No Surefoot, No Horse!
There is a well known saying amongst horsey people, which is “no foot, no horse”. When you think about it a horse stands on 4 relatively small feet, attached to 4 spindly metacarpals, which supports often more than 1000lbs of body weight. So horses hooves and feet, need looking after.
Firstly, yes there is a difference between a horse’s hoof and their foot. Foot refers to the hoof and all the internal structures, bones and muscles, and the hoof is just the hard outside covering of the foot, comprising of the wall, sole and frog.
So what can we do to look after our horse’s hooves, the best we can?
Well a lot of common hoof and foot complaints can be avoided with the use of Surefoot Arena Footing.
In most cases shoeing a horse, only needs to take place when the horse is working on hard surfaces, so if work surfaces are covered with Surefoot, then shoeing horses and all the associated problems, could be avoided. Of course, there are other times when a horse might need shoes, like if they are flat footed, or have weak hoof walls (both of these conditions could also be relieved by the use of Surefoot).
A common cause of thrush and canker is the horses’ feet and hooves being exposed to wet and dirty conditions in the stable, and their hooves not being cleaned properly after a canter in muddy conditions. Potential solutions here are to put arena footing in the stable, which would help maintain dryness, and making sure that the hooves are cleaned thoroughly after this exercise, as a matter of routine.
Other common horse injuries like bruising, abscesses and cracks in the hoof are mainly caused by impact on hard surfaces, or loose gravel. These risks can also be lessened by the use of Surefoot in equine stables and exercise areas.
Another post, you might find interesting is “Considerations in Choosing the Best Equine Arena Footing”
