Helping horses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
podiatry
put their best feet forward!
Please note: I am not a farrier or a trimmer. I just offer this information for your help in keeping your horse's feet in top shape.
I cannot overestimate the importance of proper foot care for your horse. Lameness and musculoskeletal problems start and end with the feet so help your horse by taking care of its feet.
The feet, musculoskeletal system, and teeth have a symbiotic relationship to keep your horse performing optimally, moving comfortably with minimal restrictions, working freely, and reaching its potential, while also decreasing the incidences of pain, injury, lameness, downtime, and cost to the owner. Proper evaluation and care of your horse’s feet will prevent injuries in the feet and in other areas of your horse. Similarly, proper alignment and movement of your horse via chiropractic, acupuncture, and dentistry can alleviate problems with the feet.
Various shoeing options are available to help relieve pathologies, such as arthritic joints, that are present in the foot, as well as in other areas of your horse’s body.
Be observant of your horse's feet
Check your horse’s feet and shoes prior to each ride, if not daily. I have often evaluated horses that are being worked with loose shoes, unbeknownst to the trainer or rider. This leads to strained, torn tendons, and ligaments, and tight and sore muscles. Imagine yourself wearing flip-flops to leap over hurdles (jumping), run (trotting, cantering), take ballet lessons (dressage), or climb Mount Everest (endurance). Loose shoes are unstable shoes!
Proper evaluation and care of your horse’s feet will help the whole horse
Proper foot care will help avoid problems. Regular and well-maintained correct trimming and shoeing of your horse can help prevent injuries not just to the feet but also to the rest of your horse’s body, such as preventing bowed tendons. Podiatric options available to the horse can increase comfort, decrease pain and/or lessen progression of a problem. For example, arthritis of the hock joint (bone spavin) can progress to sore hips, and a sore back. There are suggested ways to shoe a horse with arthritis of the hock to help eliminate its progression and decrease pain.
Proper chiropractic, acupuncture and dental care of your horse will help your horse’s feet
Proper chiropractic, acupuncture, and dental care will help keep your horse maintain its center of gravity, correct balance, and proper movement. This will reduce the incidence of foot problems such as ringbone (arthritis of the coffin or pastern joint), stressed or torn tendons within the foot, interference, and pulled shoes.
The veterinarian-farrier relationship is vital to your horse's good health. (See sidebar to the right). We are all in service to the horse; our common goal is to increase the optimal health and function of the horse by allowing it to be more comfortable, perform at its maximum ability, and halt progression of a problem. Encourage communication between your veterinarian and farrier and your horse will benefit.
Conclusion
Conscientious professional foot care will help decrease problems within the foot capsule itself and the rest of your horse’s body as well. Correct balance and proper alignment of the horse’s body via chiropractic, acupuncture, and dentistry will help maintain foot soundness.
veterinarian? farrier?
It is vital to your horse's good health that your farrier and veterinarian have direct and open communication not just about the horse's feet, but about their observations of the animal as a whole. I often speak directly with the horse’s farrier to be sure we coordinate a plan to best care for our patients.
How the veterinarian may assist your farrier and how the farrier may assist your veterinarian.
The veterinarian can assist the farrier by:
- Pointing out areas of concern that were found upon a physical exam. Example, positive Churchill test of the hocks, by performing properly marked radiographs of the foot so that the veterinarian and farrier can see, evaluate, and follow what is truly happening within the foot capsule, and allowing for a proper trim and application of the shoe in cases when precision is of utmost importance. Example: applying heart bar shoes to a laminitis or founder case.
The farrier can assist the veterinarian by:
- Easing pain in different areas of the horse where the veterinarian has diagnosed as being a concern to your horse. A farrier may do this with a multiple range of shoes. Example: applying a patten shoe to relieve pressure from an injured deep digital flexor tendon, or a half round shoe for easier breakover in an arthritic joint.