep them from cutting you if the horse suddenly pulls away 6) Create the clinches: hook- like anchor created from the end of the nail that holds the shoe tightly against the hoof and prevents it from being easily pulled off a. Use clinch block to set the nails and begin the turn b. Twist/clip off the extra length on nails c. Using a Finishing File, file a line for the clinches to turn into d. Use the Clinchers to complete and tighten the clinch into the hoof wall e. With the Finishing File, smooth out the clinches so that they re flush with the hoof wall In racing, a clinch is NOT applied for the safety of the horse and rider. The end of the nail is simply filed until it sits flush with the hoof wall. This is so that if the horse were to step on its shoe, it would simply pull off instead of causing the horse to trip and fall. To Remove a Shoe Use the Clinch Cutter to lift or cut away the clinch Use the Shoe pull- offs to pull the shoes completely off of the hoof Or slightly loosen the shoe with the pull- offs and then use the Crease Nail- Puller to lift and pull the nails from the shoe

5

6 Types of Shoes 3 Purposes of Shoes: Traction, Correction, Protection Support All of these shoes will offer some level of heel support but the egg bar offers the most, while the Heart Bar (associated with laminitis or contracted heels) supports the frog along with the heel. A Navicular Egg Bar differs from a regular Egg Bar because it has a set of rockers on each shoe that helps rock the hoof forward, easing the break over. Increase Traction Keg shoe/creased shoe: provides some traction Full Rimmed Shoe: provides increased traction Barrel Shoe: Outside rim is higher than inside rim to help provide traction by digging into dirt Sidewinder Shoe: another shoe commonly used by barrel racers that provides added traction in the pockets along the side of the shoe Polo Shoe: inside rim is higher than outside rim to increase traction and help horse break over on each side to change direction quickly Reduce Traction Sliding Plate: used on reining horses to reduce traction for things like sliding stops

7 Modifications: Toe/Quarter Clips hold the shoe tightly in place on hoof Toe grab: increase traction at toe Trailer: added to rear hooves to correct crossfiring (striking the opposite leg) when moving. The trailer will always be on the outside of the hoof and when it strikes the ground, it will catch in the dirt and slightly turns the toe outward widening the distance between rear hooves. Caulks/Studs: Jumpers and Foxhunters use them because you can change the level of traction they provide by swapping out different screw in studs. Borium/Tungsten: can be welded onto shoe for added traction on hard surfaces like asphalt or concrete Rocker Toe: Toe is bent upward to rock the foot forward at break over point Rounded/Rolled Toe: toe of shoe is thinned and rounded to help ease the break over Scotch Bottom: used on draft horses Mule Shoe: distinguishable from a regular shoe in the lack of curvature at the quarters Easy Boot: can be used in the event that a horse throws it s shoe and you cannot apply a new one Hospital Pad: applied to shoe before nailed to hoof. It prevents the entrance of dirt/debris while also providing access, through the screw off panel, to the sole of the hoof to treat wounds.

8 Soundness Issues Navicular Disease Caused by inflammation of bursa or degeneration of the Navicular bone Typically affects both front feet Treatment: o Raising the hoof angle will decrease the tension on the deep flexor tendon, which is responsible for applying pressure on the Navicular bone. Additionally, you ll want to ease the break over as much as possible through various methods.! Trimming hooves: leave as much heel as possible to increase the hoof angle and square toe off to move the break over point back! Application of Shoe: progressive escalation of treatment severity 1) Application of a wedge pad under a regular shoe 2) Application of a wedge pad with the addition of a rocker toe 3) Navicular Egg Bar will support and raise the heel, the rocker will help the hoof rock forward o Neurectomy: surgery in which the digital nerve is cut (in bulb area) to block the sensation of pain! Sometimes hazardous because the horse no longer has feeling in back of their hoof 1) Balance/stability can be compromised causing slips and trips 2) Horse may not show signs of lameness (due to abscess, nail in sole, etc.)! Not a permanent fix, as nerve endings can sometimes re- attach to each other Laminitis Inflammation of the lamina can be caused by a sudden change in diet or by aggressive impact of hoof on a hard surface. Can affect all four feet Inflammation typically happens in the toe area, and will compromise the lamina s ability to hold the Coffin bone to the hoof wall. A loss of strength in the lamina will cause the coffin bone to pull away from the hoof wall, eventually causing it to rotate toward the sole (Founder) due to the natural pull of the Deep Flexor Tendon. o When ALL of the lamina is affected and the Coffin bone begins to drop into the sole, it is known as a Sinker. In severe cases, the horse may even walk out of its hoof. Early treatment of laminitis might include anti- inflammatories, rest, and hoof support. o Spotting the disease early could mean a potential recovery

9 Tenotomy is the last resort for treating a foundered horse. In this procedure, a vet will cut the deep flexor tendon to decrease the pull on the coffin bone (decrease the rate of rotation). Thrush Thrush is an anaerobic bacteria that grows in and around frog Will infect and cause degeneration of the frog, and if left untreated it can infect the digital cushion and coffin bone. Treatment: o Exposing the bacteria to air by thoroughly picking out hooves o Cleaning the hoof with a diluted bleach solution or another antibacterial cleaning agent o Keep the hooves dry and clean o In severe cases you may have to pack the hoof with medicated hoof packing and completely wrap the hoof to protect the it from dirt/bacteria getting in! The application of a hospital pad would be beneficial White Line Disease Opportunistic fungal infection that enters the hoof through weak points in the sole and hoof wall When the white line becomes damaged, it allows fungus to invade which will progressively damage/eat away the lamina. 22 different types of fungi discovered, 6 cannot be killed Early detection will stop the infection from spreading up the sole to the coronary band Treatment: o Keep the hoof as clean as possible o Expose to air and light to help slow the progression o Soak the hoof in a bleach or chlorine based agent once or twice a week o If the horse isn t in any pain, exercise is encouraged to help increase circulation and promote new hoof growth o A biotin supplement will help promote faster growth of the hoof, allowing the fungi to grow out faster o Apply a shoe with a rocker on the bottom (like the Navicular Egg Bar rocker) and heavily round the toe of the hoof to draw the break over point back, relieving pressure on the toe (which would lead to more chipping) o Removing portions of the infected hoof wall is a last resort! Can pose a threat to secondary infections! Soreness! Laminitis: due to the lack of support for the bony column, added stress is applied to the sole and lamina which is now holding all of the weight