If infection is involved, your veterinarian might administer systemic or local antibiotics. He or she might collaborate with your farrier to design a shoe that supports the stronger hoof areas and reduces forces on the areas compromised by the crack.
Or, your veterinarian might prescribe a treatment plate a nail- or glue-on shoe to protect the affected area while still allowing access for treatment. Your veterinarian might also prescribe antiseptic poultices or foot soaks that you can administer to keep the area clean and free of infection-causing bacteria while the crack heals. A flare is a hoof distortion in which the wall separates from the sole at the ground surface.
If opportunistic bacteria invade and infect exposed nonsensitive hoof tissue, the flare can become white line disease, sometimes called seedy toe—although it can occur anywhere from toe to heel. When bacteria invade deeper, reaching sensitive tissues, coffin bone displacement can occur. Flares can occur on one or multiple hooves and affect horses of all ages, breeds, and sexes.
As with cracks, your farrier will be the first to evaluate flares, and if they progress into white line disease, he or she will probably recommend that your veterinarian take radiographs to determine the extent of inner structure involvement. The veterinarian might have the owner soak the foot once or twice a week to keep it clean and exposed to air while it grows down.
He also worked as a farrier, so he has in-depth knowledge of hoof-related problems. He says diagnosis in cases with raised hair at the coronet band is based on a thorough examination of the horse and foot including nerve blocks, radiographs, and bloodwork.
Bras says that heat in the foot is basically inflammation, and it sometimes results in an increased digital pulse. For example, boots or bandages can result in trapped heat. And, the feet of a horse standing in the sun—especially a horse with black hooves—might feel abnormally hot. If he or she finds an abscess during the exam or radiologic evidence of infection, Turner says the next step is to determine the location and the tissues involved.
Possible causes of pathology that result in heat and increased pulse are broad, from something as simple as a bruise to an abscess to infection to laminitis. If the primary cause stems from laminitis , his goal would be to reduce or eliminate pain and inflammation and restore, protect, or improve hoof mechanics while treating the underlying or predisposing causes of the inflammation. Bras and Turner also recommend cryotherapy icing feet to reduce the effects of inflammation.
He stresses the importance of icing above the coronary band and even the fetlock at very low temperatures for 24 to 48 hours or up to three days nonstop. Conveniencewise, he says, it can be easier for the owner to send the horse to an equine hospital for cryotherapy, but the owner can do it at home.
And odor can also indicate abscesses. Canker is more from the inside out—abnormal tissue growth. He says your farrier can pare away the thrush-affected frog to expose the area to air since the causative bacteria thrive in a low-oxygen environment and suggest topical disinfectants that you can apply. If thrush, canker, or an abscess has invaded the sensitive tissue and resulted in infection, your veterinarian can administer or prescribe an anti-inflammatory and antibiotics as needed.
Then, after the infection is taken care of—usually in a couple of days—shoes may be applied. If the horse is shifting more than usual, it is usually due to some sort of inflammation. But you have to figure out where the inflammation is coming from. Ask for help from an experienced or professional horseman if needed.
Have your horse caught, brushed and ready for the farrier. This is especially important if multiple horses are scheduled to be trimmed or shod.
Research shows poor quality hooves can benefit from commercially available hoof care products that contain:. A solar abscess is an infection in the sole of the hoof. Solar abscesses lead to sudden or severe lameness. Causes of solar abscess include trauma, bruising, or a foreign body. Hot nails will generally cause lameness. Call your veterinarian immediately if your horse has a street nail. Treatment will depend on the location of the injury.
Laminitis, also called founder, is swelling of the sensitive laminae. The lamina is a connective tissue located inside the hoof. Swelling causes the coffin bone to rotate or sink downward within the hoof.
There are several causes of laminitis. Navicular disease involves the navicular bone, bursa, ligamentous or soft tissue structures. Horses affected by navicular will usually step toe-first because of heel pain. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Home Animals and livestock Horse Horse care and management Caring for your horses hooves. Quick facts Establish a good working relationship with your farrier and veterinarian to ensure your horse stays healthy and sound. To reduce hoof problems: Schedule regular trimming or shoeing. Maintain good hoof balance. Provide appropriate shoeing for different weather and footing conditions. Provide appropriate treatment when disease occurs. Maintain proper horse nutrition.
Open all Close all. What to consider when selecting a farrier Education Farriers enter their profession through formal education, apprenticeship or a combination of the two.
Experience Ask the farrier about their previous experience trimming and shoeing horses. How long have they been practicing? How often do they practice? Do they have any areas of specialization?
Some farriers specialize in a certain breed or riding discipline. Horsemanship Watch how the farrier interacts with horses. Do they spend time watching how the horses move and land on their feet?
Do they work quietly and calmly around horses? Do the horses behave and work well with the farrier? Attitude Make sure the farrier Enjoys their work. Pays attention to detail. Is on time and reliable with appointments. Calls when running late. Try not to turn out in deep, muddy footing. Hours of standing in mud may encourage thrush or scratches a skin infection in the fetlock area that can cause lameness.
Mud is hard on shoes, too: The suction of deep mud can drag off a shoe already loosened by alternating wet and dry conditions. Mud also makes picking up his feet a harder job; if your horse is slow about getting his front feet out of the way, he may end up pulling off the heels of his front shoes because he's stepping on them with his back toes.
Protect your horse's hooves during hauling. Without covering for his heels, he can easily step on the edge of a shoe and pull it partially loose--then spend the remainder of the journey standing on the nails of the sprung or shifted shoe.
Another vulnerable area is the coronet band: the rim of tissue at the top of each hoof that generates new hoof-wall growth. Injury to this area for instance, if he steps on himself while struggling to keep his balance in a moving trailer can interrupt hoof growth in the area below the affected spot. The solution: Either old-fashioned shipping bandages and bell boots large enough to cover the bulbs of your horse's heels and the backs of his shoes or good quality full-coverage Velcro-fastened shipping boots reduce the likelihood of these problems.
For additional information, see the following articles in Practical Horseman : "Just a Bruise? This article first appeared in the August issue of Practical Horseman magazine. Common Problems. Jumping Clinic with Beezie Madden. Hoof Care. Rider Health. Senior Horse Care. Schedule Of Events. Travel Sweeps. Colleges And Careers With Horses. Mongol Derby. Practical Horseman Extra.
Basic Training with David O'Connor. Training Tips with Frank Madden.
0コメント