Hoof abscesses are caused by bacteria entering the hoof through a sole bruise/puncture or a diseased white line. White blood cells build up to combat the bacteria, creating painful pressure around a pocket of fluid.

Treatment involves encouraging the abscess to pop, then keeping the area clean while the abscess’s track through the hoof heals.

If you’ve ever dealt with an abscess, you may still have nightmares about toting hot water to the barn in winter and asking your fidgety horse to please stand in a bucket for just a few minutes longer. But you can banish abscess apprehension using tools you may already own.

To Soak Or Not To Soak

Soaking a horse’s foot is one of the oldest remedies to draw out an abscess; many people swear that soaking the hoof in water will soften the hoof, offering a path of least resistance to the pocket of pus looking for a way out of the hoof capsule. However, getting a horse to stand—quietly—in a 5-gallon bucket of warm water for up to 30 minutes can be nearly an act of Congress.

If the abscess is trending toward the sole of the hoof, standing the horse in a shallow rubber feed pan may work—and make him less fidgety, since he has more room to place his foot on the bottom of the pan. If the abscess needs to work its way out through the coronary band, however, a shallow pan won’t be an option, as it will be impossible to get the water up high enough to cover the area.

Supplement the Soak

While water alone will soften the hoof to encourage an abscess to burst, there are additives that can be used to offer even more drawing power. These can include:

◆ Epsom salts: Easily purchased at the local grocery store, Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) offer both inflammation relief and antimicrobial benefits. Adding a cup to the soaking water will help draw out the infection in the horse’s hoof.

◆ Bleach: You’d be hard pressed to find a household without at least one gallon of bleach, and there are plenty of equine- and farm-related applications for it. Best for abscesses is the 5.25 percent household bleach, which destroys bacteria, viruses and mold.

◆ Apple cider vinegar: Adding a ¼ cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of warm water will allow the acidity in the apple cider vinegar to draw out infection.

◆ Baking soda: Adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) per quart/liter of warm water has also been known to draw out an abscess. With disinfectant, antibacterial and antifungal properties, baking soda can be used in conjunction with Epsom salts in soaking water.

◆ Povidone-iodine (Betadine): Adding 2 ounces of povidone-iodine, possibly in conjunction with 1 cup of Epsom salts, to water that reaches just over the horse’s coronary band can help draw out an abscess.

Non-Bucket Options

If you can’t seem to get your horse to stand in a 5-gallon bucket, but would still like to soak his hoof, there are other options.

◆ Muck tubs: Some horses are more likely to stand with both their feet in a larger bucket, like a muck tub.

◆ Hoof soaking boots: Made of nylon, hoof soaking boots go on over your horse’s hoof like a sock and contain an interior bag you can change out to keep everything hygenic. A foam pad at the bottom offers support and protects the bag from being worn through by the horse’s hoof. Fill the bag with water and any additive you choose, place the horse’s leg in the boot, and close it with the straps provided.

◆ Ice boots: Often used after strenuous exercise, these tall, up-to-the-knee boots can also be used to soak abscesses.

◆ Plastic bags: If you’d rather repurpose something you already have on hand, try using a heavy plastic bag (like the kind some supplements come in) or some IV bags (ask your vet to save a few for you if you have none on hand). Applying a soaking bag to the horse’s foot allows him to move around instead of having to stand still while soaking. Duct tape on top of the bag around the ankle will keep it secure, and you can cut the whole thing off with bandage scissors when done.

A word of caution: If you’re strapping anything around your horse’s leg, it’s worthwhile to get him used to having something on his foot before adding water.

Poultice Power

Whether you choose to soak or not, all horses with abscesses benefit from a pack or poultice applied to the affected hoof to act as a longer-term drawing agent.

Commercial pads that already contain drawing agents can be a timesaver. One of the most popular is Animalintex, a cotton wool pad that contains tragacanth gum and boric acid; it’s available in both sheets and hoof-shaped pads. You can wet it with hot or cold water, apply to the hoof, and wrap the whole thing with Vetrap followed by duct tape.

Poultice Alternatives

You can also use cotton 4×4 pads, cotton wool, gauze or diapers to pack the hoof if no poultice pads are handy. The following are often added to the packing material and placed against the sole of the hoof to act as drawing agents before securing on the hoof.

◆ Baking soda: Add water to baking soda to make a paste and slather the sole of the hoof with the mixture; some people choose to add Epsom salts to the mixture as well.

◆ Linseed: Damp, warm cooked linseeds that are boiled and made into a mash can be packed into the hoof and wrapped.

◆ Epsom salts and Vaseline: Combine both ingredients to make a gel that sticks to the bottom of the hoof.

◆ Manuka honey: the antibacterial properties of honey are well documented; it draws out toxins, as well as cleans and prevents infection and encourages healing once the abscess track is open.

◆ Sugardine: Combine ¼ cup sugar with 3 tablespoons of povidone-iodine solution until it makes a thick, granular paste to slather on the bottom of the hoof. Sugar absorbs the moisture in which bacteria thrives; the povidone-iodine helps kill any bacteria that is present.

◆ Ichthammol: Stinky and incredibly sticky, this old-school remedy for drawing an abscess is still one of the best.

◆ Cabbage leaves: Cabbage leaves boiled in Epsom salt water to make them pliable is a lesser-used home remedy that draws out infection and eases pain. The leaves can also be chopped, boiled and packed into the hoof sole.

◆ Sauerkraut: No time to boil your own cabbage leaves? Packing the hoof with sauerkraut has also been said to work; the sauerkraut’s acidity makes it hard for bacteria to survive.

Wrapping

Once you’ve picked your drawing agent and slathered it on, you can create your own wrapping using heavy-duty plastic bags (like the ones some supplements come in), Vetrap, and duct tape, or you can purchase a pre-made boot to hold the dressing in place.

These boots offer a variety of fasteners depending on the brand; they may have zippers or Velcro straps. The best boot for your horse will be one that is easy to get on and stays on—some horses are Houdinis about removing things.

Key Takeaway

Abscesses can be painful for the horse and frustrating for his owner, but with perseverance and a bit of ingenuity, they will (hopefully) resolve rapidly. If at any time you’re concerned that the abscess is not resolving or that your horse’s pain is unmanageable, reach out to your vet for guidance.

This article about hoof abscess treatment options appeared in the September 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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It’s often what you can’t see that leads to trouble, and that’s definitely the case with white line disease. Understanding the nature of this condition, its signs, and effective treatment options will help horse owners to ensure the long-term health of their equine companions.

Treatment is highly successful when this condition is caught in the early stages. Unfortunately, white line disease is often not detected promptly. This may lead to serious problems—sometimes even to the point of coffin bone rotation. However, most horses with white line disease aren’t lame unless the condition is allowed to progress to this stage.

The name “white line disease” is a bit misleading, since not all cases involve the actual white line of the hoof, which is where the sole joins the wall. When identified early and treated effectively, many cases are generally restricted to the “stratum medium”—the middle and thickest of the hoof’s three layers.

What is White Line Disease?

Technically, white line disease is not a disease, but rather a fungal infection of the equine hoof wall.

Infection develops when opportunistic fungi routinely present in the environment find an opening in the hoof wall. Once in the hoof, the fungi work their way up, digesting the keratin until a cavity is created beneath the wall.

Although the sensitive tissue of the hoof isn’t involved, the hoof wall separation caused by white line disease can have major consequences.

If left untreated, hoof integrity can be compromised to the point that the coffin bone pulls away from the hoof capsule and rotates. Although this is not exactly the same rotation that occurs with laminitis, it can still result in lameness.

Signs of White Line Disease

White line disease can affect horses of any breed, age, and discipline, infecting one or more feet at the same time. The following signs are associated with the condition and indicate a problem is brewing:

◆ Cracks or separation in the hoof at the toe, heel, along the wall or along the white line

◆ Debris packed deeply into the hoof wall

◆ Chalky, grayish-white powder visible between the hoof’s sole and wall

◆ “Rotten fruit” odor

◆ Significant flaring or dishing of the foot

◆ Hollow sound when outside of hoof is lightly tapped with a hammer

After operating his own farrier business for 11 years in Ohio, Jason Maki has been the full-time farrier at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ Large Animal Hospital in College Station, Texas, since 2008.

Maki points out the puzzling conundrum that horses receiving exceptional hoof care and living in well-managed barns can still get white line disease, as can backyard horses on inconsistent hoof care schedules.

“Sometimes a hoof that is dishing and flared is a sign of separation under the wall caused by white line disease,” says Maki.

He adds that hooves that become dished and flared because they’re allowed to get too long between trims may become more susceptible to this condition.

Maki agrees with the study published by Michael Wildenstein, Certified Journeyman Farrier, of Cornell University that identified fungal infection being to blame for white line disease. He notes that while specific fungi may be the primary cause of action, they can’t cause harm unless they get inside the foot.

“Essentially, there has to be a break or a micro crack in the hoof wall that allows the fungi to ‘set up shop,’” he explains. “The fungi are ingesting the hoof and create a pocket. The longer they’re present in the hoof, the more they will undermine it.”

The presence of grayish powder in any separation between sole and wall seems to be definitive of white line disease.

“The powder is disintegrating hoof wall,” says Maki, adding that if you see this when cleaning your horse’s hooves, you should contact your farrier promptly.

How to Treat White Line Disease

Wildenstein’s study revealed that the anerobic fungi responsible for white line disease can be effectively treated with a chlorine dioxide solution.

The basic protocol for treating white line disease is to debride the affected area, removing the damaged hoof wall to expose the infected portion of the hoof to air and then treating the area with chlorine dioxide. Because chlorine dioxide makes fungi and bacteria vulnerable to oxygen, this helps destroy them.

Maki points out that simply squirting a chlorine dioxide product up into the cavity isn’t enough. The infected portion of hoof wall must be removed.

“You follow the tract (cavity) as far as it extends and cut it out until the gray powder is not visible and you have good attachment to the hoof wall,” says Maki.

He is one of many farriers who have had great success treating the condition with a chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) product. Maki personally swears by White Lightning equine hoof treatment.

“In my experience, debridement followed by White Lightning is the silver bullet for treating white line disease,” says Maki. “The chlorine dioxide gas infiltrates the hoof, gets into the nooks and crannies, and kills the fungi. If I even suspect white line disease, I use this to treat it.”

Challenges of Treatment

When caught early, your farrier can usually treat white line disease effectively at home. More complicated cases can require your veterinarian and farrier working together.

“Depending on how extensive white line disease is, or if the horse is lame, you’ll want to get your veterinarian involved,” says Maki. “White line disease shows up on a radiograph as bright white, so it gives you a good idea of the extent of erosion and also shows any rotation.”

When white line disease isn’t found and treated early, the farrier may have to cut away a significant portion of hoof wall to totally expose the affected area.

“You want to take only what you have to and leave enough wall to treat the hoof. If you have a deep white line tract but still have good attachment of the hoof wall, the hoof is less likely to splay,” says Maki, noting that the tricky part can be providing enough stability that the cure doesn’t become a problem.

Maki explains that if extensive sections of hoof wall have to be cut away, steps must be taken to stabilize the foot until new wall grows in. This may involve special shoeing techniques.

“You need to make sure the horse has good mechanical support of the hoof capsule,” he notes. “Managing extensive white line disease without a shoe or cast is problematic. I’ve found bar shoes, heart bar shoes, sole support, and clips to be useful for adding stability to the hoof and minimizing the chance of mechanical rotation due to instability.” 

Environmental Considerations and Prevention

While the fungi to blame for white line disease are present in many environments, Maki has dealt with more cases when horses live in regions where the weather is warm and wet without extended periods of freezing temperatures.

While he says there’s no definitive answer as to whether some horses are simply more susceptible to white line disease, environmental conditions play a role.

Horses can’t be expected to have optimal hoof health if their feet are constantly exposed to moisture. When feet never get the chance to dry out, continuous moisture can compromise the hooves by softening and weakening them. This makes hooves more vulnerable to cracking and separation, which can allow in fungi and bacteria.

The goal is to keep hooves as dry as possible. This may mean waiting to turn out until the grass is dry and not turning out during wet weather.

Maki reminds horse owners that basic routine hoof care with short cycles between farrier visits is crucial for protecting horses against white line disease. He emphasizes that it’s always best to keep horses on a regular farrier schedule, even during times of the year when their hooves aren’t growing quickly.

White Line Disease In Summary

White line disease poses a serious risk to horses, requiring vigilant monitoring and prompt treatment to prevent severe consequences. Though it can affect any horse, early detection and proper hoof care significantly enhance treatment success. By adhering to a proactive care routine and consulting with experienced farriers and veterinarians, horse owners can effectively safeguard their horses against this condition.

Further Reading on Hoof Health
◆ Helping Your Horse Have Healthy Hooves
◆ Nutrition for Hoof Health
◆ 5 Serious Hoof Conditions
◆ Keeping Your Horse Barefoot

This article appeared in the August 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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How a Hoof Abscess Starts

A hoof abscess begins when environmental bacteria access the horse’s hoof capsule.

The most common way that bacteria does this relates to fluctuating moisture in the environment. When the ground is dry, hooves become hard and somewhat brittle. This causes small fissures (cracks) to develop in the sole. When the ground becomes wet, the hoof acts like a sponge and softens, further opening these small cracks. Bacteria in the environment can take advantage of these small breaches in the otherwise impenetrable hoof wall and invade the tissue inside.

As they invade the warm, healthy inner hoof tissue, the bacteria multiply rapidly. The horse’s immune system comes to the rescue, but during the battle between good and evil (the horse’s white blood cells versus bacteria), casualties occur as white blood cells die and cause pus to accumulate.

This pus exerts pressure in the confined and inflexible hoof wall. If you’ve ever had swelling under a nail, you know the pain this causes. Now imagine the pain a horse might deal with as they stand on an abscessed hoof.

Hoof abscesses can, however, occur at any time of year, so the weather is not the only cause. Sole bruises caused by hard ground and penetrating hoof wounds also invite bacteria to invade the hoof. One type of penetrating wound is a close nail, or one that is driven too close to the sensitive laminae (internal supporting structures between the outer hoof wall and the coffin bone). This creates a convenient path for bacteria to enter on the nail, which can lead to infection.

Poor hoof conformation can also be a contributing factor to the development of a hoof abscess. Some thin-soled horses are naturally predisposed to frequent abscesses. This is likely due to their increased risk of sole bruising and the shorter distance bacteria have to travel between the outside and inside of the hoof.

What You Might See

While you might expect to see a severely lame horse, keep in mind that not all abscesses are created equal. Observable signs depend on how large the abscess is, where in the hoof it is, and how long it’s been developing. If caught early, some horses are only slightly lame. Others may have some leg swelling up to the fetlock, while others may have a bounding digital pulse and a hoof that’s hot to the touch.

Horse owners that have seen abscesses before may feel comfortable identifying one and starting treatment on their own. If this is your first time with a hoof abscess, or you feel there may be other complicating issues, it’s a good idea to call your veterinarian for help.

If lameness is accompanied by a visible injury, such as a penetrating wound, or is part of a chronic hoof disease, radiographs may be necessary to assess any internal hoof damage.

Treating Hoof Abscesses

For uncomplicated hoof abscesses, treatment starts with releasing the pressure and granting the horse instant pain relief. This is done by draining the abscess. If your horse is an extremely painful condition, sometimes a local nerve block and/or sedation may be required for safe treatment of the wound. For this, you’ll need a veterinarian.

Using a hoof knife, your veterinarian will clean and trim back the horse’s sole, which gives the ability to see any dark spots or tracts. These are usually indicative of where the abscess is. Hoof testers can also help narrow the location of the abscess.

The hoof knife is then used to carefully pare deeper until the pocket of infection is hit. Once opened, the abscess drains, although it’s usually anticlimactic. A draining abscess may only be a tiny wet spot or area of dark fluid that trickles down. However, the horse may visibly show his relief.

If left alone, an abscess will eventually rupture on its own. However, there are a few downsides to this wait-and-see approach. First, it prolongs pain for the horse. Secondly, if an abscess is not treated, it tends to move up to the coronary band or out the heel bulbs.

Manually draining the abscess with the hoof knife through the sole allows gravity to help with the process; a coronary band abscess (also called a “gravel”) may prematurely close, leaving some infection behind to cause a problem later.

Once drained, your horse now has an open wound in his sole. While it’s important to protect this wound from further infection, it’s also a handy window to allow for continual drainage. Therefore, packing the sole with a poultice and wrapping the hoof with a bandage for protection can ensure the abscess completely drains.

Depending on depth and location, sometimes an abscess can’t be located or easily drained. In such cases, repeated soaking of the hoof in an Epsom salt bath will help soften the hoof and draw the infection closer to the sole for easier drainage. A shallow feed tub makes for an ideal foot soak. Alternatively, there are special soaking boots made specifically for horses, or some owners make “soak bags” out of sturdy plastic IV bags.

Stalling a horse for 24 hours with a soak bag is usually enough time to soften the hoof so that on recheck with a hoof knife, the abscess is more easily drained. Occasionally, you might get lucky and the abscess drains itself overnight. This is often noticeable the next day since the horse is much more comfortable.

How to Prevent Abscesses

The natural expansion and contraction of a horse’s feet in response to external moisture are impossible to control, so to an extent, hoof abscesses could be considered impossible to prevent. However, a few rules of thumb can help decrease their likelihood.

Regular year-round hoof maintenance is the best place to start. Balanced hooves keep weight distributed evenly, and trimmed feet are less likely to crack and allow bacteria inside.

Providing your horse with the best of nutrition also helps keep hooves healthy, as does daily hoof cleaning and maintaining excellent stall and paddock hygiene. Removing soiled bedding and fixing chronically wet or boggy areas help hooves stay clean and dry so you’ll spend less time obsessing over abscesses and more time enjoying your horse.

Using a Poultice Supplies Needed: Iodine, soft and disposable packing material (gauze pads, diaper, etc.), ichthammol or other poultice material, Vetrap, duct tape, scissors Steps: 1. First, thoroughly clean the sole with iodine. 2. Any soft, disposable and clean material will work as packing. One common method is to use a stack of 4×4 medical gauze pads. Other options include a disposable diaper or sanitary pad. 3. Slather a glob of ichthammol or other common poultice on the packing material and place it directly over the draining abscess. 4. Use a stretchy bandage like Vetrap around the entire hoof to keep the gauze or diaper in place. Be careful not to tighten it above the hoof hairline where it could restrict circulation. 5. Next, slightly overlap strips of duct tape to make a square just larger than the bottom of the hoof. reinforce with strips laid at 90 degrees to these. Stick the square to the bottom of the hoof and wrap the edges around to adhere to the Vetrap on the hoof wall. Wind tape once or twice around the top of the square where it meets the hoof wall to hold in place. 6. Keep your horse stalled or in a small, dry paddock for a few days. 7. Change the wrap once a day, replacing the poultice and using new tape. Scissors makes cutting into the bandage for removal much easier than peeling it apart with your fingers. As a general rule, horse’s hoof abscesses tend to fully drain within three days or so, and often sooner. However, anticipate the entire healing time to take seven to 10 days, but this will depend on the depth of the abscess and the size of the drainage hole.

Key Takeaway

In this article, you’ll find common causes of hoof abscesses, methods for treating them, and tips on how to prevent abscesses, all of which are essential for hoof care and maintaining a clean environment.

This article on treating a horse’s hoof abscess appeared in the January 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post How to Manage and Treat a Hoof Abscess appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Soaking the hoof several times a day will eventually cause an abscess to erupt and drain. However, some vets now advise against frequent soaking as it may weaken the hoof wall. Some horse owners instead choose to apply drawing agents, such as ichthamol or Epsom salts, directly to the hoof under a bandage.

The goal in the treatment of a horse’s hoof abscess is to draw out the infection and keep the area clean to prevent reinfection while the hoof heals. Once you have confirmed the diagnosis with your vet, follow the steps below to put your horse on the road to recovery.

For treatment of a horse’s hoof abscess, you will need a flexible bucket or tub, Epsom salts and poultice pads or iodine. Bandaging materials include sheet cotton or a diaper, elastic bandage and duct tape.

Step 1:  Mix Epsom salts in a bucket of warm water.  Use enough salts to reach the point of saturation, where no more will dissolve.

Step 2:  Submerge the entire hoof up to the coronary band and soak for 10 minutes.  This will help draw out the infection and will encourage the abscess to erupt if it has not already been opened and drained.

Step 3:  Soak a poultice pad in hot water.

Place the pad over the sole of the hoof.

If you do not have any poultice pads, you can make a poultice with Epsom salts and iodine.

Pack the paste into the hoof so it covers the entire sole.

Step 4:  Wrap the hoof in a diaper or sheet cotton.  Secure the diaper by tightly wrapping it with elastic bandage. Cover the entire bandage with duct tape for durability. If your horse will be turned out or is prone to destroying bandages, you may want to use a hoof boot.   Click here for step-by-step instructions on bandaging a hoof.

Your horse may be sound in as little as a couple of days.  Once the abscess has drained, keeping the hoof protected from dirt and debris is the best way to avoid complications or reinfection.  And of course, always consult your vet to help you decide the best course of action. 

Further Reading on Treatment of Hoof Abscesses in Horses

◆ Hoof Abscesses and Puncture Wounds
◆ How to Manage and Treat a Hoof Abscess
◆ Causes of Equine Lameness: Foot Abscess

This article about treatment of hoof abscesses first appeared in Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Treating a Hoof Abscess appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Picture this: a lush, green field with a horse peacefully grazing. This image is almost every horse owner’s ideal vision of their horse at his happiest. But danger can lurk for some horses if you look a little deeper.

Certain horses and ponies are prone to grass founder (laminitis), particularly in the spring when grasses are high in sugar. Most horse owners would rather prevent laminitis than deal with it after it happens, so the best course of action is to recognize the red flags—times to be more vigilant—and know what to do next.

High-Risk Horses

Horses most at risk for laminitis are those with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and Cushing’s disease (also called pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, or PPID).

Horses and ponies with EMS often have telltale symptoms, including a tendency toward obesity, insulin resistance and recurrent laminitis. Abnormal fat deposits along the crest of the neck, tailhead and above the eyes are typical, even when the horse is at a normal weight. The condition most often occurs in ponies and other breeds that evolved under harsh conditions and tend to be easy keepers.

Horses with PPID may have symptoms similar to EMS, such as patchy fat deposits and insulin resistance, but PPID usually begins to appear in older horses (over age 15). They may also start to lose topline muscling and develop a thick haircoat that sheds out later than normal, or eventually not at all.

If you suspect your horse has either of these conditions, schedule a vet visit for blood tests that will help confirm a diagnosis. If your horse has a metabolic disease, consider it a huge warning flag that he is at high risk for pasture-associated laminitis.

The Carbohydrate Connection to Founder in Horses

Laminitis can be caused by grazing on pasture that is too high in non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs). These include fructan, sugar and starch. Structural carbohydrates are the fibrous parts of the cell wall that give the plant rigidity; these are digested differently from NSCs.

You may have heard that fructan is the singular evil element in grass that causes horses to founder. However, more recent research has shown that pasture-induced laminitis cannot be attributed solely to fructan. There is no fructan in warm-season grasses, yet horses can still founder on them. Since the same environmental conditions that create high fructan concentrations also increase sugar and starch levels, it’s best to just limit all NSCs.

Conditions that Spell Trouble

In order to prevent laminitis in high-risk horses, you’ll need to start thinking about weather and grass-growing conditions. When the sun is shining brightly but other conditions limit the growth of the plant, NSC concentration in pasture plants will increase.

Here is a list of the danger signs to look for:

Temperature

“If it’s below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the enzymes that help the plant grow don’t function anymore,” says Kathryn Watts, an internationally respected consultant and researcher specializing in pasture grass and horses and ponies prone to laminitis. She is based in Colorado and maintains a website at safergrass.org. “However, photosynthesis [which creates sugar] happens as long as the sun is shining, provided that the plant is not frozen solid.”

Concentrations of NSCs can double or even triple if these conditions (sunny and below 40 degrees) continue for several weeks. Since this commonly happens during spring and fall in many parts of the country, these seasons are often associated with grass founder in horses.

TIP: A useful tool that you can find at any hardware store is a min-max thermometer. Put it on the back porch and check it every morning. If it’s been below 40 degrees that night, start paying careful attention to any high-risk horses. After a few nights below 40, any horse that’s had laminitis in the past or has the body type that says “founder waiting to happen” should probably be removed from pasture entirely and fed hay that’s tested for low sugar content (see “Testing Sugar Content,” below).

Lack of Fertilizer

“Another thing that can limit plant growth is lack of fertilizer—usually nitrogen,” says Watts. “The plant might have enough sugar, but if it doesn’t have enough nitrogen to put that sugar to work and grow, the sugar starts piling up. I use the analogy of an assembly line: If the plant does not have all of the elements it needs to grow, the line shuts down and the other raw materials pile up.”

Since a lack of nitrogen can limit grass growth, it’s important to have the right fertilization schedule for your region. “Approach your extension agent or fertilizer dealer and tell them you’re looking for a moderate fertility level, not maximum production,” Watts advises.

Drought

Drought is another form of stress that will result in sugars piling up within the plant. “For example, in Texas, founder season happens when it’s very sunny and very hot,” says Watts. Drought may also cause fructan in cool-season grasses to turn to sugar, increasing chances of metabolically driven laminitis.

Mature Grass

When managing pastures, it’s important to mow or top the grass before seed heads appear. “Sugars and starch are very concentrated in the developing seed heads,” says Watts. “Many horses selectively graze them off; it’s like horse candy.”

Weeds

Most pastures are filled with weeds that horses are more than happy to consume.

“Some of the weeds in your pasture have the potential to contain more sugar than the grass,” says Watts. “The ones that I have tested personally that are really high in NSCs include dandelion, plantain and thistle.”

You can treat pastures with an herbicide to kill broadleaf weeds such as dandelions, which are particularly palatable to horses. Often this is enough to decrease the incidence of founder.

A thick, healthy stand of grass is the best defense against invasion of weeds and clover. While proper fertilization can decrease sugar concentration per mouthful of grass, there may now be more sugar per acre. When grass is more plentiful in previously overgrazed pastures, you may need to start limiting intake with a muzzle or decreased time at pasture.

It’s important to note that weeds may grow around dry lots where horses and ponies are housed to keep them off pasture. If those weeds are within reach of desperate flapping lips of horses, the risk of founder is still there. You may very well save your horse from foundering just by running a weed-whacker around the dry lot.

“Safe” Grazing

Regardless of what season the calendar says it is, keep an eye out for dangerous grazing conditions all year long.

“The worst places for laminitis are those where the grass stays green all winter long, like in Great Britain and the Pacific Northwest,” says Watts. “Their grass doesn’t ever really die. When the temperature is below 40 degrees, any green grass creates a problem for high-risk horses, regardless of what month it is.

“Here in Colorado, by December the grass is completely brown,” she continues. “If the weather has been dry, the grass can still be high in sugars.” Sugars may be leached out eventually by rain and melting snow, except in the case of grasses with a waxy coating, such as fescue. Fescue is commonly found in Kentucky and the Southern states, so keep in mind that it may be holding on to sugar longer if you are planning to put your horse on it in the winter or during a summer drought.

“People assume that dead grass has no nutritional value if it’s brown,” adds Watts. “But sugar is not green. The chlorophyll and protein may be gone, but the sugar isn’t necessarily gone. Don’t assume that brown grass is safe.”

Testing Sugar Content

If you’re unsure about your grass or hay’s sugar content, the best thing to do is get it tested. “Grab a few handfuls of brown grass and send it to Equi-Analytical Laboratories [the equine division of Dairy One Cooperative Inc.] and have it analyzed,” says Watts. This is only accurate if the grass is completely dead. (If the grass is green, you would have to flash freeze it and send it overnight on dry ice, which is very expensive.) If it’s dead, you can treat it like hay.

Average grass hay is around 12 percent non-structural carbohydrates on a dry matter basis but can range up to 30 percent. For high-risk horses, grass or hay should be less than 11 percent. This varies by individual horse and how much exercise he’s getting. As you test more hay and compare how your horse does on each batch, you will learn what he can handle without gaining weight or getting sore feet. There is no “one size fits all” recipe.

If your high-risk horse has been pulled off pasture, it’s important to test your hay for sugar content. “Any kind of hay can be high or low in sugar,” says Watts. “It’s not about species; it’s about growing conditions.”

For a list of other National Forage Testing Association certified labs, visit www.foragetesting.org.

Managing the High-Risk Horse

If you have a high-risk horse with a cresty neck, one of the best things to keep an eye on is his neck. “When the sugars get high in the grass, you can palpate his neck and feel a difference,” says Watts. “I call it ‘the Neckometer.’ When you put him in the dry lot, within a couple of days you should feel his neck getting softer. If you do something wrong, his neck will get hard very quickly.”

If the weather is conducive to making high-sugar grass, horses with more mild risk factors may still be able to stay on pasture with a grazing muzzle on. “But if you put the grazing muzzle on and his neck is still getting bigger, then it’s time to put him in the dry lot and leave him there,” advises Watts. However, she emphasizes that the only way you can really assess your horse’s risk level is to get his insulin levels tested.

Early Signs of Laminitis

Another tool Watts recommends to carefully monitor high-risk horses is a daily brisk trot on firm footing. Since the metabolic form of laminitis comes on very slowly, it’s possible to look for these subtle signs and get ahead of the problem.

“If you have a horse that normally has a nice, big trot and suddenly he just shuffles along stiff-legged or refuses to trot at all, that’s the horse that you bring back to your dry lot,” says Watts. “Feel his feet to see if there’s excess heat or an obvious pulse. These horses will often respond to being withdrawn from pasture very quickly.”

Keep the horse off of pasture until weather conditions have changed completely in a way that will lower the concentration of sugar in the grass. For any case of acute laminitis, contact your vet immediately.

Since metabolic laminitis is a relatively new area of research, make sure your vet is up to date on the condition and knows how to treat it.

“Endocrinology is a veterinary specialty,” says Watts. “The same goes for farriers. The farrier you loved when your horse was healthy may not have the skills to help him once he’s foundered.”

Exercise is Key

Many of the horses that struggle with grass founder are not exercised at all, or only very lightly.

“Except for a few rare cases of very hard-to-control insulin resistance, if you exercise the horse hard enough (to a sweat) three times a week, you can fudge a lot more on the diet,” says Watts. “It’s about balancing the amount of exercise with the amount of NSCs in the diet.”

Horses that are prone to insulin resistance should not carry excess weight. Watts recommends horses be kept fit, even with a slight hint of ribs showing. But the horse should also carry good overall muscle tone from an active fitness program—whether it’s riding, driving or longeing.

If you have a high-risk metabolic horse and you want to maximize his grazing time, you’ll need to be prepared to carefully evaluate him and the weather conditions every day. At the first sign of foot soreness or the crest thickening/hardening, move him to a dry lot and feed him low-sugar hay, or soak his hay for a couple of hours in plenty of fresh water to remove excess sugars. When your horse and the grass conditions improve, he can go back out again. However, it may not be until the season is over. Be prepared for a time-consuming challenge.

Further Reading
◆ Treatment and Recovery of Founder in Horses
◆ Feed to Prevent Founder
◆ An Overview of Laminitis

This article about grass founder in horses originally appeared in the April 2013 issue of Horse Illustrated. Click here to subscribe!

The post Preventing Grass Founder appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Post-workout leg care can be as hot-button a topic as blanketing among horse owners. Some riders cold hose, wrap, and/or poultice their horse’s legs, while others simply leave their horses alone. But is there a “right” way to care for equine limbs after athletic exertion?

No matter if you piaffe, jump, trail ride, work cows or anything in between, we all want to ensure we’re doing the best by our four-legged partners. Read on to discover how two vets—both competitors themselves—care for their own horses, and how they recommend their clients do, as well.

Ins and Outs of Post-Workout Leg Care for the Horse

Lori Bidwell, DVM, Dipl. ACVA, is the co-owner and founder of East-West Equine Sports Medicine, which has locations in Kentucky and California. Bidwell is a certified veterinary acupuncturist, massage therapist and anesthesiologist. She travels from coast to coast with the hunter/jumper circuit and actively competes in the amateur jumpers.

Bidwell is a Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Official Veterinarian, so she is well-versed in caring for elite athletes. She encourages her clients to begin thinking of their horse’s post-workout leg care as soon as their round ends.

“A cool-down until the horse’s respiratory and breathing [rates return to resting levels] are sufficient, but a nice, relaxing walk after strenuous work is best to keep the muscles loose,” she says.

Put it on Ice: Bidwell also recommends icing a competition horse’s legs for 20 minutes.

“If you’re using ice boots, wet the boot and the leg first,” she says. “You can cause freezer burn or have poor contact if you don’t [wet the leg before icing].”

Bidwell notes that the exact method of icing doesn’t matter. Having the horse stand in a bucket with ice works just as well as ice boots (assuming the horse will stand still). Twenty minutes is the standard time to ice if using boots; after that, the ice melts and the boots become too warm to offer the horse any benefit.

That’s a Wrap: Though it’s customary to see show horses standing in bandages in deeply bedded stalls when they’re not being ridden, Bidwell cautions that wrapping is not necessarily a good thing, even if the person applying the wraps does everything correctly.

“High temperatures in wraps—especially in warmer climates or during the summer show season—can actually overheat tendons, specifically the deep digital flexor tendon, because it has limited blood flow,” she says.

If you have a senior equine that may need the support or one that stocks up easily, wrapping may still not be the answer you’re looking for. Bidwell prefers time outside of a stall over wrapping, particularly when temperatures climb.

“Getting a horse out for work and frequent walks is ideal,” she says. Still a diehard fan of wrapping? Bidwell offers two additional pieces of advice: Never wrap over liniment, and don’t keep a horse’s legs wrapped for more than eight hours at a stretch.

The jury’s still out on poultice efficacy, but it doesn’t hurt, so if you want to feel like you’re doing something “more” for your steed, slathering his limbs in poultice—but not wrapping over it—could be an option.

Bedding: An easier way to keep competition horses comfortable is to bed them sufficiently. Deep bedding will help ease potential aches in a horse’s joints, according to Bidwell.

Determining what is adequate takes into account multiple variables, including what material the floor of the stall is made of. Concrete- or asphalt-based stalls will need more bedding to make them comfortable to the horse than dirt floors or matted stalls.

Packing Hooves: For those of you who like to pack your horse’s feet, Bidwell says to skip this potentially messy step.

“Packing feet can actually put more pressure on the soles, depending on what product is used and how it’s applied,” she cautions.

Walking & Stretching: Bidwell encourages her clients to use a simple, common-sense approach to competition leg care, with turnout (when possible) and exercise as the cornerstones for healthy legs following athletic exertion.

“Getting the horse out of his stall a few times a day [is ideal to keep muscles limber],” she says. If time and money permit, massage can also help loosen stiff muscles.

Owners and riders should also get into a routine of doing tail stretches or carrot stretches every time a horse exits the stall, whether that’s to hand-walk or compete.

“Think of horses like you think of yourself,” says Bidwell. “I’m very stiff when I get up in the morning. I need time to move and stretch, and I get very stiff if I am not active.” Horses are the same.

Keep It Simple

Ben Mitchell, DVM, of Southern Equine in Aiken, S.C., grew up riding and competing in western events. He currently owns four Quarter Horses that he trail rides and competes in speed events. Having grown up in the western performance horse industry, Mitchell is well versed in its athletic requirements.

Mitchell, too, is a proponent of the “less is more” mentality when it comes to caring for equine limbs. He recommends riders tack-walk or hand-walk their horses for 15 to 20 minutes after an event to cool them, followed by cold hosing or icing the lower legs and joints for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you can afford the price point, he recommends ice boots.

“Ice boots are helpful in decreasing inflammation to the distal limbs; they’re worth the investment,” says Mitchell.

After all the sweat and dirt have been washed from the horse, he recommends applying liniment to the horse’s legs once they begin to dry.

“Liniment is a good [method] for cooling a horses’ distal limbs, but I don’t recommend wrapping over liniment,” he says. Mitchell is also not a fan of wrapping legs except when necessary.

Instead, if you’re showing at a location where the horse is stabled, he recommends bringing (or renting) portable stall mats.

“Portable stall mats are great for supporting distal limbs,” says Mitchell. “I don’t wrap legs unless a horse is prone to swelling.” Even then, this should be done with care. “I prefer horses be taken out of the stall for short walks multiple times a day [over wrapping them],” he emphasizes.

“I typically only recommend wrapping when there’s a history of swelling when the horse is stalled or traveling, or when there is noticeable swelling of a limb,” says Mitchell. He prefers bandages be reset every 10 to 12 hours if the horse must wear them.

Like Bidwell, Mitchell advocates cushioning for equine joints.

“Deeply bedded stalls and portable stall mats are great tools for keeping the horses comfortable,” he says. “Keeping your horse’s stall clean and deeply bedded makes him feel more comfortable to lie down and rest, which makes for a stronger horse the next day.”

If a horse will be spending time in a stall or tied for multiple hours with no shavings or mats, Mitchell recommends owners use Soft Ride boots to support the horse’s feet. Additionally, the use of rubbing alcohol can cool down lower legs and keep them clean when the horse is working on muddy ground.

Though our horsekeeping traditions often encourage us to wrap our horses for hours on end and to apply all sorts of products to their legs, it’s clear that simple is better when it comes to equine leg care. Using ice, providing lots of walks, and a deeply bedded stall without unnecessary leg wraps can all assist in keeping your horse healthy and primed for competition.

This article about post-workout leg care for the horse appeared in the April 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Post-Workout Leg Care for Your Horse appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Plenty has been written about the prevention, causes, and treatment of founder, but less information is available on whether or not afflicted horses will “successfully” recover. The answer, despite the availability of clinical exams to guide prognosis, is not as straightforward as it may seem. Here, two leading experts in their fields, as well as the owner of two horses stricken with founder, weigh in.

Diet & Equine Metabolic Syndrome

Raul Bras, DVM, CJF, APF, a shareholder and practicing veterinarian at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Wellington, Fla., has extensive experience treating horses experiencing laminitis and founder. He says that diet and its relationship to equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is likely the most common contributing factor.

“A very high percentage of laminitis and foundering of horses is due to equine metabolic syndrome,” he explains. And changing the diet, once EMS has been identified as the cause, can be one factor that contributes to whether or not your horse will recover.

“If the owner is not willing to put the horse on a weight loss plan, there is nothing you can do to the foot that is going to fix it or stop it,” says Travis Burns, M.S., CJF, TE, EE, FWCF, and associate professor of practice and chief of farrier services at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Va.

Since it is very easy to slip back into old habits and patterns, you should continue to diligently manage your horse’s diet going forward after receiving such a diagnosis.

“You have to keep the horse at an appropriate body condition score and have his metabolic profile within normal limits, or you are just fighting an uphill battle,” Burns adds.

Identifying Problems Early

While most horse owners are vigilant about having their veterinarians out to administer yearly vaccinations and dental exams, fewer have diagnostic tests, such as annual X-rays and barn-side insulin testing completed. This is particularly important with horses and ponies that are genetically or otherwise predisposed, in order to seek out possible problems before they arise.

Regarding insulin testing, Bras initially likes to test as much as possible to achieve a baseline.

“You have four seasons of the year. If you [test] in the winter, spring, summer, and fall, you can see how [insulin levels] fluctuate,” he says. Once the baseline has been noted, your vet can monitor for increases to it on an annual basis and make changes to the horse’s diet well before he experiences laminitis or founder.

Knowing if your horse is predisposed to a condition such as EMS goes well beyond making dietary changes. It can also help guide you in avoiding over-supplementation and in the treatment of other medical conditions your horse may develop.

For example, in some instances treating with steroids can trigger the development of laminitis. Bras advises that rather than helping, both over-supplementation and over-medicating can make laminitis and founder more difficult to treat.

Using a Venogram

Venograms, a type of contrast radiograph study, play a critical role in assessment, as early identification is a top contributing factor as to whether or not your horse will make a successful recovery.

“It all comes down to blood supply,” says Bras. “That’s why I am a proponent of the venogram.”

He likens venograms to weather reports because they give you time to prepare and potentially even prevent problems before they arise. By knowing that the blood supply to the foot has been compromised before a problem has already presented itself, you can take a proactive rather than a reactive approach to certain elements (such as farrier and dietary modifications) of your management plan.

Corrective shoeing, for example, can work to counteract mechanical failure, while dietary changes can address weight and metabolic issues before problems occur.

Aggressive Treatment

Should your horse experience laminitis or founder, immediate, bold treatment can play a key contributing factor in whether or not your horse will recover. Bras advises avoiding a “wait and see” approach. Instead, he recommends assessing the damage and determining how much blood supply is present, and using that knowledge to make decisions as to how to proceed.

While it may seem logical to think that a horse who experiences a high degree of rotation will be unlikely to recover, Bras explains that this may not be the case.

“You might have a horse that has equine metabolic syndrome and has an acute foundering that doesn’t rotate much or another with a lot of rotation,” he says. “Even if you have a lot of rotation, if you have identified it right away, there’s a strong chance you can save a horse.” He emphasizes that each case is individual.

Emergency Treatment

Should a horse experience laminitis but rotation has not yet occurred, Bras recommends the application of the NANRIC Ultimate cuff shoe as long as the bone alignment matches the shoe.

“That shoe gives the horse 18 to 20 degrees heel elevation,” he says. “The heel elevation helps to optimize the blood supply to the hoof, thereby increasing the chances for a successful outcome.”

Because it doesn’t have to be glued or nailed on, any veterinarian, farrier, or owner (under veterinary supervision) can apply it simply by wrapping it on to secure it to the hoof.

Monitoring sole depth, degree of rotation, and the amount of blood supply during this process are all factors that will guide your veterinarian in directing treatment options, including making the call in extreme cases as to whether or not the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) should be severed to relieve tension and prevent rotation of the coffin bone.

Signs Indicating Outcome

According to Burns, marked improvement in the horse’s comfort, the return of vascular perfusion and growth of the horse’s foot—specifically in terms of sole depth—are all signs that your horse may make a recovery and return to his previous level of performance, or at least a modified version of it.

As a referral farrier making recommendations to help achieve successful outcomes for farriers in the field, Burns recognizes the need to work within principles rather than methods. Understanding that varying methods can all reach the same goal, he says that the first and foremost guiding principle he would like to achieve is recruiting the frog and sole into load-bearing.

This can be accomplished by any number of methods preferred by the horse owner’s farrier, including pads, heart-bar shoes and clogs, all aimed at meeting the needs of both the horse and the owner’s management situation. No matter the method, Burns likes to see a shoe that relieves tension on the laminae when the horse is moving even when he is turning.

Burns also recommends principles to realign the hoof capsule around the distal phalanx (P3 or coffin bone).

“If a horse can’t or won’t show growth, particularly under the tip of P3 or sole depth region, that is a bad sign,” he says.

As treatment progresses, Burns recommends lowering the heel to an appropriate palmar angle for the individual horse without causing increased tension on the DDFT, which results in increased tension on the laminae.

Finally, he advises dressing the hoof wall back to match the dorsal surface of the coffin bone. He says that if the bone stays healthy, you’ve got a much better prognosis for a return to athletic performance.

In the end, both Bras and Burns recommend the combined efforts of a veterinarian/farrier team.

“It’s not a good idea to think that your farrier can handle it on their own,” says Burns.

This article about treatment and recovery of founder appeared in the April 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Don’t let the optimistic array of new research findings, therapeutic products, and expert opinions deter you from the basics of helping your horse avoid or survive the disease that has broken so many owners’ hearts.

What you have seen of this too-common disease has probably shocked you. You’ve watched owners soaking and bandaging and gingerly hand-walking their stiff-legged, laminitic horses. You’ve seen hooves crusted with growth rings, scarred by abscesses, and shod with pricey designer horseshoes or boots.

Every horse is at risk of laminitis. It’s a disease with different forms, multiple causes, varying severity, and an impact like no other. Some horses recover to gallop again, some spend months on stall rest, and others live with low-grade chronic lameness, helped by a special diet, conscientious hoof trimming and medication for the rest of their lives.

For advice, we turned to a respected source on the subject. The Animal Health Foundation (AHF) funds laminitis research all over the world. The charity’s founder, Donald Walsh, DVM, is optimistic about how horse owners can prevent and manage the disease.

What is Laminitis?

Most people think laminitis is a horse foot disease, but it is more than that. The AHF defines laminitis as the breakdown of the internal supporting structures (“laminae”) between the outer hoof wall and the coffin bone inside the hoof. This breakdown can also damage the delicate circulation in the horse’s foot and cause great pain.

Laminitis commonly affects horses’ feet when hormone production is disrupted, but it is also caused by retained placentas in mares after foaling, or when an injured horse bears weight excessively on its good foot. Body-wide inflammation, such as a complication after surgery, severe diarrhea, or diseases like Potomac horse fever are other pathways. Horses may also develop laminitis when exposed to stable bedding made from black walnut trees.

The most classic laminitis is direct carbohydrate overload, caused when a horse gorges on grain. He may not look sick, but his feet can be damaged by a situation that could have been prevented.

Laminitis research focuses on any one of these causes of the disease. Researchers look at aged horses at risk for the hormonal disease pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, or Cushing’s disease), which alters pituitary hormones. They also research how efficiently horses regulate the hormone insulin, how they handle stress, or how seasonal or gender-related hormones affect them.

The most familiar form of laminitis is the sore-footed aftermath of grazing on rich spring grass. Many of these horses have what is called equine metabolic syndrome, rooted in insulin dysregulation, and frequently are overweight with obvious cresty necks or fatty areas around the tail base, sheath and shoulders.

Signs of Laminitis in Horses

Laminitic horses are usually lame in both front feet and sometimes in all four feet. Laminitic horses take shorter, more tentative steps than usual, and will toss their heads when turning at the end of a walkway. They may stand with their hind feet tucked forward under their bellies, and their front feet strutted out in front.

But laminitis caused by hormonal problems may have been sending you warning signals for months by gradually altering the shape of the horse’s feet. Hoof wall ridges are common, but the Animal Health Foundation suggests that it is farriers who see it first; they will remark that the sole is flattening out or bruised, and that the white line around the border of the sole is stretching and flecked with hemorrhage even if the horse isn’t noticeably lame.

The Mechanics of Laminitis

When the inner lamina tissue are damaged by laminitis, the bone partially detaches from the hoof wall. If you’ve ever torn one of your fingernails loose, you know how much damaged lamina hurt. Now imagine bearing your weight on that ripped nail: That’s how a horse feels when standing on laminitic hooves.

Sometimes the lamina are mildly damaged; other times the damage is focused on a portion of the foot. Commonly, the toe region is the worst affected. In severe cases, the bone becomes unstable inside the foot.

According to AHF, founder is the painful, crippling result of a foot’s bond damaged by laminitis. When a horse founders, the unstable coffin bone rotates or even sinks, putting pressure on the sole of the foot, sometimes even puncturing it.

Veterinarians take X-rays to evaluate the rotation factor, and also may take a venogram to get a picture of how badly the circulation is damaged.

What can you do to reduce your horse’s risk of laminitis or founder, and what makes a laminitis emergency? Click here to continue reading about treating laminitis.

This article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post An Overview of Laminitis appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Some horses can go barefoot even while being ridden regularly, while others depend on shoes to stay sound under a heavy workload or in challenging terrain. There are also horses who are barefoot much of the time, and only use shoes or alternative hoof wear as needed.

There is no single absolute solution for every horse, but if you’ve considered having your horse go barefoot, learn more about the process to determine if your horse is a good candidate.

Education and Commitment

You might be surprised to find going shoeless is as much about the owner as it is about the horse.

Both time and commitment are required for a horse to successfully transition out of shoes to barefoot. The process only works well when the owner is willing take responsibility and do what is necessary to help the horse grow and maintain healthy feet, according to Keith “K.C.” La Pierre, MAEP, RJF, CF, a prominent equine podiatrist, whose Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry, Inc. is based in Ocala, Fla.

As developer of Applied Equine Podiatry (AEP) and the High Performance Trim Balance Method (HPT), La Pierre grades horses’ feet using a “spectrum of usability.” Simply put, this evaluates internal and external structures of the foot to gauge what forces the foot can withstand and stay strong.

Normal Hoof Function

The healthy bare hoof is constantly contracting and flexing as it comes in contact with the ground. This distortion, or continual changing of shape, is how the foot interacts with varying surfaces. In essence, the hoof is designed to function as a shock absorber.

When a healthy foot is confined to a rigid horseshoe, this limits distortion, but the foot needs to distort to function properly. Nailing shoes to the feet prevents them from flexing under impact and interferes with the hoof’s natural ability to absorb shock.

Factors to Consider

People often think the word “environment” refers to geography. Although geographic location contributes to the whole picture, a horse’s environment includes how he is kept (stall, dirt lot, pasture), exercise, nutrition, hydration and how much stress he’s under regularly.

Look closely at your management and feeding practices:

◆ You should be feeding a balanced diet at appropriate amounts to maintain your horse at optimal weight.

◆ Good hydration (fresh, cool water readily available 24/7) is crucial. More than half of the foot is cartilage and highly dependent on hydration.

◆ Consider your horse’s living situation. Is he often standing in manure, urine or mud? Is he turned out on lush pasture? Do his surroundings allow the opportunity to travel over surfaces that will naturally wear down the hoof? The best environment is clean and dry with varied surface options.

◆ How much exercise does your horse get? For optimal health, your horse needs to move! For many owners, this requires a commitment to provide more exercise.

How Long Will It Take for a Horse to Stay Barefoot?

Owners commonly ask, “How long will it take until I can ride my horse without shoes?” and, “Will my horse be sore?”

Hooves are just as individual as the horses standing on them, but you should expect an adjustment period when transitioning out of shoes.

“The foot needs to have stability, and a lot of horses coming out of traditional shoeing with rigid horseshoes don’t have stability,” says La Pierre.

The foot’s internal and external structures must become healthy and strong enough to be barefoot all the time. The time it takes to transition to shoeless depends on:

◆ The horse owner’s commitment;

◆ The current health of the horse’s feet, including any damage and weakness;

◆ The horse’s environment;

◆ Having an experienced hoof care professional able to trim the horse correctly.

If you’ve been told your horse has “bad” feet, you may think he’s destined to stay in shoes forever. Not necessarily.

La Pierre finds these are often the horses that most benefit from transitioning to shoeless. Rehabbing their feet will be a greater challenge, but if you’re willing to invest the time, your horse’s feet can improve dramatically.

Finding the Right Care for a Barefoot Horse

For a horse to successfully transition to barefoot, he needs a balanced trim—one that allows the foot to flex and function correctly.

It’s possible the farrier you’re currently using could transition your horse out of shoes if they have a good understanding of foot function and anatomy.

First, ask which of the three “barefoot models” your farrier subscribes to:

◆ Wild hoof model
◆ Conventional model
◆ Alternative model (such as HPT Balance Method)

“The foot has to deal with force; the wild horse is smaller and doesn’t carry a rider, so it’s never subjected to the force of the domesticated horse,” says La Pierre, who finds owners have the most success with alternative or conventional models.

He emphasizes that the most important aspect of trimming is that all structures of the hoof are balanced.

“When you’re looking to transition to barefoot, it’s not just about the trim,” says La Pierre. “Ask yourself: Can this person advise me on the guidance of returning health to the structures that are lacking in my horse’s feet?”

Making the Transition

Going barefoot is not just about pulling a horse’s shoes. Transitioning to shoeless isn’t an overnight solution, and it shouldn’t be done to save money on shoeing.

Once you have a hoof care professional ready to help your horse move out of shoes, they can evaluate your horse’s foot structures and develop a plan if improvement is needed to make the feet stronger and healthier.

Alternative hoof wear may be useful during transition. This includes hoof boots or a temporary covering like Perfect HoofWear, a non-cast flexible hoof wrap that provides stability and protection.

Despite their owners’ best efforts, some horses aren’t physically able to go 100 percent barefoot. Reasons include:

◆ Poor foot conformation due to genetics;
◆ One or more structures of the foot is too weak to handle being barefoot;
◆ Horses with chronically unstable feet, such as those diagnosed with chronic founder;
◆ Horses in high-intensity work (heavy jumping, extremely rocky terrain, et cetera) when discipline demands exceed the ability of the bare hoof to withstand the force involved.

First-Hand Experience

Cris Ann Bybee of Ely, Nev., has been an active trail rider for decades in some of the West’s most rugged terrain, yet all three of her horses are barefoot.

Her 15-year-old Quarter Horse gelding had been in shoes since he was young when she bought him two years ago.

“I had my vet come out and do X-rays to be sure there were no bone issues,” says Bybee. “Once that was clear, I knew the rest was fixable. I did put him in Perfect HoofWear because he was sore coming out of shoes. That helped a lot and his feet got better and better.”

Bybee said it took about four trim cycles, about four months in this case, for her gelding to be comfortable barefoot.

She still brings along her Easyboots when riding in the mountains where trails are rocky.

“In the West, where it’s so hard and dry, this is just added protection,” she says.

Bybee has transitioned almost 50 horses from shod to full-time barefoot since becoming a DAEP (Diploma in Applied Equine Podiatry) in 2008. For her horse clients that simply don’t meet the AEP criteria for full time barefoot for a variety of reasons, Bybee practices AEP’s Golden Rule of “do no harm,” thus recommending the HPT Balance Method and Perfect HoofWear during their off season and then Perfect HoofWear, boots or shoes while the horse is performing in its discipline.

This article about keeping your horse barefoot appeared in the October 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Keeping Your Horse Barefoot appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Your first instinct when you see a foreign object sticking out of your horse is to pull it out immediately, but veterinarians warn, “Wait, not so fast!”

Treat a Puncture Wound as an Emergency

“An injury with an embedded object is an emergency and must be seen that day,” says Sam Crosby, DVM, whose equine veterinary practice is based in Arcadia, Okla.

Crosby has treated many horses injured in tornadoes with all manner of embedded objects, including wood, glass, small rocks, tree branches and fencing pipe. He says one of the most unusual foreign object puncture wounds he’s seen was sustained by a horse rolling on a deer antler in the pasture.

Use Technology First

Immediately take a close-up photo of the injury with your phone. Call your veterinarian and text the photo so they can quickly assess the injury.

“Get photos, call your veterinarian and have them assess it,” says Woodrow Friend, DVM, who has been a veterinarian with Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., for 20 years. “In some instances, they may say, ‘Go ahead and pull it out,’ but let them assess it. Telemedicine has changed how I do things. I get a lot of FaceTime videos, and it’s easier for me to triage these injuries.”

Of course, if you live in a very remote area and you can’t get a veterinarian out for days, this changes things.

“You could end up doing FaceTime with a veterinarian and they can give you advice on what to do,” recommends Friend.

Don’t Give Drugs Before.the Veterinarian

Do your best to restrain the horse and keep him still and calm to avoid further injury, but don’t administer any drugs while waiting for the veterinarian.

“Acepromazine is a common sedative that many people have on hand, but don’t give the horse any drugs,” says Crosby. “Ace causes blood vessels to dilate, and in stress situations, this decreases blood pressure and can cause the horse to go into hypovolemic shock.”

If the puncture wound is bleeding, you can use a folded towel to apply pressure around the injury—just not on top of the embedded piece.

Friend points out that in some cases the embedded object may be stopping blood flow, and pulling it out could cause serious bleeding.

Why Wait?

There are two important reasons to wait for the veterinarian to remove an embedded object:

◆ To determine any damage of internal structures
◆ To make sure all of the object is safely removed

Depending on the injury, the veterinarian may use X-rays or ultrasound to observe internal structures around the embedded object and any resulting damage.

“Sometimes a wound can look small, but it depends on where it is,” says Friend. “If it’s near a joint capsule, you can get an infected joint.”

“If the wound is close to a joint, it’s especially important to take radiographs,” notes Crosby. “If you just pull the object out and it was near a joint, infection could set in and get a head. However, if the veterinarian knows it’s touching the joint, they can flush the joint, sew up any tear in the membrane, and treat as needed.”

Often an embedded object, such as a board or tree branch, breaks upon impact with the horse. Making sure all of it gets removed is crucial.

“Even if it’s just a piece of wood, I want to be able to assess if we got all of it out,” says Friend. “Sometimes you have the other end of the item, and you want to match the piece that came out. For example, with a broken fence board, you may think you got all of it out of the horse, but when comparing pieces, you can see there’s some missing.”

Friend relates the story of one horse who reared up in the barn and shattered a halogen light bulb with his head. When the wound kept draining and wouldn’t heal after 10 days, the owners called Friend. He found and removed a large piece of glass that was still embedded in the horse’s poll, which reinforces why it’s important for a veterinarian to initially assess puncture wounds.

Puncture Wounds in the Hoof

The most common hoof puncture wounds occur when a horse steps on a nail or fence staple.

“With the hoof, there are many internal structures,” says Friend. “You need to make sure you know where the object went.” He notes that any puncture wound of the hoof should be seen by a veterinarian, even if it seems small.

“If there’s a nail in a foot, I want to know where that nail goes,” adds Friend. “The frog will seal right up when you pull out a nail.”

“The problem with hoof wounds is that they close up quickly,” says Crosby. “If your horse steps on a nail or staple and you pull it out, then the veterinarian can’t see on X-rays how close it was to internal structures in the hoof.”

Treating Puncture Wounds

After your veterinarian has assessed the injury and taken any necessary X-rays or ultrasound images, they will remove the embedded object and begin treating the wound.

Depending on the injury, sutures may be needed. Medication to manage inflammation and pain will likely be part of the protocol.

Antibiotics may also be necessary to combat infection.

“In a tornado, pretty much anything that’s driven into a horse’s body is accompanied by debris and bacteria, and there is almost always infection involved,” says Crosby.

After initial treatment, your veterinarian will instruct you on how to continue treating the wound. Serious puncture wounds typically require a follow-up visit from the veterinarian.

With any wound—especially with punctures—it’s important for the horse to be up to date on his tetanus vaccine, so check your records. If it’s been longer than six months, your veterinarian will likely recommend a booster vaccination.

A Common Mistake

Beyond pulling out an embedded object before the veterinarian can assess it, improper wound cleaning is another common mistake.

“People get overzealous and try to do more than they should,” says Friend, who has seen horse owners flush wounds with alcohol, peroxide—even diesel fuel.

“You want to avoid anything that could be caustic to the tissues,” he explains. “The substance used to flush a wound can ‘pocket’ in the wound or be pushed into a space where it could cause more problems. [Additionally,] don’t ‘pressure wash’ the wound. Just rinse it off and keep it clean. Don’t try to do too much before the veterinarian gets there.”

Cleaning Puncture Wounds

Skip the spray nozzle when cleaning wounds. Just use a hose and normal pressure to move dirt and debris out of the injured area. You should keep a surgical scrub or mild iodine soap on hand to help clean wounds. Lacking this, a mild dish soap, such as Ivory, will suffice.

Stay Vigilant

Any of the following indicate a wound is not healing properly. Call your veterinarian promptly if you notice:

◆ Oozing/draining from wound 10 days or longer post injury
◆ Persistent heat or swelling
◆ Horse has a fever
◆ Horse shows signs of lameness

This article about the treatment of puncture wounds in horses appeared in the August 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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