Winter Hoofcare
The changeable British climate can be unpredictable and the different seasons bring with them their own considerations for the horse owner – winter is no exception. A decrease in daylight along with colder temperatures adds to the pressure of managing horses and ponies throughout the winter months.
Generally speaking hooves grow less during colder periods but regular hoof care and monitoring is still essential. Checking hooves and legs daily is still essential, despite being more difficult when they are wet and covered in mud!
The provision of a balanced diet is essential to providing the building blocks for quality and consistent horn growth – inevitably a change in season and/or routine has a direct impact on the nutrients provided and it is always worth evaluating your equine’s diet at this time. Poor or slow hoof growth may be due to a dietary imbalance or deficiency and supplementation (general or ‘hoof-specific’) may be necessary.
Throughout winter horses can be more prone to bacterial infections and diseases of the whiteline, such as thrush. Identified by a foul odour and a dark coloured discharge from around the frog, thrush can travel deep into the sensitive tissue within the frog causing pain and lameness. Warm, moist stables and/or an accumulation of mud and dirt within the crevices of the feet encourage the growth of bacteria that thrive in these conditions. Picking the feet out daily will help to prevent infection and, should infection occur, there are many topical applications available on the market containing antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties – commonly being iodine and copper sulphate based solutions. These applications can also be used weekly as a preventative measure in horses and ponies prone to such infections.
Roads can be slippery throughout the year but perhaps this is more noticeable during winter when surfaces tend to be damp and even more so when conditions involve ice and snow. Similarly horses being worked in fields and across country may experience an increased loss of traction when conditions are muddy. Shod horses will gain from shoes being in good condition – the fullering in concave shoes assists with traction but you may find extra grip is necessary to remain safe and to help avoid any unnecessary risk of injury from slipping. Increased traction may be gained from the addition of studs or pins and talking to your farrier will help to decide which may offer the best solution for you.
• Studs, Pins and Plugs
Studs come in all shapes and sizes and are either permanently in the shoe or can be screwed in when required.
Permanent – these are put in the shoe during shoeing and stay in for the duration of the shoeing cycle. The majority of the time they are made from a tungsten pin which is a pin itself or embedded into a stud or nail.
o Stud nails are quick to use for the farrier but can only be placed in shoes where a nail is used and you can only use the size of nail that can be used in the hoof wall e.g. small nail, small pin.
o Pins are tapered and a hole is drilled in the shoes and the pin is tapped into the hole. These have a large piece of tungsten giving maximum grip and can be placed anywhere in the shoe from toe to heel.
o Pins are tapered and a hole is drilled in the shoes and the pin is tapped into the hole. These have a large piece of tungsten giving maximum grip and can be placed anywhere in the shoe from toe to heel.
o Plugs are tungsten pins encased in a stud. These can be put into a hole that has been punched into the shoe which can be flush with the shoe or protruding.
Non-permanent - screw-in studs allow the horse owner to screw in a stud of their choice as a hole is punched into the shoe which is ‘tapped’ e.g. the hole has threads put in. Screw-in studs can be changed as ground conditions change. It is important to note though that thorough advice should be sought – the inappropriate selection of studs has been suggested to cause foot/limb injury. Maintenance of the stud hole is also required, threads may become damaged making it difficult to screw the stud in.
Hard ground from frost and increased exercise on roads, particularly if horses or ponies are not used to it, also carry the risk of increased bruising to the foot and concussive forces on the limb. Horses and ponies turned out on frozen pasture are also susceptible so do be aware. Severe bruising of the sole can have prolonged recovery times and will affect performance (refusing jumps, unwillingness to collect and engage) even if lameness is not present. A vet or farrier should be able to confirm the diagnosis and treatment may involve rest, poulticing and perhaps using padding on the sole of the foot.