Study: Horse Hoof Problem Prevalence High

Out of nearly 1,000 randomly chosen horses, 85% had at least one hoof disorder visible during a regular farrier visit.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Out of nearly 1,000 randomly chosen horses, 85% had at least one hoof disorder visible during a regular farrier visit. | Photo: Erica Larson/The Horse
If your horse suffers from a foot disorder, he’s far from being alone. A recent epidemiological study from the Netherlands has revealed an unexpectedly high rate of mild foot disorders in a representative average horse population.

Out of nearly 1,000 randomly chosen horses, 85% had at least one hoof disorder visible during a regular farrier visit, said Menno Holzhauer, PhD, of GD Animal Health in Deventer.

Farriers and researchers identified multiple hoof issues, including:

  • Thrush (45.0%);
  • Superficial hoof wall cracks (30.4%);
  • Growth rings (26.3%);
  • Sole bruises (24.7%);
  • White line disease (17.8%);
  • Perforating hoof wall cracks (16.4%)
  • White line widening (11.8%);
  • Horizontal hoof cracks (5.2%);
  • Chronic laminitis (3.6%);
  • Quarter cracks (2.7%);
  • Keratoma (1.8%); and
  • Frog canker (1.0%).

“This was really higher than expected, and it’s important to diagnose and treat these disorders at an early stage because they interfere with animal welfare and cause lost days of performance in these horses,” Holzhauer said. “Individual farms should compare the prevalence of hoof disorders in their farms with the general prevalence. And, they should learn about risk factors so as to reduce them, thereby striving for maximal soundness and comfort of these horses in relationship to the hoof disorders found

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

How much time do you usually spend grooming your horse?
439 votes · 439 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!