Managing Hoof Problems in Horses

Just about every horse out there has what we might call a hoof problem on at least one of his four feet.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Just about every horse out there has what we might call a hoof problem on at least one of his four feet. It might be a simple mismatch that might not really be a problem, or it might be much more serious. In any case, hoof problems, regardless of scope, need to be managed properly to maximize the horse’s soundness, comfort, and usefulness to you.

The challenge is five-fold, according to Bruce Lyle, DVM, who focuses primarily on foot care in his practice in Aubrey, Texas. “My approach to any case is to begin with problem identification, identify contributing factors, change what I can, and then observe the response, followed by re-evaluation,” he says. “Identifying the problem can be challenging because of the lack of valid research on causes of pain in the foot. Sound horses performing at a high level may have abnormal-appearing bones on radiographs, whereas other lame horses may have an apparently beautiful foot with no radiographic abnormalities. In many cases, ultrasound and nuclear scintigraphy may be negative also, frustrating owner, farrier, and veterinarian.

“Because of these negative experiences and the lack of consistent, practical research, farrier John Arkley (more on him shortly) and I have joined with a growing faction of veterinarians and farriers handling foot problems and lameness from a fundamental form-to-function approach,” Lyle says. “When coupled with knowledge and application of fundamental physiology and pathology, results are usually very impressive.”

Defining and enacting treatment for foot problems can be tough, as there can be as many opinions about this as there are professionals who evaluate the horse. Some might not see the problem as significant and choose to ignore it. Others might see it as serious, or potentially serious, and prescribe a shoeing and/or management modification as treatment

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:

Christy West has a BS in Equine Science from the University of Kentucky, and an MS in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
325 votes · 325 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!