The owners of a horse who was found to be suffering from hoof wall separation disease (HWSD) days after they bought him, and retired aged four, have spoken up in hopes of sparing others the same fate.

Graham Hall told H&H his daughter Olivia was 18 last autumn when she spent the £5,000 her grandparents had saved for her on a horse she hoped to take with her to Sparsholt College. Her grandfather, who was suffering from cancer, named the horse Enzo, but died shortly afterwards.

“So she not only lost her granddad, she lost all the money,” Mr Hall said. “It was horrible.”

Mr Hall said his wife and daughter went to see the horse and liked him.

“Once she decided she wanted him, we arranged a vet check,” he said. “And the problem was – this is the twist in the tale – there was no passport available.

“At the time of looking at him, the seller said she’d got him from Ireland and she was waiting for the passport to arrive. My wife said that was no problem, as long as we got it. Then we arranged the vet check and the vet phoned and said he was happy to do the check but there was no passport available, and were we happy with that. We said that was fine.”

Genetic condition

The Halls had not realised that the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society, and British Connemara Pony Society, require foals to be tested for HWSD and their results recorded in their passports. HWSD is a recessive genetic condition so horses must have two copies of the gene mutation to suffer from the disease. Those with one copy are carriers; they will not show the clinical signs, the hoof wall that easily cracks and breaks, but both carriers and affected horses must have their status stamped in the passport

“The vet’s report said his hooves were tatty, but no concerns,” Mr Hall said. “Then the seller said she’d found the passport the day before we went to collect him, after we’d agreed to buy him, and had realised he wasn’t a part-bred Connemara but a pure-bred.

“We got the farrier a few days after we got him, because his hooves were a bit tatty, and he said to my wife ‘Is this a pure-bred Connemara?’ My wife said yes and he said ‘Have you looked in the passport?’”

Mr Hall said the farrier was not happy with Enzo’s hooves and suspecting HWSD, advised Mrs Hall to check the passport.

“She came home and got the passport, with its lovely green wallet around it, pulled the back page out, and there was a big red stamp, saying he had hoof wall separation disease,” he said. “So of course my wife got incredibly upset and we had to tell Olivia.

“We rang the farrier back and instantly, he said ‘You can’t ride this horse; all you can do is retire him and he’ll be ok for a while if his hooves are managed carefully. Olivia was in pieces, and then four weeks later, her granddad died. I was distraught for her.”

Mr Hall said his daughter was in two minds about going to college after this experience of the industry but he encouraged her to go, and managed to “dig deep” to afford to buy her a horse.

Concerns dismissed

He added that when he rang the seller to tell her about the HWSD, she dismissed it and said Enzo would be fine to be ridden.

“She disregarded the whole thing,” he said, adding that he wanted other people to know what had happened so they would be aware of the condition.

“For someone like me, you know, I’ve been in horses all my life, I got stung, and you don’t expect that, when you think you know the business,” he said. “The whole thing is completely wrong; that he was bred in the first place, tested and had hoof wall separation disease, then sold as a regular horse to a young girl. But if we can stop one person going down this road, telling the story is worth it.”

Olivia, who is studying equine science and business management with the aim of working in equine-assisted therapy, told H&H Enzo ticked all the boxes when she went to view him.

“He was super calm, really sweet and well mannered, and he passed the five-stage vetting, there seemed nothing wrong with him,” she said. “When we got him home, we knew something was up because he was struggling to walk on the stony pathway to the field but we thought he might just need back shoes on.

“Then my mum told me our farrier had mentioned this disease, and that she’d checked the passport and saw it, and I honestly broke down in tears because he took me so long to find, and with everything with my granddad, it was very hard to hear.”

Olivia said she messaged the seller, who said she was unaware of the stamp in Enzo’s passport and gave her husband’s number to Olivia; she said he told her “loads of horses have it, and it never affects them”.

“Which is obviously not true,” Olivia said. “So now he’s retired, with a lovely lady called Claire Smilie; without her, we would probably have had to put him down.

“I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through this; it’s awful.”

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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When you’re choosing the best hoof oil, conditioner or other topical hoof dressing for your horse, it’s important to consider your motivations for doing so. If you’re trying to improve the condition of soft or brittle hooves, it’s wise to consult your farrier as some applications may be more of a hindrance than help, and certainly no replacement for good feeding and management.

The hot, dry weather we’ve experienced recently dries out hooves and puts horses at greater risk of hoof breakage. Using a good quality hoof oil on a regular basis goes a long way to protecting your horse’s hooves and keeping them moisturised in these extreme conditions.

Some hoof dressings are formulated to maintain good hoof quality, while others are purely for aesthetic. If your main reason for dressing his hooves is to look good when going to a show, choose one that provides a smart finish and is the right colour.

Best hoof oils for horses, conditioners and other dressings

Described as a modern alternative to traditional oils, this rich, translucent oil from Carr & Day & Martin is suitable for all hoof colours and leaves a long-lasting shine. Contains tea tree oil for its traditional topical supportive effects. Internal brush included.

After testing this hoof oil, Georgia Guerin rated it a 9/10, highlighting its lovely scent. She found it really easy to apply as the brush is small, so quite neat, and it dries with a really natural-looking shine.

This is a super-concentrated blend of natural oils that shine, moisturise and nourish the hoof, while still letting it breathe. The oils enable the delivery of moisture and nutrients deep into the hoof while providing bacterial and anti-fungal support.

Georgia tested this hoof balm and she loved that it is totally natural and rated it 9/10. She noted that it’s also really great value.

This drip-free hoof application from NAF comes in a handy container with a natural brush included for convenience and cleanliness. It can help prevent cracking and drying, and helps to defend the hoof from bacteria.

Georgia tested this hoof dressing and found it to be a great choice. It’s green, which was a surprise – but don’t let that put you off as it dries clear, and was easy to apply as the brush is quite firm.

This hoof cream from Leovet supports the moisture balance and helps to keep the hooves smooth and shiny. Petroleum free formula. Apply to hoof walls, sole and frog two or three times a week until the desired effect is achieved.

Georgia tested this hoof dressing when it was available in an applicator bottle and found it to be really effective and nourishing – a great option if you’re looking to maintain and improve hoof condition. The bristles got dirty and bent when she applied the cream (hers came in a different style pot to pictured), but it leaves a nice shine, and the tub has now been updated so that you use your own brush.

This concentrated formula from Absorbine contains a blend of ingredients that create a breathable moisture barrier to help maintain a long-lasting moisture balance. Regular use of this brush-on formula will help to maintain healthy hooves, with a shine that lasts two–three days. Brush included.

After testing this hoof dressing Georgia said she would recommend it for someone who wants to look after their horse’s hooves but wants a product that doesn’t need to be applied daily. She also used it to help prevent snow balling up in her pony’s shoes.

This natural formula comes in an easy-to-apply liquid form, with an applicator brush included. It’s a trusted formula that provides lasting protection and support for all hooves.

Regular use prevents the hoof wall from drying out; it nourishes the hoof deep down and encourages growth.

This hydrating hoof cream from Lincoln is ideal for use in dry conditions or when horses are stabled for long periods of time on dry bedding. It contains tea tree oil to protect against bacteria and fungi, and helps to maintain healthy hooves and encourage horn growth.

This hoof moisturiser works by maintaining the correct moisture levels in the hooves, which in turn prevents cracking, breakages and flaking of the hooves.

It promotes new hoof growth by keeping the coronary band supple, and conditions and moisturises leaving your horses hooves with a solid and smooth finish.

How to choose the best hoof dressing

When the hooves’ natural wet/dry cycle is interrupted by typical British weather, a hoof oil or conditioner can be of great help. If your horse develops any hoof problems, you should first consult your vet or farrier. Your horse might also benefit from one of the best hoof supplements.

You should also consider the method of application that is required — if your horse tends to fidget, it’ll be worth investing in a product that is quick- and easy-to-apply while cleaning horses’ hooves to avoid hassle and waste. Some come with a brush included, while for others you’ll need to source your own hoof oil brush – ideally with a cap (like this one on Amazon).

How often should I use hoof oil?

Some products require daily application while others can be applied as and when required just check the manufacturers guidelines for their recommended application to get the best results. Make sure your horse’s hooves are clean and dry before application for the best results.

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Do you think your horse could benefit from one of the best hoof supplements to support healthy hoof growth? Horses hooves contend with many environmental challenges throughout the year – the weather varies all the time, grazing quality fluctuates and your horse’s workload may change, too. Hoof quality is largely affected by diet, while external elements, including climate, management and care, also play an important role.

Hoof problems, such as poor quality horn, slow growth and increased occurrence of hoof cracks and splits, can often be attributed to nutritional deficiencies, but by providing targeted daily nutritional support with a specially formulated hoof supplement, you can maintain and support healthy hooves. Here is a selection of the best hoof supplements for horses that are currently available, including the manufacturers’ descriptions of their products.

NB: Cost per day has been calculated using the maintenance measure for a 500kg horse in light work (where there was variation) and the RRP of the smallest available tub. Some products require you to feed more in certain situations, which will increase the cost per daily measure, while buying a larger tub will likely decrease it – these costs per day are a guide only.

Best hoof supplements for horses: what’s on the market?

Aviform Biodura Hoof Supplement

Form: Powder

Sizes: 1kg, 2kg

RRP: £37.95 for 1kg

Daily measure: 10g

Cost per day: £0.38

This is a balanced biotin hoof supplement that is designed for horses who have weak, cracked or brittle hooves. Available in compostable pouches.

Dodson & Horrell Hoof Support

Form: Pellets

Sizes: 1.5kg, 3kg

RRP: £21.45

Daily measure: 25g

Cost per day: £0.36

A high-specification complete pelleted supplement that contains biotin, zinc and methionine, which all aid strong and healthy hoof formation.

NAF Profeet Pellets

Form: Pellets

Sizes: 3kg

RRP: £39.99

Daily measure: 100g

Cost per day: £1.33

These pellets provide nutrients that directly support hoof health, as well as nutritional support that targets healthy liver function, which is fundamental to healthy hoof growth. Also available in liquid and powder forms.

Life Data Labs Farrier’s Formula

Form: Pellets

Sizes: 5kg tub or 5kg refill pack

RRP: £56.25

Daily measure: 85g

Cost per day: £0.97

This supplement contains omega fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are important for healthy hoof structure and growth.

Lincoln Biotin Daily Tablets

Form: Tablets

Sizes: Pot of 60

RRP: £16.99

Daily measure: 2 tablets

Cost per day: £0.57

These peppermint treats are a convenient way of providing your horse with his daily requirement of biotin, which promotes strong, healthy horn growth when fed continuously.

TopSpec Healthy Hoof

Form: Powder

Sizes: 3kg, 9kg, 20kg

RRP: £28.25 for 3kg

Daily measure: 100g

Cost per day: £0.94

This supplement includes biotin, plus a broad range of micronutrients that improve the efficiency of the hoof supplement.

Global Herbs Hoof

Form: Powder

Sizes: 1kg, 5kg

RRP: £24 for 1kg

Daily measure: 26g

Cost per day: £0.62

An advanced, fast-acting and palatable herbal supplement that provides nutritional support for the laminae, digestion, metabolism, liver function and feed utilisation.

Hilton Herbs Hoof & Health

Form: Powder

Sizes: 2kg, 4kg

RRP: £21.51 for 2kg

Daily measure: 26g

Cost per day: £0.28

This vitamin- and mineral-rich supplement is made of a blend of seaweed, rosehip and pure biotin, providing the vital nutrients to support healthy hoof growth and coat condition.

Science Supplements 4Feet

Form: Powder

Sizes: 2kg, 10kg

RRP: £44.99 for 2kg

Daily measure: 12g

Cost per day: £0.27

A specialist dietary supplement that provides a concentrated source of a highly bioavailable biotin, which means more nutrients are absorbed, leading to better results.

Kevin Bacon’s Hoof Formula

Form: Pellets

Sizes: 5kg

RRP: £55

Daily measure: 200g

Cost per day: £2.20

This concentrated supplement promotes speedy hoof growth. It is well suited for horses on high-energy diets.

Equine America Super Hoof Pellets Plus

Form: Powder

Sizes: 3kg

RRP: £39.50

Daily measure: 100g

Cost per day: £1.32

This low-sugar and low-starch, concentrated supplement that contains a range of active ingredients that support health hoof growth and horn quality as well as liver health.

How to choose the best hoof supplement for horses

The main ingredient to look out for is biotin, which is a B vitamin. It is recommended that your horse receives 3mg/100kg bodyweight/day, which is equivalent to 15mg for a 500kg horse. Another aspect to consider is the form the supplement takes – they can come in liquid, powder and pellet forms. Your horse may have a preference to one over another, which could make all the difference as if he won’t eat it, your horse won’t receive the benefit.

Cost is another consideration – we’ve calculated the daily cost of all the supplements featured in this guide to help you compare them easily. To make it as comparable as possible, we’ve used the smallest tubs available, but if you’re better off buying a larger volume of supplement if you can as the daily cost can become significantly lower.

How to improve hoof quality

Supplements can only improve the quality of new horn, rather than the existing, so if you decide to use a hoof supplement you need to commit to using it for a number of months before you will notice a visible difference. Topical applications, such as one of the best hoof oils and conditioners, can have a positive effect on your horse’s hooves, too, while hoof boots will also offer barefoot horses additional protection.

If you compete with your horse then it is important you make sure any supplements you use do not contain any prohibited substances.

When will I see results from feeding a hoof supplement?

There is no quick-fix hoof-strengthening solution. Horses’ hooves grow slowly, so choosing a hoof supplement to support your horse’s hooves should be a long-term commitment. You should start to see noticeable changes at the top of the hoof first, and then within eight to 12 months the hoof will have completed a full cycle and you’ll see a greater difference.

You might also like:

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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They can’t tell us when they feel under the weather so it’s our job to make sure we’re constantly monitoring our horses to spot any underlying health issues. And there are a few common hoof problems for which horse owners can be on the alert at all times.

Farrier Ben Benson AWCF describes six common hoof problems to look out for next time you are cleaning horses’ hooves…

1. Bruising

Bruising is caused by direct trauma to the foot — for example, when a horse has kicked the stable door or wall. Bruises can also occur when one foot has struck into the other in the field or during work, or when a foot hits a pole.

How to spot: Look out for any unexplained lameness. Bruising will show more clearly on white hooves than black because of the pigmentation. Black feet do bruise as often and as much as white feet, but it is just more difficult to spot.

It may be that your horse is at the end of his shoeing cycle and his feet have grown out of balance. Shortening the time between farriery visits may help resolve the issue. A shorter shoeing cycle also means the feet are less out of balance, so there will be less uneven pressure on the hoof wall.

2. Thrush

Thrush is an infection which turns healthy frog into a necrotic, infected, black, slimy horn – the bacteria rots the frog as it’s the softest and most flexible horn on the horse’s foot. If the feet are not picked out thoroughly, bacteria will begin to impregnate the horn and start to break it down, creating a microclimate of warm, soft, wet horn.

How to spot: The most obvious sign of thrush is a black, foul-smelling discharge from the frog, which itself may have softer spots and appear irregular in shape. Horses with thrush often show no signs of lameness, despite the offensive smell and discharge.

The feet must be cleaned thoroughly to get rid of it completely. Cleaning the stable and disinfecting the floor and bedding is a must, and bare rubber mats should be avoided. If your horse is on straw, shavings on the floor under the bedding will help absorb the urine. Remove all droppings from the bed as often as possible and pick out the feet a few times a day. Scrub the frog with warm water and chlorhexidine (brand name Hibiscrub), then apply an antimicrobial spray. Dry for 10 minutes then apply hoof oil over the top – this helps seal the treatment and provide a waterproof barrier against anything infected the horse may stand in between treatments.

3. Sheared heels

Sheared heels are a structural breakdown between the heel bulbs that causes deep cracks in the frog’s central groove. They often result from bad cases of thrush, but can also cause such cases – sheared heels make it nearly impossible to pick the frog out properly. Sheared heels are primarily found in horses with conformational deformities, or in those whose feet have become unbalanced.

How to spot: They are incredibly painful, so lameness is expected. It can be much worse when the horse is walking or working on soft surfaces, as they tend to ball up in the feet and put direct pressure on the affected area.

Foot balance is key to managing sheared heels, and good stable management is key to treating the secondary problem of infection. If the horse is lame and uncomfortable, take your vet’s advice on pain management. Ensure your farrier or foot trimmer is aware of the issue and amends their work accordingly.

4. Rings on the hoof wall

Rings have many causes including; changes in environment where the growth of the horn slows down or speeds up, markings where the foot experiences a direct trauma leaving a mark in the horn, or concussion where one-off accidents or random footing placements cause the hoof wall to thicken.

How to spot: The rings on feet are quite often referred to as growth rings and can be seen on the hoof wall. They become visible only some time after the event which caused them, and are often superficial and will be dressed off when the feet are trimmed or shod.

If a horse is not trimmed or shod regularly then they can be more prominent. With oblique or diagonal ridges it is always worth looking to a farrier or trimmer to make sure that the foot balance is as optimal as possible.

5. Seedy Toe

Also known as white line disease, seedy toe makes the wall and white line of the hoof crumbling and “cheesy” in texture. Very wet or very dry conditions will exacerbate seedy toe, as will too long a gap between farrier visits or if the walls are allowed to grow over the shoe.

How to spot: The hoof wall will peel away or, sometimes, 
a cavity within the hoof wall will be visible.

Seedy toe is a combination of a bacterial and fungal infection; most remedies treat one or the other. Preventative measures include regular trimming to maintain foot balance and shorter trimming or shoeing cycles to reduce torque from uneven landing and loading on the shoes. Topical treatments are the mainstay of the remedies, consult your vet.

6. Cracks

Foot imbalance or overgrown feet are the main reason for cracks appearing on feet.

How to spot: Daily checks on your horse’s feet will allow you to see if a split or crack has appeared. Your vet can confirm if it is superficial or something more serious.

Make sure that feet are kept in balance and toes are not left too long. Large cracks or those that appear at the coronary band must be treated as serious. Horizontal cracks generally result from a trauma or an old infection that has blown out the coronary band. Cracks should be kept clean, and it is a good precaution to apply an antibacterial topical treatment to the split to reduce the chance of infection.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

• This article has been edited and approved by Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary advisor since 1991.

A sub-solar hoof abscess, also known as pus in the foot is a common cause of lameness, particularly in wet weather conditions following a long dry period, as well as during an extended spell of frequent and heavy rain. It is thought that tiny cracks appear in the hoof wall and allow moisture, dirt and bacteria to enter. Infection sets in, followed by a build-up of pus that, within the restricting hoof cavity, soon becomes extremely painful. Other cases are associated with puncture wounds to the hoof, while sometimes infection can ascend via the openings left by the tracts of horseshoe nails.

It is not unusual for an abscess to cause a horse to be non-weight bearing on the affected limb, and many a vet has been called to a horse with a “broken leg” that turns out to be an abscess. If you suspect your horse may be suffering from an infection in the hoof, a visit from your vet or farrier should be arranged as soon as possible as relieving the horse’s discomfort must be a priority.

Hoof abscess in horses: Signs | Treatment | Complications

How to recognise a hoof abscess

• Be vigilant of any slight or intermittent lameness that becomes more pronounced until the horse almost bears no weight on the affected leg
• More weight may be carried on the toe to protect the heel
• The affected foot may feel hotter than the other feet
• There may be a noticeable or pounding digital pulse towards the back of either side of the fetlock
• The leg may become filled and swollen
• There may be severe pain and signs of distress
• If not drained, the abscess will eventually burst through the coronary band

How to treat a hoof abscess

It is likely that the shoe will need to be removed to find the hoof abscess, which, once located and drained, will bring rapid relief.

The farrier or vet will advise how to clean the site, perhaps with antiseptic or hydrogen peroxide. Traditionally, tubbing the foot in warm salty water has been recommended, however this can soften the hoof wall and sole, which may not be in the horse’s best interests.

Typically a hot wet poultice is applied to the hard horn on the sole of the hoof, being replaced twice a day for for up to three days, to encourage the abscess to drain downwards. This avoids the need to poultice the soft skin of the coronary band. It is not recommended to use a wet poultice for more than three days.

The area should be kept covered until it has healed sufficiently to prevent any dirt from entering the wound. Disposable nappies make very effective dressings for this purpose.

How to poultice a horse’s hoof: your essential guide

Dr Stuart Thorne MRCVS, of Fellowes Farm Equine Clinic, gives useful tips to make poulticing easy

While many vets and farriers will recommend stabling the horse during treatment to reduce the risk of further infection from external debris while the wound is open, some owners continue to turn their horses out while protecting the dressing with a thick plastic bag secured with thick strong tape. If you do so, take care not to cause a pressure sore when taping over the hoof covering.

It is usually unnecessary to treat pus in the foot with antibiotics. It is better to drain the abscess to eliminate the infection, particularly since antibiotics do not penetrate properly into the hoof and horn of the horse’s foot. Antibiotics are only really justifiable in rare cases where there are complications and the deeper structures within the foot are involved.

It is far more important to establish adequate drainage to ensure all the infection can drain while giving the horse sufficient pain relief. The two are frequently combined in that a horse with a foot abscess will feel much better as soon as the pus is drained.

Once located and drained, most abscesses will resolve in a week or two with one study showing that they take an average of 11 days of treatment.

Complications

Most foot abscesses are straightforward and can be treated relatively rapidly, however complications can develop. These include cellulitis (infection in the soft tissues), hoof cracks, inflammation and infection of the underlying pedal bone and other structures, as well as recurrent abscesses. If a horse suffers repeatedly from hoof abscesses then it may be worth testing for Cushings/PPID as this can be a sign of that condition.

Fortunately the majority of cases recover well, and once the pus in the foot has drained, then the horse’s shoe can be refitted and they can return to work.

References:

Factors associated with prolonged treatment days, increased veterinary visits and complications in horses with subsolar abscesses – December 2018

Foot abscessation in horses – February 2019

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A Clydesdale mare whose canker was cured thanks to top farriery – and 3D-printing technology – is now sound and happy, and enjoying her work again.

When Anne Wilson bought Freda, then 12, for Larkrigg Riding School near Kendal, three years ago, it was thought she was suffering from thrush. It became apparent her foot condition was the more serious canker, an infection that can easily be confused with thrush, and be very difficult to treat.

But thanks to the collaboration of the Northwest Equine Vets, farrier Richard Helliwell, 3D printing expert Andrew Allshorn and Anne, Freda’s canker was successfully treated.

Andrew told H&H his background is in art, he studied product design, and has decades of experience in 3D printing, founding his company 3D Squared in 2007.

“In 30 years, this is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “Making race cars go faster, or doing something that hasn’t been done yet with cars or planes, is interesting but using the technology to make someone’s life better, human or animal, is what it’s all about.”

Andrew worked with the inventor of the technology, and would help businesses use it, including Formula 1 teams and aerospace companies.

He then moved his own machines into a facility near Larkrigg, and was introduced to Anne, Freda, Richard and the vet, to find out more about the issue.

“My first idea – which I’m going to look into more – was a plate with a removable cartridge, which I’d put silica gel in, to suck the moisture out,” he said. “In the end, we designed a customised plate but because Freda was in pain, she didn’t want anyone touching her feet. It’s also hard to scan animals because they don’t keep still, so we got her to stand on cardboard and drew round her feet, and I used that as a base.”

Andrew added that his experience with horses before he met Freda had involved drawing them, so “at first I put the frog in the wrong place; the farrier said ‘That’s really good but it’s back to front’!”

The plate was modified; first so it was harder under the frog and on the outside where the nails went in, to offer more support, but softer elsewhere so it would flex, so not cause pain if Freda trod on anything.

“One good thing about 3D printing is that you can have different properties in different areas,” Andrew said, adding that Richard also suggested the final modification, of small “wings” to hold the plate in place while he nailed the shoe on.

“I started with her in November last year, and on Christmas Eve, found out she was going to be ok,” Andrew said. “She’s fine now – and I’m going to learn to ride her!”

Andrew did not charge Anne for his work, as he “wanted to know if it would work”, and on being told he had never ridden, Anne promised to teach him on Freda, with the caveat that he would not ride before his wedding this year.

He has since been contacted by other owners with similar issues, and plans to market the product to help horses but “I won’t rip people off”.

“If you can do something good using this industry, that’s what it’s all about,” he said. “It wasn’t just me doing this; the farrier knew what he needed and I had a solution. It was a group of people collaborating, that’s the best thing about this.

“I talk to different industries and I don’t know what their problems are but there’s a chance that, if you bring them to me, we can have a go and try to fix them.”

Anne agreed that the positive outcome was a result of the teamwork.

“She’s got such a lovely nature and everyone adores her,” she told H&H, adding that Freda is well known locally, and people were pleased to hear she had recovered.Richard explained that the 3D tech created the optimal conditions for the canker treatment to work effectively.

“Freda’s a nice mare and I knew from speaking to Anne that things were starting to look a bit bleak for her,” he said.

“Fixing sterile gauze containing the medication with tape simply wasn’t working because it was coming loose within hours. Gradually, despite everyone’s best efforts, the canker was taking hold and getting worse.

“Essentially, I wanted to find a way to allow the medication to work, which would mean using a pad on Freda’s foot to keep it both air- and watertight in an anaerobic environment.

“Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything on the market to fit her, and nothing even remotely the right shape that we could adapt to fit a heavy horse, so the only option was to try to create something bespoke.”

Richard said the pad, held in place by the shoe, had to be tough enough to take the mare’s weight but flexible enough to work with. It had to stay in place for weeks, while keeping the foot clean and dry.

“There was certainly a sigh of relief when the pad came off and we could see the difference it had made,” he said.

“Freda will need to keep the pad on for the rest of her life to keep the canker at bay, or environmental factors like wet ground will trigger the immune system and it will come back.

“But with the pad in place, there are no restrictions to what she – or other horses in the same situation – can go on to do.”

You might also be interested in:

Dealing with canker in the horse’s hoof

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The Clydesdale horse: the pride of Scotland with both substance and style

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Our 122nd weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast features an interview with Joe Stockdale, a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the showjumping World Championships in Herning in August. He talks all about that incredibly exciting competition. We then hear from our news team who discuss how the economic situation is affecting the horse world, road safety and maternity leave for riders. Finally, farrier Sam Dracott will give us some insight into abscesses in horse’s feet and how best to deal with them. We hope you will enjoy listening.

Episode 122 of The Horse & Hound Podcast, our popular audio service, which is available every Thursday morning, is now live.

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• View all episodes of The Horse & Hound Podcast

Our 122nd weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast features an interview with Joe Stockdale, a member of the bronze medal-winning team at the showjumping World Championships in Herning in August. He talks all about that incredibly exciting competition.

We then hear from our news team who discuss how the economic situation is affecting the horse world, road safety and maternity leave for riders.

Finally, farrier Sam Dracott will give us some insight into abscesses in horse’s feet and how best to deal with them.

• We would love to hear your feedback on all our podcasts, so please do send your thoughts to pippa.roome@futurenet.com

Horse & Hound Podcast: episode 122

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The Horse & Hound Podcast 119: Burghley Horse Trials review

The Horse & Hound Podcast 118: Blair Castle Horse Trials & BSPS Championships review

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

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The owner of a pony with an incurable disease that makes his hooves “like paper” hopes to raise awareness about the condition.

Sarah Cawley’s 13-year-old Connemara gelding Cloudy was diagnosed with hoof wall separation disease (HWSD) around four years ago.

The genetic condition, which affects some Connemaras and part-breds, is characterised by a hoof wall that easily breaks and cracks, and a coronary band that appears normal. This can result in losing shoes easily, and those affected can experience severe discomfort despite careful management. In some cases euthanasia may be necessary.

Sarah bought Cloudy from her aunt in 2017, and said he had always had “trouble” with his feet.

“I’ve known him since he was five when my aunt imported him from Ireland. He would lose shoes easily and we always just thought his hooves were fragile,” she said.

“The summer after I bought him his feet began cracking more than usual and one day he flung a shoe and half his hoof wall was attached. He was dog lame and couldn’t walk.”

Sarah contacted her vet and it was initially thought Cloudy had an abscess. X-rays were taken and Sarah read about HWSD online.

“Many people haven’t heard of HWSD as it’s not a common condition and it’s often mistaken for white line disease [when the external hoof wall separates from the underlying laminae resulting in the horn along the white line becoming crumbly and soft]. Farriers in the past have just thought Cloudy had bad feet. When the vets diagnosed HWSD they didn’t know what to really do about it so I was passed to specialist farrier, Neil Jackson,” she said.

“Neil has done lots of research on different ways to help Cloudy. There is no cure, and we just have to manage it the best way we can. He gets his feet done every four to five weeks and we use things like glue, or lightweight shoes with copper nails. At the moment he is barefoot behind and has shoes on front. We’ve tried hoof boots, but the trouble is because Cloudy’s feet change shape so quickly and often, the boots suddenly don’t fit even though I have lots of sizes. Sometimes he will be fine for a couple of months but then he can suddenly deteriorate and his hooves are like paper.”

Sarah said Cloudy continues to have good weeks and bad.

“Four weeks ago his feet looked absolutely fine, then two weeks later they deteriorated again. His back feet look like someone has taken scissors and slit them,” she said.

“It’s an awful disease but I’m really lucky because Neil does so much to help keep him comfortable, I’d be lost if he ever retired. It hasn’t changed how I see Cloudy, it’s not his fault. He’s the loveliest horse and he has a home with me for life. He’s in and out of work depending on how he is, on his good days he can be ridden in the arena but he’ll never be jumped and we don’t do roadwork or anything that might be hard on his feet.”

Awareness of HWSD has slowly increased over the years, and in 2016 the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society introduced the requirement for all registered foals to be DNA tested to find out if they carry the gene mutation. The British Connemara Pony Society introduced the same requirement the following year. Older horses and ponies can also be tested.

More breeders and sellers are sharing test results in sale adverts to help buyers know if a horse or pony is a carrier of the gene. The test determines if ponies are normal (N/N), or if they carry one copy (N/HWSD) or two copies (HWSD/HWSD) of the mutation. Those that carry two copies are highly likely to be affected with hoof wall separation disease and only animals with the two copies will show clinical signs.

“When Cloudy was born there was no such thing as a test. He’s well bred, and there was nothing to suggest there was anything wrong when my aunt got him. It’s a really draining disease – financially and emotionally. I’m lucky I can afford to manage Cloudy, but others might not be able to and they could be faced with putting their horse down,” said Sarah.

“I hope by sharing my story this might help others and raise more awareness about HWSD. If your Connemara keeps losing shoes or has bad feet it’s definitely worth testing so you know what you’re dealing with.”

You might also be interested in:

Hoof disease warning: Connemara ponies most at risk

Research is shedding light on a devastating hoof disease that can affect Connemara ponies. Richard Stephenson MRCVS explains

No foot, no horse – hoof supplements to help maintain healthy hooves

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Here is our complete how-to guide on cleaning horses’ hooves, an essential part of daily care. To many, the process will be second nature, but for those less familiar, we hope you will find our tips and advice useful.

How do I clean my horse’s hooves?

The process of removing dirt and debris from the inside of your horse’s hooves is called “picking out” the feet. A hoof pick is used for this purpose. Some of the best hoof picks have a small stiff brush attached, which can be used to brush away loose dust and dirt after the majority of the mud or dirt has been removed.

1. Start by facing your horse’s tail.

2. Run your hand nearest the horse down the back of the leg, and gently squeeze just above the fetlock to signal to the horse to lift the hoof. If the horse doesn’t respond, try adding a little extra pressure from your thumbnail.

3. Holding the hoof with the hand closest to the horse, use a hoof pick in the other hand to start scraping away any dirt. If it is a hind foot, make sure your arm is positioned in front of the leg, so if the horse kicks out backwards your arm will not be in danger. For a front foot your arm should be behind the leg.

4. Start where the horse shoe ends, beside the bulbs of the heel and scrape any debris out, moving your hoof pick away from you towards the toe of the hoof.

5. Scrape firmly over the sole and along the inside of hoof wall and shoe line until all remaining dirt, rocks and debris are gone.

6. Take care when removing dirt from the triangular frog, including the central cleft. The frog is a shofter tissue than the sole and it should be firm without any discharge.

7. Check there are no foreign bodies penetrating either the frog or the sole of the hoof. If there is a nail or similar in the hoof, do not pull it out – this is a potential emergency situation so call your vet immediately as it may be necessary to X-ray the hoof with the object in place to see whether any internal structures have been damaged.

8. If the horse is shod, check the shoe is secure and there are no risen clenches, or loose or missing nails.

9. Once you are done, gently replace your horse’s foot onto the ground.

10. Move onto the next leg and hoof, and repeat this process.

Cleaning horses’ hooves that are muddy

If you need to clean mud from the outside of your horse’s hooves, tie him up in a secure place and begin by using a stiff brush to remove the dirt from the hoof wall. If the dirt needs softening, then warm water is more pleasant, effective and less time-consuming than using cold water, especially in the cooler months. Make sure that you are aware of your horse at all times and do not kneel on the floor while you are cleaning the hooves or place your hand on the floor — squatting will allow you to move quickly out of your horse’s way if they decide to move. If the hooves are wet, allow them to dry naturally, or you could wipe them with a towel, before applying a hoof conditioner to help prevent the hooves drying and cracking. Repeated wetting and drying of the hooves should be avoided as this can compromise their condition.

How often should horse’s hooves be cleaned?

Cleaning horses hooves should be a part of equine daily care so should happen at least once a day. In most professional stable yards, horses have their hooves picked out before leaving their stables to avoid dragging muck and bedding on to the yard. Horses that are turned out daily should also have their hooves picked out after turnout to remove any stones or mud that has been collected while in the field. Horse living out all the time should have their hooves cleaned and checked at least once a day as part of their regular health checks.

Products to help keep your horse’s hooves in good condition

There is a wide range of hoof conditioning products on the market, as well as hoof supplements that can be fed to help support healthy hoof growth. If you’re trying to improve the condition of your horse’s hooves, it’s wise to consult your farrier or vet as some applications may be more of a hindrance than help. However, when the hooves’ natural wet/dry cycle is interrupted by typical British weather, using the right hoof oil or conditioner can help to maintain the natural moisture balance.

What role does the farrier play in cleaning horses’ hooves?

Along with a clean environment, a healthy diet and the regular attention of a farrier ​contributes greatly to hoof health. Get in touch with a fully qualified farrier, who will be able to offer advice on how regularly your horse or pony requires his attention – typically this will be around every five to six weeks. Your farrier will appreciate it if your horse is presented with clean, dry legs and hooves when he attends and he will be able to tell whether you are frequently cleaning and caring for your horse’s hooves or not.

My horse’s hooves smell bad, what should I do?

Manure and soil left in the hoof can create a damp, dirty environment that makes an ideal place for thrush to start. Thrush has an unpleasant and recognisable smell, typically combined with a soft ragged frog and black discharge on the sole of the hoof. Cleaning your horses’ hooves daily may help prevent thrush from starting. If thrush does set in, speak to your vet or farrier for advice on treatment while frequent cleaning of the hooves can help prevent it from getting worse. Any thrush remedy you are using should be applied to clean, dry hooves to be most effective.

You may also be interested in…

6 common hoof problems to keep an eye out for

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Dr Stuart Thorne MRCVS, of Fellowes Farm Equine Clinic, gives useful tips to make poulticing easy

Put your best foot forward – and make it shine with one of these great hoof oils

No foot, no horse – hoof supplements to help maintain healthy hooves

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Do the diseases we’d almost forgotten about still exist today? Patrick Pollock FRCVS sheds new light on old problems

Warble lumps

These marble-sized lumps are the work of the warble fly, whose correct name, Hypoderma, gives you an idea of its intent (from the Greek “hypo”, meaning under, and “derma”, meaning dermis or skin).

The fly lays eggs on a variety of animals – usually cattle, but also horses, sheep and occasionally humans. The eggs hatch and the larvae set off on their journey to their preferred site for development – usually the fat along each side of the dorsal spinous processes of the vertebrae or, for another species of the fly, the tissue around the oesophagus. They can migrate as far as the brain, causing severe and fatal neurological disease.

The larvae settle to form lumps under the skin, where they pupate and eat their way out as mature flies. The advent of modern insecticide treatments, such as the drug ivermectin, has greatly reduced the number of warble flies – the disease was last reported in the UK in 1990 and has been eradicated from much of Europe. Thankfully, warble lumps are rarely encountered in horses today.

Canker

While this hoof disease receives little attention in modern veterinary textbooks, canker is perplexing nonetheless. Correctly termed hypertrophic pododermatitis, it affects the same area of the foot as thrush. However, rather than leading to necrosis (death) of tissue, canker spreads through living tissue and causes the keratin-producing cells of the hoof horn to overgrow.

The heel bulbs and the crevices, or “sulci”, of the frog quickly fill with spongy, grey tissue that resembles cauliflower and produces caseous (cheesy) pus. The production of new, abnormal tissue led to the name canker, because the condition was mistakenly thought to be a form of cancer.

A possible cause is infection with bacteria known as anaerobes, which can grow without oxygen. The many different treatments suggest that no one method is very effective, although vets are united in the idea that there is no value in being conservative.

As much abnormal tissue as possible must be cut away, before the foot is dried out and treated with a topical treatment such as copper sulphate, the antimicrobial metronidazole, potassium permanganate or benzyl peroxide.

Fistulous withers

This affects the supraspinous bursa located on top of the dorsal spinous processes of the vertebrae, where inflammation may result in abscesses that discharge foul-smelling pus.

Although now rare in the UK, fistulous withers is commonly encountered in working horses, donkeys and mules in low- and middle income countries, where poverty can drive owners to work their animals with poor-quality, ill-fitting tack. A small wound or rub quickly develops infection, which can then extend into the deeper tissues and leave them exposed.

Because the affected area is on the top of the back, the fluid produced does not drain out well. Left untreated, infection can eat into the bone of the spinous processes.

Mallenders

An old name for cracks, mallenders develops in the skin at the back of the carpus (knee). Most common in heavier, feathered breeds, it can occur at other sites, including the front of the hock (where it is colloquially termed sallenders) and around the fetlocks, spreading to the lower legs in severe cases.

Mallenders is correctly termed hyperkeratosis, meaning “too much keratin”, the protein making up much of the connective tissue in skin, hair and hoof horn. Signs include thickened, greasy skin with scabs overlying cracks and small wounds, sometimes with secondary infection.

While there is no cure, hyperkeratosis can be managed by soaking the area and removing scabs, before applying emollient creams to soften the skin. In severe cases, clipping the hair is effective.

Poll evil

This ancient disease – recorded in veterinary texts from as early as 1731 – is similar to fistulous withers, but involves inflammation of the occipital bursa, a fluid-filled compartment at the base of the skull; this may result in a pus-filled abscess. Infection can extend to the nuchal ligament, which connects the skull to the body, causing intense pain and creating multiple fistulous (hollow) tracts.

“Poll evil” refers to the horse’s behaviour when objecting to a halter, bridle or other piece of tack, which in times past would have rendered him unfit for work. The condition can now be treated with anti-inflammatories and antimicrobials, often with surgical drainage of the affected area.

The classic poll evil infection was caused by Brucella bacteria, which are rarely implicated in the condition today. With any infection or swelling in the poll area, however, it is important to rule out the presence of Brucella. The bacteria are linked with brucellosis, a disease typically found in cattle that can also infect humans.

Navicular

We now know that navicular is not one disease, but a group of conditions affecting different parts of the complicated anatomical structures in the back of the horse’s foot.

The terms navicular disease or syndrome, palmar or caudal heel pain and podotrochlosis are all used to describe the presentation; this is typically forelimb lameness with pain localised to the foot and, more specifically, to the area around and including the navicular bone.

An affected horse may “point” a painful foot.

As a fulcrum for the deep digital flexor tendon, the navicular bone is under extreme pressure. It was thought that this pressure restricted blood supply to the bone and eventually affected its density, but pain can arise from the bone or its cartilage, the deep flexor tendon or one of the many ligaments holding the bone in position.

With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), surgeons could at last “see” into this hard-to-reach area, detecting inflammation and even investigating inside the navicular bursa.

Conformational traits such as upright pasterns, small feet or narrow, upright feet certainly predispose a horse to problems. A long toe and a low heel will also place constant stress on the navicular bone, even as the horse stands at rest.

Quittor

On either side of the hoof, roughly level with the coronary band, sit the collateral cartilages, movable structures that are slightly springy to the touch. In years gone by, draught horses often sustained injuries and abrasions to the skin overlying the collateral cartilages, leading to a condition known as quittor, or gravelling.

Cartilage has no direct blood supply and takes its nourishment from surrounding tissue. Once infected, it develops multiple small abscesses containing dried-out pus. Since antimicrobials cannot penetrate these abscesses, successful treatment requires surgical removal of the affected cartilage – a process that is complicated by the proximity of the coffin joint.

Most veterinary practices still have a set of “quittor knives” for this purpose. Modern techniques such as MRI and ultrasound can be useful to determine the extent of infection, allowing surgeons to carefully plan excision of the infected tissue.

Founder

Technically laminitis, founder presents with marked foot pain and reluctance to bear weight. Laminitis is as common today as it ever was – maybe more so, due to the huge number of obese horses with equine metabolic syndrome at increased risk.

Inflammation around the laminae, the finger-like projections that attach the pedal bone to the hoof, results in separation of these structures. The pedal bone rotates and then sinks; if left unchecked, it will penetrate the sole. This painful condition may result in permanent lameness or the requirement for the horse to be euthanised.

Ref Horse & Hound; 9 July 2020

• This article has been edited and approved by Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary advisor since 1991.

Being able to apply a hoof poultice is a key part of good horse husbandry, so we caught up with Dr Stuart Thorne MRCVS to get some expert tips

When you’re trying to work out how to poultice a horse’s hoof, following an injury or a hoof abscess, quite often the most difficult thing is that you’re doing it on your own. The horse is tied up and you haven’t got enough hands to get everything together and you’re desperately trying to keep the foot clean too.

I’ve watched a client struggling to get a poultice on — they’d got the poultice in place and the cohesive bandage (eg: vet wrap) on top. They were struggling to get the hard-wearing 10cm-wide outer cloth tape (eg: Duck tape) on to protect the dressing. The horse was on a shavings bed and every time they dropped the tape it picked up all the bedding making it impossible to use.

Top tip number 1: before you begin, create a criss-cross square of cloth tape and tack it on to your stable door or wall so it’s within easy reach. Then once you have the poultice and bandage on, all you need to do is apply the whole square to the base of the hoof rather than struggling with a roll of tape.

When picking up the foot I get as close as possible to the horse. If the horse starts kicking and struggling, it’s harder when you’re further away. If you’re nice and close when a horse tries to kick, they have to get their leg past you so it gives you a warning. Also because you’re close you’ll get a push rather than a kick. When you’re further away you’re more exposed.

Top tip number 2: Try to get the leg high so you can rest it on your thigh and then you have both hands free.

A prepared poultice comes in the standard shape, which is a long strip that can be cut to fit, or the foot design, which is the one that I tend to use. With the majority of horses, once you’ve released an abscess, you put the poultice in cooling boiled water before applying.

Top tip number 3: The important thing about the poultice is to ensure you’ve got the shiny plastic side on the outside because that’s designed to keep the moisture in against the foot to help draw out the infection.

Top tip number 4: When you open the packaging of the cohesive bandage, if you do it really carefully you end up with a little plastic slipper. Once the poultice has been placed onto the foot, I then slide this plastic slipper over the top. That helps keep the moisture against the foot, which is where you want it. If you don’t do that the bandage often doesn’t stick very well because it’s really wet. Alternatively you could use a clean piece of plastic from a feed bag or carrier bag cut to size.

Top tip number 5: I tend to put a layer of cotton wool between the poultice and the vet wrap, or, as H&H’s veterinary advisor Karen Coumbe recommends, a disposable nappy is a good shape and design to help keep everything in place. “I find a disposable nappy in a 0-3month baby size fits snuggly on the average thoroughbred hoof,” says Karen.

There’a a natural crimp in the cohesive banadage and although you want to extend it slightly, I’m always worried when I see people pulling it really tight because you’ll end up with a tourniquet rather than a bandage. I tend to put it on relatively loosely and the bit I pull tight is just the last strand, because it then tends to stick better.

Top tip number 6: I use the cardboard roll at the end of the vetwrap to stick that final bit down tight — as long as that junction is tight it shouldn’t undo.

Running around the top of the coronary band where the hoof joins the leg is the really delicate vascular plexus. You can wrap as tight as you like onto the hoof wall, but if you spill over on to the coronary band you can get a really nasty tight compression which can cause a pressure injury, so take care.

Finally, grab the cloth tape criss-cross square you prepared earlier and place that over the sole of the hoof. You can tidy it up with one or two straps of tape over the top. It makes it so much easier than wrestling with the tape at the time.

You might also be interested in…

Winter hoof care tips: simple steps to help maintain healthy hooves

Ricky Farr MRCVS gives some helpful tips on how to keep your horse’s hooves healthy through the winter with some

Hoof abscess (pus in the foot): how to deal with this common problem

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

• This article has been edited and approved by Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary advisor since 1991.

The horse’s hoof is a fantastic piece of biological engineering, but it does face a number of challenges, especially when moisture is involved. Equine vet Ricky Farr MRCVS has some winter hoof care tips to help keep your horse’s hooves healthy while dealing with wet or frozen ground by applying easy-to follow preventative hoof care measures.

Vet Ricky Farr’s essential winter hoof care tips

1. Pick out and clean hooves daily.

2. To give the horse’s hooves the chance to adapt to the typical environmental changes that occur during the winter, bring horses in from muddy fields for several hours a day to allow the foot to dry out, or provide a dry loafing area where they can stand if they live out 24/7.

3. An unbalanced foot is more prone to developing flares, which results in uneven strain on the hoof wall. Consequently grass or sand cracks can develop, which give organisms access to underlying structures. Skilled farriery is required to maintain healthy hooves, so don’t skip or extend the time between your farrier’s visits, even if your horse isn’t being worked as much during the winter.

4. Assessment of the hoof at rest and during the normal foot flight is essential to maintain this degree of balance. Ask your farrier to assess your horse’s foot in this way regularly.

5. Having the toe rolled and giving heel support can improve sole depth over time.

6. While there are nutritional supplements formulated to help support the growth of healthy hooves, they are not designed to manage the moisture content of the horse’s hoof.

7. Coating the underside of the hoof with a sugar and iodine mix is a good way to harden and dry out the sole, although it should be used with care to avoid drying out the hoof too much. There is also a wide range of hoof clays and other topical preparations available to help prevent excessive moisture absorption through the sole.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

No foot, no horse – hoof supplements to help maintain healthy hooves

Hoof abscess (pus in the foot): how to deal with this common problem

Thrush in the horse’s hoof: a smelly problem that needs addressing

White line disease (seedy toe): what you need to know

13 hacks and tips to make winter horse care easier

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

• This article has been edited and approved by Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary advisor since 1991.

Thrush in horses is an unpleasant infection of the central and collateral grooves of the frog.

Keratonolytic (keratin-dissolving) bacteria, including the sheep foot rot organism Fusobacterium necrophorum, attack the softened tissues of the frog, causing it to rot away.

Thrush in horses [722 words]: Signs | Causes | Treatment | Other conditions

Signs of thrush

The most obvious sign of thrush is a foul-smelling, black discharge from the frog, which itself may have softer spots and appear irregular in shape. Despite the offensive smell and discharge, many horses with thrush show no obvious discomfort or lameness.

If the infection is severe it can spread to involve the deeper structures in the hoof, such as the digital cushion, hoof wall and heel bulb, resulting in disintegrating horn. Then there may be some pain around the frog and bulbs of the heel, together with filling of the limbs and lameness of varying degrees only when sensitive tissues involved.

What causes thrush in horses?

Unhygienic environmental conditions: Stabling for prolonged periods on soiled, sodden bedding; or turnout on constantly damp, swampy or marshy pasture. The damp conditions of a dirty stable provide the perfect environment for the anaerobic bacteria, (those needing a low-oxygen environment) which cause thrush to flourish.

Poor foot conformation (especially of the frog): Long narrow feet, prone to contracted heels, with associated small, narrow frog and a compressed deep central groove; sheared heels, where a gap develops between the bulbs of the heels due to a chronic foot imbalance; an acquired frog deformity, perhaps as the result of an injury. A deep cleft in the frog may become packed with sand after working in an arena. If not carefully cleaned, this could lead to irritation and allow bacteria to enter.

Poor or incorrect foot trimming/shoeing: A badly fitting frog plate of a heart-bar shoe can damage the frog, leading to a secondary infection; a badly shaped shoe, nailed too far back, can prevent expansion and contraction of the heels, leading to shrinkage and possible “rotting away” of the frog; shoeing with full pads, allowing dirt and moisture to collect and fester.

Poor foot care: Not regularly picking out and cleaning the feet

Traditionally, thrush has been considered a product of bad stable management. This is definitely not always the case. Some horses kept in foul underfoot conditions are unaffected, while others in perfect accommodation are. The individual susceptibility of the horse seems to be a major factor.

Treatment of thrush in horses

If a horse has thrush the underlying cause needs to be identified and removed. The horse should be moved to a clean, dry environment and the feet cleaned daily.

Treatment may need to be carried out by a vet or farrier and can be very time consuming. All dead and/or damaged tissue needs to be pared away on at least one occasion until healthy tissue is reached. After paring, topical treatment with an astringent medication such as 10% formalin, chlorine bleach, phenol or providone iodine follows. An antibiotic solution or spray should then be applied and if the trimming has been extensive, bandaging may be necessary.

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The hoof and its environment should be kept as dry and clean as possible. Keep stables clean with plenty of good quality, dry bedding.

Paper or a shaving bed may be preferable and if the horse is turned out it should only be on a well draining paddock or it should be brought in to stand in the dry for several hours each day. If horses are in for long periods, bank the beds during the day to allow them to stand on a clean, dry surface.

Antibiotics treatment usually makes very little difference and are usually unnecessary. Ensure the feet are properly trimmed and shod, especially if there are any contributory foot issues. It is also vital to ensure the feet are properly and frequently picked out.

Thrush will never resolve unless the hoof hygiene is good. A damaged frog is the perfect entry point for the bacteria that cause tetanus, so ensure that the horse has adequate protection against this.

Conditions than can be confused with thrush

Wounds – Sometimes the frog is sliced or punctured by flints or other sharp objects. These cuts can become infected if they’re deep, causing lameness.

Canker – This is a more serious condition, where the horse is lame and the frog becomes really soft, smelly and stringy. Canker can spread to the sole and is hard to treat, often requiring surgery and aggressive resection of diseased tissue, which can cause further lameness. It is particularly common in heavy horses, more so in the hind feet. It can be very challenging to resolve.

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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• This article has been edited and approved by Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary advisor since 1991.

Puncture wounds in horses occur where the external damage associated with an injury is small, but the wound itself can be deep, sometimes causing damage to important internal structures.

As there is little damage to be seen on the surface, these types of injury can be easily missed. However, if dirt or bacteria has found its way into the wound, this can become a major problem as infection rapidly develops and spreads.

Puncture wounds in horses are particularly worrisome for horse owners as what appears to be a minor issue can turn out to have far more serious consequences and it can be hard to differentiate what is serious and what is not. If in doubt, it is best to seek prompt veterinary attention.

Puncture wounds in horses: Signs | Treatment | Prevention | Wounds in the foot

Signs of a puncture wound

Often the first sign that your horse has suffered a puncture wound is a swollen area. This is particularly true of horses’ legs, where the whole leg may swell as the area becomes both inflamed and infected.

In this situation you should look carefully for small wounds in any swollen area. Many are tiny and hard to see. Clues include a trickle of blood or a sensitive spot when you run your hands over the area, which may be combined with localised swelling. If you have a pair of suitable small clippers, carefully clipping the hair away from around the area will make it easier to see what is going on.Once you have located the injury, bear in mind that the damage caused is dependent on the depth of the wound, how dirty it is and whether any vital structures are involved. A puncture wound can be fatal if it reaches key internal structures, such as within the chest, abdomen or the inside of the foot. The most common complication is when a puncture wound results in infection entering a closed cavity such as joint or tendon sheath.

Many first aid manuals warn you to look out for so-called ‘joint fluid’, an oily, clear to yellow substance, and that if you see this discharging from a wound, a joint could be involved. In reality, a wound is often far too messy to spot this, and many benign superficial wounds discharge clear or yellow serum, which can appear similar.

Assess the location of the wound to see if it is near a joint or other critical structure, such as the digital flexor tendon sheath above and below the back of the fetlock. Remember that some joints, such as the elbow, are very large. An injury that seems some distance away from the bending part of the joint may still communicate with it. Equally, infection can spread towards it.

In all cases a vet should be called to assess a puncture wound, or a suspected puncture wound, as it is often more serious that it initially appears and the sooner it receives expert attention, the more likely the horse will be able to make a rapid recovery.

How do you treat a puncture wound on a horse?

• Clip the coat and carefully clean around a puncture wound ideally using saline or boiled water that has cooled with clean cotton wool.
• Do not spray the wound directly with water, or apply any chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide. This could force contamination deeper, making potential infection worse. It may be useful to hose dirt away from around the wound, but avoid hosing directly onto the wound itself.
• Use a hydrogel on the wound and apply a clean bandage with a dry poultice. This is usually more beneficial than a wet poultice.
• ALWAYS ensure your horse has been vaccinated against tetanus. These wounds provide the ideal environment for the bacteria that cause tetanus to flourish.

When should I call the vet for a puncture wound?

• If you think a foreign body might be stuck inside the wound, do not try to probe the wound – leave this to your vet
• If your horse is more lame than one would expect for the size of the wound
• If you are concerned that the injury may be deep and involve internal structures

Preventing puncture wounds in horses

While puncture wounds of all types can be difficult to prevent, checking your horse over carefully while grooming and after exercise will improve the likelihood of you spotting an injury, enabling you to take prompt action to prevent a more serious problem from developing.

Horses that have been jumping hedges out hunting should be checked very carefully on their return for wounds caused by embedded thorns.

Other simple actions such as making sure your stables and yard are swept frequently, including immediately after a farrier has been working, can reduce the chance of a loose nail or other piece of debris causing an injury.

Frequent checks of paddocks for potentially dangerous items and avoiding riding on high-risk areas such as road margins where unseen debris may be hidden in the grass can also help reduce the risk of injury.

Puncture wounds in the horse’s foot

The horse’s foot is at particular risk of puncture wounds, with a penetrating wound caused by a nail or other sharp object being typical. These injuries can be very serious and warrant emergency attention and referral. The severity of the injury will depend on how deep the foreign body has gone into the foot and what structures are damaged. Generally a wound in the middle third of the foot, near the tip of the frog is more likely to be serious.

The recommendation, which can be hard to follow, is that if you find a foreign body within the horse’s foot, leave it in place unless there is a risk of further penetration. This allows the vet to do a radiographic assessment of the direction and depth that the object has travelled.

If the foreign body must be removed, then note where it entered and which direction it went in. Keep the foreign body to show your vet. Note the depth of penetration – and mark on the object if possible.

Apply a clean dry poultice to the foot to keep dirt from entering the puncture.

A review published in the Equine Veterinary Journal in 2013 involved 95 such cases from four UK equine hospitals¹. Each had suffered a puncture wound that had penetrating structures inside the hoof capsule such as the navicular bursa, tendon sheath or coffin joint. In many cases more than one structure was damaged — so the nail might have gone through the tendon sheath, the tendon and into the joint.

Each horse was treated intensively with keyhole surgery and every possible technique to prevent infection and restore full function. Despite such efforts, the rate of return to full soundness where the bursa, tendon sheath or joint had been penetrated was only 36%. Only 56% of cases survived and a significant proportion of these were permanently lame.

The time between the discovery of the nail and referral to hospital was shown to affect outcome — emphasising the need for immediate action.

References:

• Puncture wounds: what’s the prognosis?

• This article has been edited and approved by Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary advisor since 1991.

Hoof cracks in the wall of the horse’s foot can range from being little more than a cosmetic blemish to a serious cause of lameness and pain. They can run vertically or horizontally, when they appear parallel to the coronary band.

A vertical crack that begins at the coronary band is called a sand crack, whereas one that appears to originate from bottom of the hoof wall is known as a grass crack.

To understand the significance of hoof cracks, it helps to know how the hoof wall grows and the way it is structured.

Hoof cracks in horses: Structure | Causes | Treatment | Prevention

The hoof wall

The hoof wall grows downwards from the coronary band, originating from “germinative epithelial” cells at the coronet. It takes between 10 and 12 months for new hoof wall to grow from the coronary band to where the sole meets the ground (the “solar surface”). At the heel, the process takes around three months.

The hoof wall has three layers. A fine outer layer, called the perioplic horn (also known as the stratum externum), encloses the tubular horny layer that forms the substantial part of the hoof wall (the stratum medium). Beneath this tough outer layer are the laminae (the stratum internum), vital structures that interweave with the sensitive laminae to hold the pedal bone in position.The colour of the hoof wall is determined by the colour of the skin at the coronary band; pink skin means white horn, coloured skin means brown horn. But there is no scientific evidence to support the belief that white hooves are softer than pigmented hooves.A crack that penetrates the tubular horn into the laminal layer below is described as full thickness and will usually cause pain, bleeding and lameness.

Common causes of hoof cracks

Vertical cracks can develop for a variety of reasons. Poor hoof quality is a common cause and environmental conditions can also play a part, with extreme dryness a frequent cause for grass cracks to appear.

Grass cracks may develop where shoeing is infrequent and the feet are too long, or because of chronic lateromedial (side-to-side) imbalance. The poor positioning of horse shoe clips or nails can make vertical cracks worse.

An abscess that disrupts the coronary corium (layer) can result in a sand crack at the coronary band, whereas conditions such as seedy toe and keratoma can lead to cracking at the solar surface.

Any direct trauma to the coronary band or hoof wall can cause a sand crack or a grass crack, depending on where the damage is.

Injuries or lacerations to the coronary band can disrupt the intricate configuration of new horn growth, resulting in permanent vertical cracks that never disappear.

Vertical cracks may make shoeing difficult and can create instability of the hoof capsule, leading to lameness. The formation of hoof abscesses is a common secondary problem, as dirt or bacteria can become trapped in the crack and subsequently forced upwards into the sensitive tissues.

Horizontal cracks typically occur due to direct trauma to the outer hoof wall, or damage to the coronary band that results in a temporary cessation of the growth of the laminar wall. An abscess that breaks out at the coronary band will also disrupt normal growth patterns, causing a crack.

Most horizontal cracks are harmless. But in certain cases, grit or foreign material can invade the white line (the inter-connected lamina between the sole and hoof wall), or the inner, sensitive tissue, causing an abscess. Horizontal cracks can also make nail placement difficult during shoeing.

Substantial horizontal defects may cause instability in the hoof capsule and consequent lameness due to abnormal rotation of the structures within the foot.

For example, a large horizontal quarter crack, in the back third of the hoof, can mean loss of heel contact with the shoe, requiring the use of a special shoe, such as a heart- or straight-bar. But the long-term prognosis for these horizontal cracks is excellent, as they will eventually grow out.

Treatment for hoof cracks

Less is generally more when it comes to managing hoof cracks. The majority need only good foot balance and a well-fitted shoe.

Where treatment is required, this relies on three concepts: debriding (cleaning away) dead tissue; establishing good foot balance to ensure a level footfall; and stabilisation of the crack, either with a special shoe or some other means, such as a hoof cast.

There are many complicated methods of repairing hoof cracks, all of which have a role. These range from fibreglass patches to wiring the two sides of the crack together, or using an orthopaedic bone plate to bridge the gap.

Preventing hoof cracks

One of the most common causes of cracks is also the simplest to avoid. Overlong intervals between trimming or shoeing sessions are a big risk.

Arrange regular shoeing — every six weeks, at least — or, in the case of the barefoot horse, organise a trim every four weeks.

If your farrier or vet feels your horse’s hooves would benefit from additional nutritional support, a good hoof supplement containing biotin, often with zinc and methionine can encourage healthy hoof growth, but it needs to be fed for several months before seeing the benefit, and may be required on an on-going basis for maintenance.

There are a wide range of hoof lotions, oils and balms on sale designed to maintain the ideal levels of moisture in the horse’s hoof – and your farrier may also suggest these – although there is little clinical research available to support their efficacy.

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No foot, no horse – hoof supplements to help maintain healthy hooves

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

• This article has been edited and approved by Karen Coumbe MRCVS, H&H’s veterinary advisor since 1991.

The white line can be found on the bottom of the horse’s hoof close to the edge as a lighter area of horn where the hoof wall and sole meet. Like any join or seam, it is a potential weak spot.

White line disease occurs when the external hoof wall separates from the underlying laminae, which hold the pedal bone in position. The horn along the white line becomes crumbly and soft. This can allow bacteria and fungi to gain entry and cause further damage. The disease can occur anywhere on the hoof, although the toe is most common area, hence the common name of seedy ‘toe’. While the outside of the hoof may appear normal, when tapped it may sound hollow when compared to unaffected areas.

Your farrier can manage mild cases caught early, which rarely cause lameness, during their regular visits. The biggest concern with seedy toe is that in severe cases, when significant lameness will be seen, the internal support of the pedal bone can be compromised, leading to movement of the pedal bone, similar to laminitis cases.

White line disease in horses: Risk factors | Causes | Diagnosis | Treatment | Prevention

Which horses are most at risk?

White line disease can be found in all sizes, types and breeds of horse, although donkeys are particularly susceptible to it. Horses with poor quality hoof horn may be more likely candidates.

A study of 1,700 racehorses in Japan1 found it was more frequently found in older horses, and in the forelegs.Owners should not confuse white line disease with hoof wall separation syndrome, which is a genetic condition found in the Connemara pony breed.

Causes of white line disease

White line disease is typically associated with poor hoof conformation or trimming, such as long toes and under run heels, which put abnormal levels of stress on the hoof wall. Prolonged soaking in wet weather weakens the white line and makes it more vulnerable to bacterial or fungal infection

Diagnosis of white line disease

Your vet or farrier will make an initial diagnosis by examining the hoof. X-rays may be used to confirm the location and extent of the separation and whether any movement of the pedal bone has occurred.

Treatment of white line disease

It is normal to trim away the hoof wall that has separated from the underlying structures until only healthy wall that is firmly attached remains, leaving the rest open to the air.

Once the diseased wall has been removed, topical treatment with either pevidine (Iodine-based antiseptic) or sugardine (an pevidine and sugar mix which is popularly used) is typically applied daily for a number of days to help harden the exposed area. Commercial equine hoof formulations that produce chlorine dioxide can also be used.

Corrective shoeing is required to provide support to the remaining hoof wall, while removing pressure from the affected areas. A heart bar or egg bar shoe with hoof packing may be required to help support the sole if there is a risk of the pedal bone moving. If a substantial amount of the hoof wall has been removed, your vet or farrier may use acrylic material to rebuild the wall to give extra stability to the hoof.

The hoof should be kept as clean and dry as possible while the healthy hoof wall grows down. Topical disinfectants (eg povidone iodine, hydrogen peroxide or zinc sulfate) in solutions or sprays can be useful to reduce microbial contamination. As the hoof wall typically grows down at approximate 1cm per month it may take a considerable length of time for the hoof wall to become fully formed again.

If the horse is not up to date with vaccination against tetanus, a booster should be given.

In most cases removing all the abnormal horn, keeping the hoof clean and dry and maintaining good foot hygiene will manage the problem.

Prevention of white line disease

• Maintain excellent hoof hygiene, checking the hooves daily
• Do not leave the horse standing in dirty or wet bedding
• Ensure regular farrier visits, no more than six weeks apart
• Horses that have previously had white line disease should be monitored extra carefully as it has a tendency to reoccur
• Provide nutritional support to encourage growth of health hoof horn

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10596935 – A survey of white line disease in Japanese racehorses – November 1999

The frog is one of the simplest yet most effective structures in the horse’s body. This rubbery, triangular wedge can be considered a marvel of technical engineering, with the capacity to perform a multitude of functions.

Its roles range from shock absorber and support to a hinge that holds the heels together. The frog also provides grip, acts as a vent for the sole and creates some of the hydraulic pressure needed for blood circulation. It was thought the frog was the “pump” that drives deoxygenated blood back towards the heart. This is partly true — it does play a part in this “venous return system”, but is a facilitator of the pumping action rather than the pump itself.

The frog’s versatility is down to its elastic structure and location, sitting snugly between the heels. As each limb bears weight, the pastern drops. The digital cushion, a fatty, fibrous mass situated inside the hoof capsule, is then squeezed by the descending bodyweight and expands to press sideways but also downwards. This pushes the frog onto the ground, giving the foot traction.

This downwards pressure is met by an upwards force, called the ground reaction force. As the two collide, energy is dissipated sideways, leading to full expansion and contraction of the heels. The natural angle of the sole — ideally concave — begins to distort under this descending weight and becomes much shallower in its natural arch. This is facilitated by the softer and more flexible rear half of the foot, primarily the frog, which is further driven downwards into contact with the ground to give extra “anchor”.

A healthy frog is key to promoting the horse’s ability to land and load through each digit. Just as roof guttering channels rainwater away, the frog vents the underside of the hoof.

Three grooves in its surface, the “sulcuses”, help dispel water or mud from the gap between the sole and ground, or cause dry, sandy material to pack into the hollows. The frog and hoof rim can then lock onto the surface and won’t slip as the horse takes his opposite foot off the ground.

Weighty issues

Breed and conformation have a huge influence on frog size and shape. Warmbloods typically have an upright shoulder and pastern angle, compared with the thoroughbred, therefore a taller hoof capsule and less width between the heels. The warmblood frog is usually narrower and longer in proportion, with deeper sulcuses than those seen in the more open-heeled breeds.

An older horse lacking muscle tone, especially behind, may develop a shallower pastern angle and consequently a frog flatter in angle and shape. Obesity can also affect the feet. The digital cushion, similar in composition to human breast tissue, is one of the body’s main shock absorbers. If continuously overloaded, it can become deflated and lose elasticity, which is unlikely to be regained.

The frog is more rigid than the digital cushion in structure and grows continuously, so it can be altered in shape and “reinflated”. Once the internal structures of the hoof have taken a bashing from excess bodyweight, however, the functionality of the foot is permanently affected. Packing the hoof with gel or dental impression material can help, but will not return it to brand-new status.

Where there’s muck

The frog has the highest moisture content of all the horny structures in the foot, at up to 50%. Its permeability allows moisture to come and go through changing environments and seasons: it will absorb water if the hooves stand in it and can become parched and cracked in dry conditions.

Because the frog is flexible, moist and — thanks to a healthy blood supply — always warm, any muck in the sulcuses will provide ideal conditions for infection to take hold. And the use of rubber matting and increased stabling of horses can present the perfect storm for thrush bacteria. Horses that spend most of their time indoors or standing in mud or faeces will often have some type of thrush present in the frog clefts.

Long-term thrush will contribute to lameness issues and can reach the point where the frog is eaten away and drops off, like a damaged fingernail. The key to treatment is appropriate trimming of the frog, according to foot shape and conformation, so that the clefts are left clear and well-vented and any necrotic (dead) material is removed.

Once your farrier has prepared the foot, scrub the sole with a solution of warm water and Hibiscrub, or very salty water, and leave the foot to dry. A topical treatment, as recommended by your vet, can then be applied, followed 15 minutes later by a coating of quality hoof oil which will act as a barrier to protect the soft and permeable horn.

Repeat the process daily until improvement is seen, then gradually reduce it to a regular treatment to keep infection at bay. A “maintenance approach” of an anti-bacterial treatment and a light hoof oil dressing, once or twice a week, is the best way to keep frogs healthy and infection-free. Persistent infection may call for a tougher course of treatment.

Canker is a debilitating hoof disease that can occur even in a well-managed environment. The infected frog excretes a foul-smelling substance and develops cauliflower-like lesions, requiring an aggressive veterinary treatment plan aimed at debriding the area back to healthy tissue.

Clean, dry conditions underfoot will go a long way towards preventing frog problems. Straw creates a comfortable and cost-effective bed but will not absorb urine as well as shavings, so a two-tier approach may be needed for the horse who turns his stable into a swamp.

Tip two or three buckets of fine shavings over areas that are typically wet, before laying straw over the top. This should keep the horse from standing directly in the saturated areas.

Ref Horse & Hound; 27 June 2019

From nails, screws and blackthorns to a piece of deer antler and an entire stud from a pair of cricket shoes, I have encountered a remarkable range of foreign bodies lodged in horses’ hooves.

Nails from waste wood — especially if a bonfire has been held in a paddock — are the principal offenders, although nails resulting from shoe removal can be trodden on if the floor is not swept carefully afterwards.

A pointed object that is sufficiently sharp can be driven into the sole or frog if stepped on. From there, it may be dislodged or remain embedded in the hoof. Commonly, the object is deflected into the groove in the centre or on each side of the frog, which is where most penetrations occur.

The outcome very much depends on the position in which the nail lodges and both the angle and depth of penetration. Deep penetrations through the middle third of the frog, considered the “danger zone”, can have serious consequences, as the foreign object is more likely to enter the synovial structures in the foot — namely the coffin joint or the navicular bursa.

In addition, the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), which runs down the back of the pastern and inserts into the underside of the pedal bone at the level of the sole, may be damaged. Penetration of these structures is associated with rapid infection, a poor long-term outcome and often incurable lameness in the horse.

Infection risk

While a puncture wound to the sole may look insignificant, the potential for infection should not be underestimated.

A study in 2013 looked at 95 cases of deep penetration of the navicular bursa or coffin, treated in four UK veterinary hospitals. Sadly, these wounds can be fatal and of those horses treated in the study, only 56% survived to be discharged, with only 36% returning to their previous level of athletic activity. The outcome was worse when there was a delay in referral, or where penetration occurred through the central frog groove.

Should the offending object penetrate the danger zone, then speedy referral to a hospital enables diagnostic investigation such as MRI or radiographs (X-rays) to take place quickly. Surgical intervention can then be performed before infection becomes established. Arthroscopy (keyhole surgery) has been shown to give a better outcome than more radical open surgery and is best performed in specialist centres.

If a “safer” area of the foot is penetrated, the horse is more likely to develop a local abscess that can be dealt with without hospitalisation. Your vet can advise whether your horse should be hospitalised for investigation and intensive treatment.

What to do…

If you find a penetrating object such as a nail in the sole, this is what to do:

• Carefully clean the horse’s foot, so you can assess the location and angle of penetration.
• Resist the temptation to remove the object if it is in the danger zone. Pending the vet’s arrival, bandage small blocks of wood on the underside of the hoof, on either side of the entry site, to prevent the nail from being driven deeper.
• If the nail is removed, note carefully the precise site it entered the foot, along with the direction, angle and depth of penetration. Retain the nail for the vet to inspect.
• While waiting for the vet to arrive, verify whether the horse is vaccinated against tetanus and has had a booster injection within the past two years.

Ref Horse & Hound; 18 April 2019

Dear Diary

My name is Hovis and I am a large stress ulcer-inducing, bank balance-draining, grey hair-causing, alcoholism-enabling equine self-harmer with an unhealthy love of vets. One who has been given the A-Z of equine ailments and seems to be stuck on “C” – collateral ligaments, cartilage, cataracts and now keratoma (and yes, I know that’s a kicking K not a curly C but a: I’m a horse and b: don’t rain on my alliteration parade here, ok? It’s been a bad week). I read the article in Horse & Hound the other week about the horse in the Queen’s parade who had had all sorts of ailments and have set out to prove he is in fact an amateur.

I’m not sure that mum likes me very much right now. Loves me – yes, trust me you only have to have seen the amount of sobbing that’s been going on to know that – but like me? Not so much.

So, you know I might have mentioned in passing the “little hole” I’ve blown in my foot again? Well when I said “little” I was using the sort of measurement woman use to discuss the costs of things like handbags or *cough* saddles *cough* (ie: it really isn’t). In fact, there is a view that if I stand still too long that the local potholing club might like permission to come and explore Hovis hole.

Those of you who have followed me for a while might recall I first blew this hole like a large breaching sperm whale last March just weeks before I met my new bestie Mary King ahead of our British Eventing trial at Belton International Horse Trials. I, of course, recovered like a super hero and still managed to give her the ride of her life, but the hole did take a time to grow out. Then last week it returned like an unwanted house guest and has caused all sorts of excitement with both Cool New Shoes Man and then Herman the German Needle Man being called out by a frankly over reacting mothership.

To be fair CNSM was concerned by what he saw and recommended poulticing immediately, which resulted in five days of wearing more gaffer tape than a politician at an SM club and mother instigating daily pus watch. Sort of like Country Watch, but with less fluffy cute animals. But all in vain. Zero gunk.

Herman the German Needle Man was called out and x-rays taken, which revealed nothing except lots of arthritic bony changes in my right fore. My blood was stolen to test for Cushions (which I was rather concerned about as I have no intention of being a soft furnishing for the rest of my life) and mother’s investment in the longevity of the UK vet wrap market continued. Then Poof! Or more accurately: Pus! Lots of it.

My Cushions test came back clear (thank you very much – I am a gelding of substance, not stuffing) and Herman was subjected to mother’s lengthy explanation of her gut instinct. He does deserve a medal that man because god help him he does listen to her and as such rocked back up again with x-ray machine in hand. And there it was. The faintest hint that, despite all signs to the contrary, mother does have a smidge of connection to me and my welfare and she was in fact probably right. I haz a Kevin in my foot. Kevin the Keratoma. For those of you not familiar with the naming convention for bodily tumours, I am honouring the tradition started by CNSM, who named the cancer removed from his kidney the other year “Colin”. We are hopeful that Kevin can be sent packing in the same way as Colin was and that they can bugger off into the distance to enjoy a long and happy life together.

As I write this I am awaiting to hear when I shall be booked in for surgery, but it could be as early as next week. This is stressing mother far more than me because I get to see the lovely Frances again, who will take me up to Rainbow and all the nice nurses and doctors who looked after me last time I was there. Mother has suggested that she would much rather I didn’t view large vet establishments in the same vein as holiday resorts – i.e. something it’s nice to visit every few years when you’ve saved up enough money – but then killjoy is her middle name.

Continued below…

Understanding keratoma in a horse’s hoof

Hoof pain is the reason for most lamenesses with benign tumours in the hoof — keratomas — being one unusual

Hovis‘ Friday diary: it was less dressage to music and more exercising to expletives

‘Limpy’ Hovis is in the dog house again...

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I will keep you all posted via my Facebook page but fret not; despite my mother walking around looking like a stunned and frankly suicidal zombie, I shall bounce back again. After all, I am the Hoverine.

I’m off to have my last few days with Kevin and look at my 101 book and figure out what I could have next; Mother’s worked her way through “B” – bad back, broken bones and busted bank balance and I’m getting tired of C so ideas on a new letter to research appreciated.

Laters,

Hovis

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Spillers’ equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot provides one H&H forum user with some insightful information on whether biotin can help support hoof health

Q: Biotin: “I was just wondering if you would recommend feeding a biotin supplement to help hoof growth? My mare is barefoot behind and cracked off a large chunk of the hoof wall. My farrier recommended keeping off roadwork for now and waiting for the horn to grow back as not much else can be done at the moment. She is not lame on the foot, it just seems like bad luck. Would it be worth supplementing biotin to help with the re-growth? How good is it and what sort of timescales should I be looking at for an improvement?”

A: Hoof formation is a highly complex process requiring good quality protein, vitamins, minerals, fats and last but not least, energy! All of these need to be present in sufficient quantities and in correct proportions to produce a strong hoof, so the entire diet needs to be balanced. Adding lots of one particular nutrient to a poor diet is unlikely to be of any benefit and some nutrients can even cause more harm than good if given in excess. For example, vitamin A and selenium can actually cause hoof problems if they are added to the diet at very high levels.

Continued below…

Related articles:

• H&H forum: find out what H&H readers suggested
• Find out how to feed horses struggling with their weight during the winter
• Read more expert feeding advice

Good doers and horses in very light work often get all of the calories they need from grass, hay or haylage, but forage-only diets often lack some essential nutrients. As far as diet is concerned, the first step towards tackling hoof problems in horses on forage only diets should be to provide a good quality feed balancer. Spillers Daily Balancer contains a full complement of vitamins and minerals in addition to 15mg of biotin per serving. This also applies to horses receiving less than the recommended daily ration of compound feed.

If you are confident that your horse’s current diet is fully balanced and meets all of his normal requirements, additional supplementation may help with poor hoof quality. Biotin is probably the most well-known nutrient as far as hoof supplements are concerned. This member of the B vitamin family is a key component for hoof horn quality and there is also scientific evidence to support this. Biotin should be fed at around 15 to 20mg per day for a typical 500kg horse i.e. 3 to 4mg per 100kg bodyweight. Calcium, phosphorus, zinc, MSM, lysine and methionine may also be useful additions to a hoof supplement.

Continued below…

Feeding supplemental oil in the diet to some horses with poor hoof quality might help although there is little scientific evidence to support this — although one study showed good results with 30ml of evening primrose oil mixed with maize and cod liver oil.

Hoof growth is slow so it may take up to 6-12 months before the effect of supplementation is seen. Total hoof wall replacement may take up to a year and sole replacement three-four months. If additional supplementation is then removed from the diet, the hoof quality may deteriorate again, so it is worth considering continuous supplementation.

For more information on feeding to support weight gain call the SPILLERS Care-Line on 01908 226626.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Hoof abscesses are the most common hoof problem according to a new survey.

Research conducted over a month, ending 18 March, asked more than 600 horses owners about hoof problems and their relationship with their farrier.

Abscesses accounted for 47.92% of hoof issues, followed closely by hoof cracks and splits (47.74%) and loss of shoes between farriers’ visits (47.38%).

Bruising, thrush and laminitis were the other main common hoof ailments.

Only 15% of the horse owners surveyed reported that their equines had completely healthy hooves.

Finding a farrier isn’t difficult, the research by ArcEquine found, with over 80% of respondents said there were sufficient farriers in their area.

But nearly half of owners (46%) said they had had difficulties finding a farrier they can trust in the past.

When a horse owners finds a good, reliable farrier they hang on to them, the survey showed, with nearly half of respondents having worked with their current farrier for over five years.

There was no doubt as to the farriers’ expertise.

Over 88% of respondents said their farrier was ‘willing’ or ‘very willing’ to consult with the vet and over 93% said they trusted their farrier’s knowledge either ‘most of the time’ or ‘completely.’

Over 96% of owners said they would recommend their farrier to others.

The most common complaints horse owners voiced about their farriers were timekeeping, getting hold of them, being too busy for urgent visits and reluctance to change visit dates.

Over 13% of owners admitted farriers did grumble about muddy hooves and legs, but over 68% of those surveyed said they thought that their farriers wouldn’t have any criticism of them.

“We receive a lot of requests for information about how our ArcEquine Microcurrent Therapy can help with hoof injuries and associated issues, so understanding more about the most common problems and the relationship between horse owners, their farriers and vets will mean we can confidently offer the most appropriate advice,” said ArcEquine managing director Ian Thirkell.

Related articles:

• Are these Britain’s fittest farriers? *PICTURES*
• Hoof abscesses: what you need to know *H&H VIP*
• ArcEquine: what is it, how does it work and what is all the fuss about?

The ArcEquine Unit uses microcurrent therapy to promote repair and healing in the body (see H&H 12 March).

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Breeders and potential purchasers of Connemara ponies are being urged to take advantage of a test now available to identify animals that carry a mutated gene responsible for a distressing hoof disease.

Hoof Wall Separation Disease (HWSD) is an inherited condition typified by the dorsal hoof wall splitting away from underlying structures. Affecting both males and females, this defect develops in foals of between one and six months of age — although some cases are not detected until much later in life.

The condition can result in the afflicted pony having to support his weight on the sole of his hooves instead of the dorsal hoof wall. Affected animals can experience severe discomfort despite careful management; their quality of life can diminish and euthanasia may be necessary. Even if the condition is initially controllable, ponies may still develop laminitis over time.

Chronic pain

HWSD affects all four feet, usually equally. It appears that there is an absence in the hooves of lipids, a type of fat that is normally present and is thought to provide protection to the hoof structure by repelling excess moisture.

Problems usually become apparent when properly fitted shoes are easily pulled off, along with large chunks of hoof wall.

Farriers and vets may be unfamiliar with the condition, which is frequently misdiagnosed as white line disease. Careful inspection, however, reveals that separation is not within the white line but within the horny substance of the hoof wall itself (the “stratum medium” or “tubular horn”; see diagram).

Early recognition and differentiation is vital, to ensure correct management. Treating the condition as white line disease will not work.

HWSD is not a bacterial or fungal disease, and currently only palliative care is possible. Management involves judicious debridement (removal) of damaged and separated hoof wall, followed by reconstruction with a synthetic material.

One feature of HWSD is that glues and hoof repair and/or extension materials do not “stick” to the remaining hoof as well as might usually be expected. Nevertheless, glue-on shoes are probably the best option. Nailing in tends to be unsatisfactory and these are definitely not cases on which barefoot trimming should be attempted.

Silent carriers

Current thinking is that HWSD is a congenital genetic problem. Because the gene causing the disease is recessive, horses can be “carriers” while remaining unaffected themselves — a pony needs to inherit one copy of the HWSD gene from each of his parents before he will show signs of the disease.

If both parents are not affected but carry the recessive gene, any offspring have a one in four chance of having overt HWSD. Two in four will carry the recessive gene but will have no outward signs, while one in four will be normal and will not carry the gene.

Cases have been reported in several countries, including the UK, Ireland, Sweden, New Zealand and the USA.

Surveys in the USA have demonstrated that about 14% of Connemaras carry the HWSD gene.

Breeders in the UK are starting to have their breeding stock tested. Of 53 British Connemara ponies tested recently, seven were carriers of the gene and only one was affected with HWSD.

Until recently the only laboratory testing DNA for HWSD was the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at UC Davis University in the US.

The good news is that the British Connemara Pony Society has now arranged for the Weatherbys DNA Laboratory in Ireland to test for the disease at a cost of €30, or £22 (visit www.weatherbys.co.uk).

Testing is non-invasive, involving sampling of mane hair.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 21 January 2016

Much of what is known about the equine foot has its historical origins in the work of farriers and blacksmiths. Early veterinary texts discuss a number of conditions familiar to us today, such as navicular disease (grogginess), laminitis (fever in the foot), canker and corns.

Advances in veterinary science have deepened our understanding of the internal structures of the foot, revolutionising the way farriers approach hoof care. We now know that a good working relationship between vet and farrier is essential for soundness in the horse.

But what can the modern veterinary world teach farriers?

With the discovery of X-rays in the late 19th century, it wasn’t long before the X-ray tube was pointed at the horse’s foot. X-rays (radiographs) primarily diagnose bone-related conditions. A change of around 30% bone mineral density may be required, however, before signs are visible on a radiograph image.

Not only does this mean that early disease changes may not be detectable by the naked eye on radiographs, but also that clinical signs — namely lameness — do not always correlate with what the images show.

As well as assisting with a diagnosis, radiographs are useful for the farrier in the assessment of foot balance. Through the use of good medio-lateral (from the side) and horizontal dorso-palmar (front to back) radiographs, the farrier can appreciate how external “landmarks” in the hoof construction are related to internal structures.

Although radiography can inform on some conditions involving soft tissues of the foot, it is the availability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that has completely opened up our ability to see inside the hoof.

MRI — the inside story

MRI should never take the place of a good clinical assessment and veterinary diagnostic work-up. Static and dynamic examination of the whole horse should be performed by vet and farrier (ideally both together). Evaluation of the horse’s conformation, as well as palpation and visual assessment, should be undertaken and related to the presenting signs.

The farrier will then check the feet and limbs for obvious problems or damage, and assess foot balance and shoeing in relation to movement. Assessment is performed at both walk and trot, with a lameness value often being assigned by the vet.

Seeing the horse walk is particularly important for the farrier, because how the foot lands — flat or laterally, for example, or toe or heel first — is related to foot balance. Heavy landing on one side or the other can eventually lead to foot-related lameness.

From the vet’s perspective, localisation and response to diagnostic analgesia (nerve blocks) should always be performed to confirm the source of lameness as within the foot.

Horses with forelimb lameness originating in the foot may look “shoulder lame”, as they generally pull up and away at the shoulder/neck region. It is important to be focusing on the right area from the start of the treatment.

Before rushing the horse into the MRI scanner, good-quality foot radiographs are essential. A number of conditions can be diagnosed without MRI and dealing with obvious foot imbalance may be necessary before progressing to advanced imaging techniques such as MRI.

That said, even in cases where a diagnosis has been reached by radiography (such as navicular disease), MRI can provide information that radiography simply cannot — not only about the soft tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, but also about what is going on inside the bones.

This additional information can inform vet, farrier and owner on treatment options as well as likely prognosis. Indeed, with conditions of the navicular apparatus, for example, radiographs often severely underplay the extent of changes present.

Collateral damage

One area where MRI has been instrumental is the recognition of the importance of injuries of the collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal (coffin) joint.

These injuries are often diagnosed in sport horses, possibly related to the demands of their competition workload on various surfaces. There may also be an association of foot balance and conformation, where medio-lateral imbalance and rotational abnormalities may lead to stress across the joint and hence the ligaments.

Collateral ligament injuries can present as an acute lameness, sometimes seen if a horse suddenly stops and twists at a fence or gate, for example. They commonly present as a chronic, insidious lameness, however, often made worse when the horse is worked — particularly when lunged on a circle.

Diagnosis may be made through ultrasound examination, although full evaluation of the ligament can only be obtained via MRI.

A treatment plan is then made in conjunction with vet, farrier and physiotherapist.

Agreement on best management varies and may include a period of rest and controlled exercise (usually over three to six months), pain relief (systemically or via medicating the coffin joint directly) and physiotherapy treatment (through the ligament at the coronary band or via the hoof wall).

It is agreed, however, that corrective farriery is essential to address any underlying foot imbalance and reduce abnormal stresses across the joint and through the collateral ligaments during the recovery period.

The take-home message here is that if your horse is diagnosed with a soft tissue injury to the foot, make sure that the farrier is involved as early as possible in the management of the case.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 25 June 2015

Professor Renate Weller has been given an award for her presentation on quantifying hoof movement this week (2 March).

The talk titled “The pros and cons of various systems in quantifying foot movement” was voted one of the top four given at last year’s International Hoof-Care Summit.

With over 2,000 international delegates the summit is the biggest meeting of farriers in the world.

Professor Weller’s talk gave farriers practical tips about what to consider recording during horse movement.

She pointed out how quantifying hoof movement is essential in clinical and research work and also discussed the pros and cons of various methods of identifying movement. These ranged from low-end solutions to high-end research lab systems.

“I’m delighted that my presentation was so well-received,” said Professor Weller.

“My aim was to inform the farriery profession of the pros and cons of various methods of identifying movement. For example, smartphones, whilst they are easy and to-hand are not ideal as they can easily fool the human eye.”

Carl Bettison, a past master of the Worshipful Company of Farriers presented Professor Weller with the award at a half-day course on laminitis at the Royal Veterinary College’s (RVC) Hawkshead campus.

“I was lucky enough to attend the 2014 International Hoof Care Summit and listen to Renate’s presentations,” he said.

“Renate’s style of lecturing, which I would describe as relaxed, good humoured and informative, allows her to connect with farriers.”

At the laminitis course academics from the RVC presented on both the pathogenesis and bio-mechanics of the disease. The event culminated in a discussion on the latest practical applications for treatment and case studies.

The RVC has a long tradition of farriery research and is home to the largest animal locomotor research group in the world in its structure and motion lab.

A programme is underway to identify which individual horses and ponies are at an increased risk of suffering from pasture associated laminitis.

The pasture-associated laminitis research project is being supervised by the RVC’s vets Nicola Menzies-Gow and Jonathan Elliott.

For more information visit www.rvc.ac.uk

Summer is a stressful time for hooves. Yet while the assumption might be that hot, dry weather is the culprit when it comes to this season’s hoof problems, the truth is quite different.

“Healthy hooves can cope with hot and dry conditions,” says farrier Simon Curtis, explaining that the horse’s Asiatic origins equipped him with hoof horn able to withstand roasting summers on arid, hard-baked plains.

“What they find difficult to deal with is the constant change from dry conditions to wet and back to dry.”

Simon explains that a long, hot summer is less challenging to hoof health than the more typical British combination of warm, damp spells interspersed with heavy downpours.

“The hoof is pretty good at protecting itself and regulating its own humidity,” he says. “Horses in the dry environments of the eastern Mediterranean and western states of America tend to have good horn that is shiny and hard, like cattle horn. Hooves will adapt to dry but consistent conditions, given time, but they cope less well with variable temperature and humidity.”

During repeated cycles of wet and dry weather, the hoof wall expands and shrinks with the rapidly fluctuating moisture levels. The softer horn becomes unstable and less able to carry weight.

“Superficial cracks will open up and clenches [the bent over nail head on the hoof wall] will rise,” says Simon. “Good-quality hooves will look after themselves, but poorer hooves will develop problems.

“Horn quality has a lot to do with genetics, just as some of us have stronger hair than others,” he adds. “Hooves that are ‘shelly’, with thin, weak horn, will be less able to withstand climatic changes and any fissures in the hoof wall will tend to widen.

“In dry weather, the dryness will only extend a few millimetres up the hoof wall. This can be significant, however, as this is where the nails will penetrate. On the plus side, we see fewer hoof abscesses and puncture wounds when the ground is harder.”

A vicious cycle

So how can hooves be helped during these challenging summer months? If the feet aren’t particularly healthy in the first place, changeable weather conditions, combined with a busier workload, can be a recipe for lost shoes and split horn.

“Many varnishes affect the hoof’s natural ability to regulate its own humidity, but a hoof hardener can help protect weak hooves against climate variations,” says Simon. “Natural substances tend to be better — lanolin is good.

“A substance like this acts as a barrier and can improve moisture levels within the hoof. It is best applied immediately after shoeing, when any varnish has been rubbed off and the product can penetrate the hoof wall.

“Hosing the feet can help, as long as you’re consistent and do it every day,” adds Simon. “Wash any mud from the legs and feet, as mud will draw moisture from the hooves, but don’t lead the horse straight into paper bedding. This will stick to the hooves and will also dry them.”

Simon recommends wood shavings as a suitable bedding for horses with hoof quality issues. “Straw allows air to circulate around the hooves, but shavings are best for keeping moisture levels consistent,” he says. “As far as paddocks go, hooves like sandy soil. This might not produce much grass, but it does allow water to drain away. Standing up to the coronet bands in clay soil is what does the damage.”

The most important thing is to keep to a regular trimming and shoeing schedule in spring and summer, when hoof growth tends to increase.

“A vicious cycle can develop where the shoe becomes loose and the hoof breaks, making it harder to keep a new shoe in place,” explains Simon. “A simple farriery rule is to avoid putting nails in cracks. If nails are placed quite high, above the deteriorating horn, the cycle can be broken and more solid horn will be produced.

“Repair materials should be seen as a temporary measure and not a permanent solution, as any glue on the hoof wall can also draw moisture. Traditional good shoeing is the long-term answer.”

Coping with hard ground

A hot, dry spell can produce hard ground, another summer hoof hazard.

“When the ground is hard, the force of a horse’s weight descending through a single column [the leg] combines with the ascending ground reaction forces,” says Team GBR farrier Haydn Price. “This can compromise the hoof capsule and cause bruising.”

What’s important, explains Haydn, is to distinguish between these soft tissue problems that can make a horse footsore and a conformational development that manifests itself as skeletal overload.

“Talk to your farrier first if your horse is not liking the ground,” he says. “If protection in the first instance, in the form of pads, doesn’t solve the problem, consult your vet.”

Options for protective hoof pads vary.

“A hard, thermoplastic pad placed on the sole gives protection from ground,” says Haydn. “If there is bruising, a form of packing sandwiched between pad and sole can help.

“If the horse has the potential to suffer from conditions directly associated with the coffin joint, a more appropriate approach would be to protect and support the joint using a soft silicon gel pack.”

According to Haydn, a practical farrier will gain a reasonable idea of what’s causing a horse to feel “footy” by looking at the hoof conformation.

“A flat sole is more susceptible to hard ground problems than a vaulted sole,” he says. “The horse might need a combination of a change of shoe profile and additional protection from modern materials such as packing and silicon.

“But be careful when putting pads on that you’re not just treating the symptoms rather than identifying the underlying cause,” he adds. “Open discussion between all parties — rider, vet and farrier — is essential.”

The importance of nutrition

Nutrition should be viewed as a long-term investment when it comes to hoof health, according to Richard Stephenson MRCVS.

“You cannot improve the quality of horn that already exists with feed supplements as horn is essentially a ‘dead’ tissue,” he says. “You can — potentially — influence the quality of new horn as it is produced at the coronary band, but you need to think in terms of using a feed supplement for 5-6 months minimum.

“Generally, hoof supplements should contain a concentrated source of the sulphur-rich amino acid methionine and nutrient methylsulfonylmethane [MSM] for keratin sulphate. The structural component in the hoof horn has a high sulphur content, so it is important to include these sulphur-rich nutrients for optimum keratinisation [horn development] and structural integrity of the hoof wall.

“Biotin is also essential for the production of keratin sulphate. Research has shown that a biotin deficiency can be a major cause of cracks and brittleness in the hoof wall. Zinc can also be beneficial.

“If you are buying a hoof supplement, check that it contains these essential elements.”

This vet feature was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (19 June, 2014)

Can foot shape offer clues about a horse’s potential to stay sound? Dr Sue Dyson explains how research is attempting to quantify the link between poor foot conformation and lameness

Foot pain is the most common cause of lameness in horses from all work disciplines.

Some lameness is due to an obvious cause, such as a bruised sole or poor trimming and shoeing, and can be readily resolved. But a large number of horses have chronic foot pain because of more serious underlying injuries.

It is generally accepted that poor foot conformation and/or balance are associated with an increased risk of foot-related lameness. However, there is only limited factual scientific information to support this.

Since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we have become much better at making accurate diagnoses of these injuries, such as deep digital flexor tendon injury. Yet to determine if there are ways of predicting or preventing these injuries, we need a better understanding of why they occur.

What makes a ‘good’ foot?

In an ideally conformed horse, free from lameness, it is thought that the pastern-hoof axis should be straight and the front aspect of the hoof wall and the heel should be parallel.

The horn tubules — the thin, vertical “tubes” that make up the hoof wall — should be parallel with one another, as should the horizontal growth rings (which may have variable separation). The coronary band should be symmetrical, so that a line drawn between any two comparable points on the band is parallel to the ground.

While there is a lack of evidence-based information concerning foot conformation, some studies have revealed that deviation from this ideal conformation increases the likelihood of foot pain. A large-scale German study, for example, showed that horses with left and right front feet of different shape and size leave the sport horse population earlier than those with symmetrical feet.

To investigate further, researchers at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) in Newmarket performed a study in 2011. They documented photographically the foot shape and external hoof characteristics of approximately 350 lame and non-lame horses. The duration of the lameness was defined as acute (less than 3 months), intermittent (difficult to determine accurately), or chronic (more than 3 months).

All feet were photographed from the side and the photographs were assessed to determine the shape of the coronary band, which was described as straight or curved. The orientation of the horn tubules and the growth rings was also recorded.

The front of the hoof wall was described as straight, concave or convex, and abrupt changes in hoof wall alignment were recorded. Various length and angle measurements were made to describe the shape of the hoof capsule.

Causes of pain

Some of the results surprised us:

• Just half of the feet of “normal” (non-lame) horses had a straight wall — in a third of these, the wall was concave and in a fifth it was convex. In almost half of these curved walls, the angle changed abruptly part way down, usually coinciding with a prominent growth ring. This lack of straightness may reflect, at least in part, previous trimming techniques.
• Just half of the feet of normal horses had a straight coronary band — a third had an overall concave shape and a fifth had concavity in the back half of the foot. The incidence of curvature of the coronary band was significantly higher in lame horses. Moreover, a concave coronary band was associated with persistent lameness.
• One of the most unexpected observations was that a large proportion of non-lame feet had divergent growth rings at the heel and non-parallel horn tubules. Divergent growth rings have previously been considered to be a hallmark of laminitis, but it seems unlikely that such a high proportion of horses had previously suffered from it.
• The average angle of the front of the hoof wall was consistently greater than the average heel angle in both lame and non-lame feet, so the front aspect of the foot and heel were rarely parallel.
• Only the ratio of the height of the coronary band at the front and back was significantly different between lame and non-lame horses, being greater in lame horses. But there was no significant difference in the frequency of occurrence of a collapsed heel between the feet of non-lame and lame horses.
• Some 23% of lame horses had well conformed front feet. In 22% of those lame in one foot, the affected foot had a taller, more narrow and upright conformation. In 10% the lame foot had a long toe and a low, collapsed heel.
  A combination of a long toe and a low heel results in greater contact pressure on the navicular bone, increased strain in its supporting ligaments and the deep digital flexor tendon. This is subsequently associated with increased extension of the coffin joint.
  But chronic — long-standing — lameness may result in the development of an upright foot conformation over time, irrespective of injury type. This reflects lack of normal foot function and altered biomechanical loading.

What can we learn?

This study confirmed that asymmetry of foot shape may be present in foot-related lameness.

There is an overlap between the foot shape of normal horses and those with foot pain. But the presence of asymmetrically shaped feet, a curved coronary band, a low collapsed heel or non-parallel growth rings or horn tubules are potential indicators of a risk of foot-related lameness.

The presence of any of these at a pre-purchase examination should alert you that there may have been previous lameness.

Because this study focused on the foot from the side, however, there are other factors regarding conformation and foot trimming, which may be related to lameness, that were not investigated.

Markedly pigeon-toed conformation or obvious asymmetry of the foot from the inside to the outside are likely to result in asymmetrical loading of the bones and soft tissues of the foot, therefore predisposing the horse to injury.

All horses tend to land on the outside of each foot slightly in advance of the inside. If the foot is not symmetrically trimmed so that one side is higher than the other, the tendency to land on one side first may be accentuated.

The saying “no foot, no horse” holds ever true, and the importance of good trimming and shoeing cannot be overemphasised. Although there are clearly multiple causes of foot pain, good foot conformation, which is symmetrical between right and left limbs, may reduce the risks of the development of foot pain.

Foot pain: which horses are most at risk?

The large number of cases seen at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket provides it with a significant database from which to identify lameness trends.

Some interesting facts emerged when the AHT reviewed all horses examined between 2001 and 2010 for investigation of lameness, poor performance or as part of a pre-purchase examination.

Advanced statistical analyses were performed on 4,618 horses, 1,132 of whom had foot pain. The results revealed:

1. There was increased risk of foot pain in horses aged from 6 to 9 and 10-15, compared with horses less than 6 years old. Horses older than 15 were protected, indicating a “healthy horse” effect (meaning that although one would expect older horses to have more degenerative-type injuries, some animals are simply less injury prone).

2. Showjumpers were more at risk of chronic foot pain compared with dressage horses. This is probably related to the higher forces transmitted through the foot when landing over fences, and the strains placed on the soft tissues of the foot when performing the quick turns that are very much part of showjumping.

3. Thoroughbred cross-breeds had a higher risk compared with warmbloods.

4. Horses with a high bodyweight to height ratio, indicating that they were overweight, were more at risk than horses in leaner bodily condition. This may reflect the relative loads transmitted through feet of similar size, with higher loads in the overweight horses.

H&H guide to spotting problems

A “normal” foot. The front of the hoof wall and the heel are approximately parallel and the coronary band is straight. The growth rings are parallel and so are the horn tubules.

Here, the front of the foot is more upright than the heel.

Notice here that the coronary band is not straight — it curves above the thin red line. Curvature of the coronary band is seen more in lame horses.

The outside aspect of the coronary band (the arrow on the right) on this fore foot is higher than the inside, reflecting different lengths of the hoof wall.

A low, collapsed heel rolling inwards under the back of the foot — the horn tubules (the vertical “tubes” that make up the hoof wall) are not parallel and are being crushed in the heel area.

There is a common belief that a laminitic foot – or a hoof with an abscess brewing within it – may be hot. This is usually detected by feeling one foot and comparing it with the other.

But just how accurate is this as a diagnostic tool?

Vets in Denmark decided to record the temperature of the coronary bands of horses over a four-day period, taking measurements of all four feet every hour between 8am and 10pm.

To make things interesting, they repeated the experiment three times using the same horses on three different diets, including a high-fructan diet that risked causing laminitis.

The experiments were conducted during the spring in Denmark, when there can be wide variations in ambient temperatures between day and night.

The results showed no association at all with diet, even on the laminitis-inducing feed, so they ruled out foot temperature as an indicator of an impending laminitic attack.

They also showed that the temperature varied by as much as 17 °C between two feet belonging to the same healthy horse at the same time.

There was a regular daily rhythm in coronary band temperature, which was linked closely to the ambient temperature of the stable – rising during the day and falling again in the evening.

Interestingly, these changes could be dramatic and were not always gradual.

Even though the temperature of the surroundings increased and decreased smoothly throughout the day, the temperatures of the coronary bands could jump in big steps.

The conclusion? Do not read too much into the temperature of the coronary bands – even in healthy horses there can be wide variations.

Your dog may love the hoof parings discarded when your horse is shod – but vets are warning that large chunks could be potentially fatal.

Owners are warned to clean up quickly after the farrier visits – before their dog does.

Fourteen-year-old Mutley (pictured) had more than a foot of small intestine removed last month after swallowing four nails along with a substantial amount of hoof.

Mutley’s owner – cross-country course-designer Douglas Weymouth – called the vet as Mutley was vomiting and wouldn’t touch his food the day after the farrier had visited.

Ann Noble from the Paragon Veterinary Group in Cumbria carried out emergency surgery.

“Mutley really wasn’t very well,” she told H&H.

“He had a serious impaction in his gut where we found a large piece of hoof and four nails wedged.”

Ms Noble said Mutley was lucky and is now “fighting fit”.

Mr Weymouth added: “Mutley has always been quite a tough sort, being a cross of ridgeback and collie, and this helped him get back to full strength.”

Ms Noble said the case was a first for her.

“We’re aware dogs do eat bits of hoof and there’s the danger they’ll hoover up larger pieces and even nails.

“I’d advise to keep the dogs away when a farrier is around, just in case. It could be nasty.”

Mr Weymouth’s wife Lucinda told H&H she’ll be keeping a careful when her horses are being shod in future.

“I’d absolutely warn other owners to at least check what their dogs are snuffling up. It would have been very painful and was very touch and go, we caught it just in time.”

H&H veterinary adviser Karen Coumbe also issued a warning.

“I haven’t seen a case like this before, but on several occasions have had horses that have trodden on discarded nails – as well as many burst tyres,” she said.

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (12 January 2012)

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A farrier and blacksmith from Essex is celebrating after joining an elite band of farriers to be awarded a PhD.

Chris Pardoe completed his doctorate at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). He studied part-time for 10 years.

His research into “the mechanics of hoof impact and loading in the horse” establishes the extent to which the hoof slips when it makes contact with the ground.

He describes slippage as “nature’s way of lessening force” and says his findings have implications for the way we shoe horses – and use accessories such as studs.

Dr Pardoe told H&H: “I found that the foot is still moving even when it appears stationary to the eye.

“We put things on a horse’s foot without giving it a thought – there needs to be more research into how we shoe horses, what materials we use – and how this affects the limb in the long-term.”

Dr Pardoe said he was “daunted” when a professor at the RVC asked if he’d like to do a PhD.

“I’m a farrier, not an academic,” he told H&H.

“I still do a bit of shoeing, to keep my hand in – but now the academic work has rather taken over.”

Lecturing and research now take up most of his time. And he admits there are certain benefits to academia.

“On a sunny day, it’s nice to be out at a shoeing competition,” he said. “But with winter on the way, I don’t miss it so much!”

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (13 October, 2011)

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Silverfeet, a new balm that utilises silver to prevent equine hoof bacteria and fungi, has been launched by HS-Silver.

It is made from natural ingredients and comes in a range of colours — natural, girly pink, boy’s blue and black.

A spokesman for Silverfeet said: “Laboratory experiments have shown that the silver in Silverfeet prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi sampled from infected hooves within just hours of application.”

These bacteria and fungi can lead to equine thrush and white line disease.

The balm, which should be applied twice a day to the wall, sole and frog, can be used as a preventative or to treat an existing problem.

As an introductory offer the product is priced at £7.50 for 400ml.

For more information visit www.silverfeet.co.uk

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A new hoofcare product has been launched by Absorbine.

The Hooflex Natural Spray contains six active natural and herbal ingredients including tea tree oil, arnica, comfrey and avocado oil.

These help promote strong, healthy hoof growth when barefoot or shod, and maintain the hoof’s moisture balance. It aims to enhance natural hoof colour without chemicals or dyes and deep condition for natural shine.

“This is an innovative way to apply hoof dressing,” said a spokesman for the company. “It sprays from any angle, even upside down. And the quiet, non-aerosol spray eliminates messy brushes while keeping the product free of dirt and debris.”

A 48ml bottle costs £11.99.

For more information visit: www.absorbine.co.uk.

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Hoof care experts from World Horse Welfare visited Turkey to take part in a weekend of lectures and demonstrations to vet and farriery students, on 5-6 March.

Turkey is home to approximately 20,000 sport, leisure and working horses and the charity was invited to take part in the event at the University of Sanliurfa near the Syrian border by the Turkish Government.

Director of international training Ian Kelly and farriery instructor Tom Burch lectured to a selection of students at the University, including practicing vets and farriers.

They found that many horses are being shod using out-dated techniques and the wrong equipment.

Mr Kelly said: “We found that some horses have shoes that are made from steel rods used to re-enforce concrete.

“They had simply been cut into circles and then drilled into the hoof.

“These circular drill holes then have square nails knocked into them which do not hold the shoe firmly in place and can cause major damage to the hoof wall.

“Many people there are self-taught but we found them to be genuinely interested in improving the standard of horse welfare.”

The pair lectured to more than 100 people, some who had travelled 1,500km to be there and the charity hopes to organise a lengthier trip in the future to help improve the standards in the non-EU country.

The invitation to visit followed the success of Project Romania, launched in 2006, which has helped to educate practitioners and students in the Eastern European country.

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More veterinary advice

Until recently the clinical significance of horses with uneven feet has been unclear. Perceived veterinary wisdom has pointed to odd feet being more widespread in lame horses, but until now there has been little definitive published proof of such problems

A recent detailed study published in the Equine Veterinary Journal has helped to confirm the clinical concerns surrounding odd feet.

It is an impressive piece of research involving more than 23,000 sport horses and analysis of this new statistical data reveals what many had long suspected:

• The risk of early retirement was higher for jumping than it was for dressage, and was higher at elite level than at the bottom end of the ladder.

• The trait of having uneven feet tended to shorten the competitive life of dressage horses. It was also a significant risk factor at the elite level of jumping, where horses with uneven feet had almost double the risk of early retirement.

• Good conformation of the lower limbs is crucial for a reasonably prolonged duration of competitive life. It was concluded that uneven feet have a detrimental effect on the duration of competitive life in a sport horse population (especially for top show jumpers).

Modern farriery now provides horses with conformational defects such as odd feet with a much better long-term prognosis, as appropriate foot trimming and shoeing can help prevent problems with foals and manage defects in mature horses

Five or 10 years ago it was common practice to make two odd feet look the same, mostly for aesthetic reasons.

The current school of thought, however, is that asymmetric feet should be treated as individual limbs because their conformation will be different, the tension of each deep digital flexor tendon and other structures will be different and, if X-rays were taken, structurally the two would not match up.

The key to managing odd feet is to keep each individual foot properly balanced, as odd-sized feet often have an effect on the conformation of the whole horse, not just the lower limbs.

If you look at a horse with different-sized front feet you will often find that their shoulders are not muscled up equally. This is because they are distributing their weight unevenly. This must be taken into account when deciding upon the best management solution.

For the full article on asymmetric feet, see the current issue of Horse & Hound (26 March, ’09)

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A study into foot balance — defined as foot conformation, shape and anatomy — won the Royal Agricultural Society of England’s Eqvalan Duo Equine Thesis of the Year, presented at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on 7 November.

Warwickshire College student Laura Corbin carried out her research on riding school horses and developed her own objective system to evaluate foot balance and its relation to lameness.

“Foot balance is often discussed among owners, but there still seems to be some confusion as to what foot shape is best,” said Laura.

Laura discovered that poor foot shapes, such as long toes, sheared heels or collapsed weak heels, seem to contribute to lameness, but warned further research should be undertaken before a definitive link can be claimed.

“Using the definitions and measurements from an earlier research paper (Turner and Stork, 1988), I measured the feet of 81 horses and created my own scoring system with a point for each foot imbalance they exhibited,” said Laura.

“Although this was only a small sample of horses, and I did not look at other aspects of conformation, the study appeared to show a relationship between foot imbalance and lameness.”

Her thesis will be presented at the National Equine Forum in March and will be available online soon afterwards.

Judges Professor Graham Suggett, director of equine development at the British Equestrian Federation, Dr Emma Batson of Merial Animal Health, Mars Horsecare’s Dr Pat Harris, and Alison Bridge (Horse & Rider) chose the winner from five finalists.

Laura is currently studying at the University of Edinburgh before embarking on a PhD.

Nottingham Trent student Charlotte White was runner-up with her dissertation: An investigation on occlusal secondary dentine thickness in horses of different ages.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (20 November, ’08)

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Canker used to be seen predominantly in the hind feet of draught horses, caused by spending many hours standing on wet, dirty bedding or in filthy yards. It can, however, occur in any type of horse if the conditions are suitably unhygienic and is often initially mistaken for a non-responsive case of thrush.

It is caused by various bacteria that infect the deeper tissue layers of the frog and the heel. The result is the disintegration of the intertubular horn into a mass of soft vegetative strands caked in a paste of cheesy white pus, with a characteristic pungent odour and a tendency to bleed.

In the early stages, there may be no obvious discomfort or lameness but if allowed to progress the infection can extend to undermine the sole as well as the laminae of the hoof wall. The abnormal finger-like papillae of diseased horn growing out from the frog and adjacent sole are easily recognisable.

Ultimately, the wall itself becomes loose, with its only remaining attachment being at the coronet. At this stage the horse will often “stamp” its foot in discomfort and lameness will become increasingly evident.

Treatment is difficult, expensive and time consuming, due to the depth of the infection. As with thrush, it revolves around aggressively removing the diseased tissue (often necessitating a general anaesthetic), followed by the variable application of caustic agents, astringent solutions and/or antibiotics, plus dressings, hospital plates or even plaster casts to keep the area protected.

This whole procedure may need to be repeated every few days for weeks or even months, before the outcome — success or terminal failure — becomes clear.

What causes canker?

• Unhygienic environmental conditions: Stabling for prolonged periods on soiled, sodden bedding; turnout on constantly damp, swampy or marshy pasture
• Poor foot conformation (especially of the frog): Long narrow feet, prone to contracted heels, with associated small, narrow frog and compressed involuted central groove (see right); sheared heels, where a gap develops between the bulbs of the heels due to a chronic foot imbalance; an acquired frog deformity, perhaps as the result of an injury
• Poor or incorrect foot trimming/shoeing: A badly fitting frog plate of a heart-bar shoe can damage the frog, leading to a secondary infection; a badly shaped shoe, nailed too far back, can prevent expansion and contraction of the heels, leading to shrinkage and possible “rotting away” of the frog; shoeing with full pads, allowing dirt and moisture to collect and fester
• Poor foot care: Not regularly picking out and cleaning the feet

This formed part of a veterinary feature first published in Horse & Hound (26 July, ’07)

Hard ground in the summer can be tough going for horses with thin or sensitive soles. Horse & Hound speak to two riders who have used gel hoof fillers as the solution.

What is it, and who uses it?

Several top riders use gel hoof fillers to protect their horses’ feet. Eventer and Riding Master of the Household Cavalry Richard Waygood uses hydroplastic hoof shields on several of his horses with thin or sensitive soles.

These come as packed granules that, when heated in boiling water, you can mould to the shape of the hooves without the need to remove the shoes. It quickly sets to form a hardwearing, resistant shield that should last as long as the horse’s shoes do, protecting him from stony or uneven ground.

World Single Horse Driving Trials Champion and registered farrier Paul Sidwell has tried a similar substance. This comes in a ready-mixed form and is applied with a “filler-gun”. It is applied to the sole of the foot, setting within 10min.

An advantage to using fillers is that, unlike plastic or leather pads, nothing can get underneath. However, it is important to make sure the horse’s feet are clean and free from any infection before application.

Why is it effective?

“One of my horses is really affected by the going and, even in walk, will appear unlevel on stony ground,” explains Capt Waygood. “But with hydroplastics in, the horse doesn’t seem to feel a thing. At some events, the going’s quite flinty, so knowing he isn’t going to struggle alleviates any worry I might have.”

For Paul Sidwell, it was his horse’s hooves that prompted him to try a gel filler.

“My horse, John, suffers from thin soles, so I tried a soft, rubbery filler that didn’t withstand the amount of work I was doing. I swapped to a firm-set filler that was more durable, although I did notice John’s stride was slightly shorter, suggesting that the filler may be putting some pressure on the sole.”

Can it be re-used?

It depends which type you opt for. The filler Richard Waygood uses is reusable — he removes the lump of gel-like substance from the horse’s foot when it is shod, and puts it in hot water again to form a liquid that can be reapplied.

Is it expensive?

Not according to Richard. “It’s an affordable way of protecting the horse’s soles — one tub costs around £40,” he explains.

Paul’s version is slightly more expensive — a tube of filler costs around £20 and you need one tube per hoof.

How do I find out more?

For more information on available products, visit: www.vettec.com or ask your farrier for advice.

This feature was first published in Horse & Hound.

Most owners have a range of professionals working with their horse. On the healthcare team, there is a vet and a farrier, plus possibly a physiotherapist or chiropractor, an equine dental technician (EDT) and a nutritionist. Also in the mix is a trainer or instructor, and a saddler.

In recent years an increased level of co-operation and interaction has developed between these professions, particularly vets and farriers. Although some problems may still occur, the quality of farriery has improved considerably in the past 20 years and with it has come a mutual respect between equine vets and farriers.

Understanding strengths

In order to improve the relationship between vets and farriers further, it is important to recognise the separate and complementary areas of excellence.

An equine vet might be able to repair a fractured bone with a surgical procedure, but few vets could start from scratch and manufacture a perfectly fitting purpose-made surgical shoe for a particular foot problem.

A skilled farrier might recognise and adjust slight changes in breakover or foot placement, but few would be confident exploring deep in the foot to trace the path of a foreign body.

Vets and farriers need to respect the skills and training of the other professionals on the healthcare team and to use them to full advantage. Problems arise when this respect is lost or when standards of professional courtesy are not maintained.

This can happen when the vet blames the farrier for causing an episode of lameness or when the farrier criticises the vet for paring away far too much of the wall in the search for a foot abscess. In these cases no one benefits, least of all the horse.

It is hardly surprising that some farriers have nothing but contempt for the vet, who turns up with a handful of old rusty tools that have been knocking about in the bottom of the car boot and tries to work on a horse’s hoof. If vets intend to work on hooves, they should have excellent equipment in good order and know how to use it properly.

In the same way, farriers will do themselves no favours by rubbishing the diagnosis of the vet achieved after painstaking investigation and then making guesswork suggestions of their own, or by criticising the instructions to poultice a foot or the request to fit a remedial shoe.

Horse owners can help by facilitating a good working relationship between the farrier and the vet. If both vets and farriers are working on a lame horse, there are some basic rules that will improve the progress of the clinical case.

Rule 1: The vet and the farrier should communicate directly with each other, not through the client

However competent and articulate the client, it is not sensible for instructions, opinions nor discoveries to be relayed through a third party. If during a routine visit the farrier finds something in the foot that requires veterinary attention, it is better for him to give the vet a quick call rather than to tell the client to call the vet. Or if the vet thinks a particular shoe will benefit the horse, the farrier should be contacted directly, or at the very least a prescription should be written out, with suggestions for the farrier.

Rule 2: The vet and the farrier should try to meet face to face over the case in question

Even if only one meeting can be arranged between vet, farrier and client to look at the horse together, it will reap enormous benefits. With both professionals jointly looking at the horse, the diagnosis can be discussed, X-rays scrutinised and a plan of action agreed. Subsequent examinations and repeat shoeings may then be undertaken independently, with phone calls between the two when necessary.

Rule 3: The farrier and vet should recognise and respect each other’s areas of knowledge and technical skill

Vets take the best X-rays of horses’ feet and can interpret nerve blocks, scans and other images. Farriers make the best surgical appliances and achieve the best results with rasp and hoof knife. The two working together will provide the best outcome for the horse.

Rule 4: Vet and farrier should seek each other’s opinion before demanding a particular course of action

Although this is simple professional courtesy, it is often overlooked. A horse is admitted to the clinic for lameness work-up and a diagnosis achieved. It is discourteous for the vet to issue to the owners instructions about shoeing. Is the owner going to shoe the horse? Surely the better course of action is to contact the farrier, explain the diagnosis and suggest a shoeing regime that in the past has given good results. Maybe the farrier has some ideas that will improve the outcome. In the same way, when the farrier deals with a very lame horse with a swollen leg and discovers and opens a substantial abscess under the sole, is it his or her job to tell the owner to get some antibiotics? Owners can encourage the farrier to contact the vet directly and discuss the case. This will build the professional relationship and benefit the horse.

Rule 5: The owner, the vet and farrier should keep in touch through the follow-up in the lameness case

Owners, farriers and vets will do nothing but good by keeping in touch as the case progresses. With the benefit of text messages, e-mails and voice mails, there is no excuse for failing to send brief informative messages about the case if the farrier and vet know that they are both attending the animal.

• This veterinary feature was first published in Horse & Hound (24 August, ’06)

Vickie Weston competes her nine-year-old 16.3hh Irish Draught/Thoroughbred, Winston, in pre-novice eventing and affiliated dressage. He suffers from dry, brittle hooves and bruised soles when the ground gets hard in the summer.

Problem

“After Winston’s winter break, I do a lot of roadwork to build up his fitness. I never trot on the roads, but his feet still crack and split due to the concussion.

“Trying to keep shoes on during the summer is always a problem. In the winter Winston is shod every six weeks, but in summer it can be anything from three to five weeks. He has shallow feet, so once the ground goes hard his soles can become bruised and sore, which makes him go lame.”

Advice given

“My farrier, Joe Bryan, has been shoeing my horses for 11 years. He’s always suggesting new and better ways to improve Winston’s feet, and he suggested using silicone instead of leather pads.

“The pads comes right up to the edge of the shoe — the hoof is completely flat to the floor. Winston seems really happy in them. The silicone is thicker than the leather pads and protects his feet totally from stones or rough ground.”

What she tried

“Winston has worn leather pads throughout the summer between his sole and shoe. This enables him to compete over hard ground without bruising his feet.

“My farrier has also advised me to paint on eucalyptus oil every other day; I have this imported from Japan. I also use NAF Hoof Moist, Kevin Bacon Hoof Dressing and Keratex. I definitely think the Keratex helps Winston’s shoes stay on for longer, and the hoof dressings keep his feet far more elastic and protect his hooves from the British weather.

“He gets a feed balancer containing biotin and is also fed Farriers Choice supplement.

“Winston’s turned out in a small paddock during the day and in a bigger field at night during the summer to keep his weight down. Because he’s a relatively good doer, I have to keep an eye on his weight. He’s ridden six days a week for up to one and a half hours’ a day, which puts demands on his feet.”

Progress report

“We competed in an open pre novice last weekend and finished fourth, with the best dressage score in my section. It’s now three weeks since he was shod and his feet look brilliant. They haven’t cracked anywhere near as badly as usual, and still look like he was only shod last week.

“Winston is working really well with the pads. There really isn’t much difference on a surface, but once on the grass or roads he bowls along as if he is on air. He is also being far more extravagant in his jumping.

“The only down side is that he will slip when cornering on grass if he doesn’t have studs in, such as when I’m doing his canter work, but he hasn’t slipped on the roads. He didn’t slip during any of the three phases at the event and produced his best performances during the dressage and cross-country.

“We are due to compete again a week on Saturday and I’m not worried about his feet at all. Normally in week three his feet are splitting and becoming more brittle, but not this time. It may just be coincidence but since wearing the pads his front legs are nowhere near as filled after hard work as they used to be.

“Although the silicone is very expensive, I believe it is worth it as there are many benefits. I don’t have to worry about work making his feet sore or him pulling off a shoe. I have a much happier horse, who is bouncing across firm ground. I’m really thrilled with how they are working. ”

• Keep in touch with Vickie and Winston’s exploits in the HHO forum >>

This feature formed part of Horse & Hound’s summer horse care special, which also covered readers’ experiences of sunburn, colic and headshaking

Infections of the hoof capsule and horn of horses’ feet are becoming increasingly common with vets treating many more cases now than was normal 10 years ago. However, there are some simply steps that owners can take to help ensure their horse has a strong set of healthy hooves with good horn, which will help prevent bacteria from entering the hooves in the first place.

A balanced diet

The first step is a balanced diet, which contains specific vitamins and minerals so the horse can thrive and work to the best of his abilities.

“It is important to strengthen the horn from inside, as well as reducing the bacteria and fungi from outside,” explains Dr Susan Kempson, of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh, who has been researching the effects of using a topical disinfectant to treat hoof disease.

“I usually recommend that owners feed a high-fibre diet, preferably with some chopped alfalfa included, depending on the horse’s individual requirements. Older horses may also benefit from a glucosamine supplement to promote joint mobility, but ask your vet or nutritionist for advice.”

Supplements

Horses prone to hoof abnormalities may also benefit from a specific dietary supplement to promote horn growth, but Dr Kempson urges caution regarding general supplementation, due to problems caused by excesses of certain nutrients.

“It is very important that owners do not feed any supplements containing excess selenium, methionine or high levels of vitamin A or vitamin D, as they can all be detrimental to hoof horn health,” she explains.

“As an example, a horse given a feed balancer, plus cod liver oil and excessive amounts of carrots in one week could be receiving toxic levels of vitamin A. Furthermore, never trust a supplement if the manufacturer does not put a list of ingredients and guaranteed analysis on the packaging.”

An hygienic environment

Many bacteria thrive in low-oxygen environments such as wet bedding, so good stable hygiene is a must. Stable ammonia can also damage the horn, and once a horse has some kind of horn abnormality, organisms will enter the tissues of the hoof and proliferate.

“The bacterial culprits particularly love warm, moist, anaerobic conditions, which is why horn abnormalities are particularly common in wet summers like last year’s,” says Dr Kempson.

Regular farriery treatment

Make sure you secure the services of a good farrier – alongside your vet, he or she will be a key factor in the recovery of a horse with hoof abnormalities via regular trimming and/or shoeing. A list of registered farriers is available from the Farriers Registration Council, and its website offers a postcode search for farriers in your area – visit: www.farrier-reg.gov.uk

Hoof maintenance

Don’t be tempted to use non-breathable topical dressings, as bacteria could be sealed underneath them. If your horse has a bacterial or fungal infection, consider treating the foot with disinfectant.

First wash the area with a clean brush and allow the foot to dry. Then work a non-toxic, antifungal and antibacterial product into any cracks.

“Greasy dressings just make the situation worse by cutting out the oxygen,” says Dr Kempson. “The disinfectant we used allowed the horn to breathe.”

This veterinary feature was part of a HORSE magazine’s feature focusing on the use of disinfectant as a method of treating hoof infections. The article can be read in full in the February issue of HORSE.

Foot pain is one of the commonest causes of lameness in the horse. The most frequent cause of equine foot pain is pus in the hoof, which is properly called a sub-solar hoof abscess. This is particularly common during a wet winter, when moisture, dirt and bacteria track up through tiny cracks in the hoof. Infection then rapidly develops, with a build-up of pus within the confines of the hoof, which is extremely painful for the horse.

Signs of pus in the foot in horses

In the early stages of an infection there may only be a slight lameness. However, this condition may progress to the point at which the horse is so sore, it will not put the foot to the ground – it is literally hopping lame.

Other signs include:

• Increased heat in the foot – the affected hoof may feel hotter than the others
• Increased pulse – feel it at the side of the fetlock
• Pain and discomfort
• Swelling up the leg, which may be mistaken for a tendon injury
• Pus discharging from the coronary band. If the abscess is not drained from the bottom of the foot, it will often burst out from the coronary band

How to treat pus in the foot in horses

If you suspect your horse has pus in his foot due to an infection, you should contact your vet or farrier to attend to him as soon as possible. The cure is to drain the abscess, which will often involve removing the shoe. Once the abscess has been located and the pus drained out, the foot will begin to heal.

The degree of lameness should improve rapidly within 12-24 hours after the abscess has been opened and the pus drained out. If the lameness does not improve, this may indicate a more serious problem, which will require further extensive investigations.

To encourage the abscess to drain completely, put a poultice on the foot, and keep it in place with a bandage. You should avoid hot poulticing around the coronary band as this might burn the skin. It is also recommended to encourage the infection to drain downwards, rather than burst open at the coronary band.

Once the abscess has drained, you should clean the whole foot. Sometimes soaking the foot in a tub of warm water with a little table salt or Epsom salts will help to clean it, as well as easing the pain.

Your vet or farrier will advise you on how to clean the actual area of the abscess. It may need to be flushed with hydrogen peroxide or other antiseptic solution to reduce the infection.

It is important that the foot is kept poulticed, or protected with a clean dressing, until it has healed sufficiently to prevent further dirt entering the area of damage and reinfecting the foot. Sometimes you can pack the hole made by the abscess with cotton wool soaked in an antiseptic foot spray until it has healed.

Keep the horse in clean, dry conditions until the hole is completely healed, when the hoof may be re-shod.

Some horses seem to have a bigger shoe habit than Imelda Marcos.

When you are paying upwards of £60 every four to six weeks, it can be desperately frustrating if your horse has chipped, cracked or thin feet that don’t hold on to a shoe for any length of time.

Scientific studies in different countries have shown incidence of poor hoof quality in 30-40% of the horses studied. Nutrition is one important factor in hoof quality – in unison with several others including farriery, genetics, conformation, management and environmental conditions.

Hoof growth is relatively slow, at around 0.2mm a day, meaning that the horn takes 9-12 months to grow from the coronary band to the weight-bearing surface. Adverse changes therefore take a while to correct.

You only have to look closely at a hoof to see that it is highly complex in structure. Hoof wall thickness and strength are created by layers of linked cells. The strength of the hoof depends on the ability of such layers to hold together.

Nutrition for the hooves must concentrate on the hoof cells and the lipid “glue” that holds the wall together. Given their complexity, no single nutrient can fulfil all roles.

First and foremost the requirement is for a balanced diet – one containing appropriate amounts of all nutrients, from energy and protein down to the smallest micronutrient.

The B-vitamin biotin, was the first micronutrient identified as a benefit for the production of hoof horn. However subsequent research reveals that biotin alone will improve only 6% of cases with deficient horn quality. Subsequent research identifies that a diet balanced in macronutrients and containing more than 60 specific micronutrients is essential to optimise the horn growth rate and quality in horses.

High-grain, low-forage diets may not support hoof growth. Not only may B-vitamin production be low, but low calcium availability may also result in weakness – calcium is reported as having a direct effect on the attachment of layers of hoof horn.

It is easy to understand why grass fed horses may have nutritional hoof problems, as grass is generally very rich in carbohydrates but usually very poor in essential nutrients.

Changing conditions such as wet and dry weather and uneven ground certainly have an impact on the physical qualities of hoof horn i.e. it tends to dry out and crack in hot dry conditions and become waterlogged and weak during the wet periods. Unless your horse has been receiving the correct lipids in its diet which can be incorporated into the hoof matrix it is likely to suffer from cracked hooves, collapsed heels, horn infections and frequent shoe loss.

Tips to keep your horse’s hooves healthy

• Undertake good equine husbandry when caring for your horse’s feet on a daily basis
• Ensure your horse receives expert care on a frequent basis from a competent qualified farrier
• If your horse has poor feet, take into account the nutrient supply from forage and hard feed, and look for gaps, most likely in vitamin, mineral and trace element supply
• Feed a supplement known to supply the essential micronutrients, combined with an alfalfa-based low cereal diet

First published H&H (3 June 2004). Last updated 16 February 2015

A foreign body stuck in a horse’s foot is a common emergency that is not always taken as seriously as it should be. Although many of these wounds are superficial and respond well to first aid treatment, a deep puncture wound can cripple a horse.

As the hoof is hard and relatively tough, a puncture wound in this area will have been caused by something sharp, and potentially harmful, that is likely to have damaged the tissue.

A nail is often to blame for puncture wounds and may be pushed deep inside the foot as the horse stands on it. If you find a nail in your horse’s foot, it is critical to note:

• Where the nail penetrated the foot
• The angle at which it went in
• How deep in it went – in other words, the length of nail within the foot.When to remove a foreign bodyIn general, it is sensible to leave foreign bodies where they are wedged until you have professional help to remove them – it is important that items do not break off as you work them out. A nail in the foot is the one exception to this rule, as a horse may push the nail in further if it tries to stand on the limb.If a nail is removed, it is recommended to mark the point at which it entered the horse’s foot. However, if the horse is so lame that he is not weight bearing at all, it is reasonable to leave the nail where it is and contact your vet urgently.You need to note where the nail entered the foot, because the deeper it goes, the more dangerous it is – particularly if it pierces the middle third of the horse’s foot, where several vital structures are located (see diagram, below). These include:
• The navicular bone and its associated structures;
• The deep digital flexor tendon and its sheath; and
• The coffin joint.If you suspect that a foreign body may have pierced this danger zone, contact your vet immediately.Preventing infectionWounds that penetrate the toe of a horse’s foot may infect or break the pedal bone, while wounds in the heel tend to produce infection in the area of the puncture.Gently scrubbing the site with a clean nailbrush and antiseptic such as pevidine or chlorhexidine (Hibiscrub), then applying a clean dressing or poultice, can be effective first aid for a superficial puncture. Dilute hydrogen peroxide is also useful to clean out minor wounds.The foot needs to be kept clean and dressed until the puncture has sealed. This will probably take just a few days, providing there are no complications such as infection.Assessing the depth of damageIf a dirty foreign body, such as a nail, reaches any of the vital structures within the foot, poulticing is unlikely to be sufficient.Instead, your vet may recommend taking an X-ray of the area, using a probe at the site of the puncture, to assess how deeply the foreign body has penetrated the tissues. Sometimes, contrast material is used to highlight the site of the injury and surgery may be needed to drain infection and clean out the wound.If vital structures such as the navicular bursa have been penetrated, the chance of a horse returning to soundness is reduced.Bear in mind that punctures to the foot can be misleading – once a nail is removed, the injury can appear so much better that treatment is delayed until it is too late. In such cases, pain is not always a clear indicator that something serious is wrong, so if you are faced with a nail puncture that goes more than two centimetres into the foot, do not delay contacting your vet.Sometimes, lameness may appear a few days after a superficial puncture as a result of infection, which can cause a foot abscess or pus in the foot – this will need to be drained by your vet or farrier.Furthermore, tetanus is a significant risk with any foot puncture and is one of the many reasons why all horses should be vaccinated as a preventative measure.HORSE tip: If you do not have a poultice to hand, a baby’s disposable nappy is ideal as an emergency dressing, to protect a puncture site from dirt and damage and to reduce the chances of infection developing.For practical help on what to do in an emergency, invest in a copy of First Aid for Horses by Karen Coumbe (JA Allen, £19.99).
• This article first appeared in HORSE June issue

Q: My gelding tends to overreach and forge (catch the hind shoe with the inner edge of the front shoe). Can my farrier help stop this?

Farrier Danny Eades replies: Tiredness, heavy going and laziness can cause forging.

Sometimes, farriery can help eradicate this, depending on whether your horse is forging in one of these situations, or if he is doing it all the time.

If he is forging only in heavy going, he obviously finds this sort of ground difficult to work in, so try to avoid it wherever possible.

If he forges when he gets tired, then the problem should become better the fitter he gets.

However, if he is forging all the time there are things your farrier can do. A rolled-toe front shoe may quicken his breakover in front and get his front feet away earlier.

If that doesn’t work, you can (if the feet will allow it) lower the heels of the hind feet to delay their breakover.

The other alternative is to apply a heavier shoe to the hind feet, to slow them, and a light shoe to the front.

Your farrier may also beable to shorten the toes of the front feet a little more than normal.

Q: I’ve discovered the soles of my 13-year-old horse’s hooves are cracking. Also, lumps of his frogs are peeling away. What’s causing this and can you suggest any good feed supplements to help?

Martin Humphrey replies: Your horse’s hooves do not need the help of a supplement. Lots of owners ask me about flaky or cracked looking soles because they are worried. In actual fact this is usually a sign of good hoof health.

The sole of a hoof is usually about half an inch thick (just over one centimetre) and takes two or three months to grow.

If it didn’t start to become flaky and crumbly by this time it would simply get thicker and thicker and the horse would gradually start to grow taller and taller.

So, thankfully the sole’s structure starts to break up so that it can be shed in small flakes.

When horses have flat feet or just thin soles which are very sensitive on uneven or stony ground, the soles tend to be very susceptible to bruising.

It would be unusual for them to show any signs of crumbling because they haven’t reached the right stage of thickness.

When trimming a hoof I pare away any sole which I feel to be excessive, in order to reduce the hoof to its ideal length.

It is best to remove any uneven lumps which the horse would most likely find uncomfortable, just like a human walking around with a stone taped to the bottom of their foot.

The frog does not seem to crumble easily as it is so rubbery and elastic in texture.

Instead it tends to come away in great big chunks. The best way to keep a frog healthy is for the farrier to trim it regularly to maintain it at the right size and shape. Otherwise it will grow too large and big lumps will start to separate away.

Thrush can also tend to get in at this stage.

It used to be tradition for farriers in the BritishIsles not to touch the frog with the hoof knife, but nowadays most will pare away any loose tags and try and reduce any excess growth to keep it in a good shape.

Read more hoof care advice:

• Dealing with a punctured sole
• Treating pus in the foot
• Q&A: Coping with corns

Q: My 13-year-old gelding had quite poor feet when I bought him eight years ago. A combination of good, regular shoeing and supplements helped their condition improve drastically.

However, this year, his feet have started to deteriorate again. He has started losing shoes and his feet have started to crumble, particularly his hinds.

A large crack has appeared on the outside of his near hind that is moving upwards towards the coronet where, at some point, he has obviously sustained an injury.

What can I do to stop the problem getting any worse?.

Farrier Daniel Eades AWCF replies:Your horse’s feet could have simply fallen victim to the wet. In some cases, where horses are turned out in the field all day every day, the feet may become water-logged and fall apart.

If your horse’s feet have become just too soft to hold shoes, the only thing to do is stop turning him out for a few weeks to allow his feet to harden up.

It could be the wet conditions that have caused the crack, and you may find that he has a bit of seedy toe in his white line which is travelling up the laminae, causing the wall to crack.

If this is the case, all the seedy toe has to be cut out. Your farrier will be able to do this and if your horse does need to have a seedy toe infection cut out, he will require careful management to help it heal.

There is a product available from most tack shops called Keratex Hoof Hardener which will help your horse’s feet harden up again.

However, if it is not the wet that has caused this problem, you should look closely at whether anything has changed in your horse’s life, such as his diet or a change of yard. A sudden change or upset will usually come out in the horse’s feet.

You should keep him to a regular shoeing pattern and it would also be a good idea to put him back on the supplements you used before.

Read more hoof care advice:

• Feeding for better hooves
• All about common foot problems
• Producing perfect hooves

When a foreign body penetrates the foot’s horny sole or frog and goes into the sensitive tissues below, the horse’s foot has a puncture wound. It is a common cause of lameness, with the outcome varying from trivial to fatal.

A puncture wound can also be called a pricked foot, solar/hoof penetration, pus in the foot or foot abscess. Common foreign bodies include nails, sharp flints, staples, such as from fences or shavings bags, and pieces of stiff wire.

Early stages

The penetration initially causes bruising and haemorrhage within the sensitive parts of the hoof. Treated correctly at this stage, the lameness sorts itself out within two to three days.

If the wound becomes contaminated, however, an infection develops, with pus and gas building up within the hoof. As the horny sole closes around the point of penetration, the pressure increases, causing extreme pain and severe lameness. If no drainage is provided, the pus will eventually follow the path of least resistance, running under the sole and tracking up the white line to burst out at the coronary band.

Clinical signs

With puncture wounds, there are several obvious indicators:

• An initial acute lameness, which varies according to the position and depth of penetration. Often, this goes unnoticed and may subside within 24 hours
• A more severe lameness may then develop over the next few days as infection builds up. The horse initially tries to take his weight on a certain part of the foot only – eventually, he will be unable to bear weight altogether
• If a hind foot is affected, a stringhalt-type hopping gait may result
• The foot feels hot and you can feel an increased digital pulse
• The sole may be sensitive to thumb pressure, initially in a particular area, then more generally as the infection spreads
• Often, there is a non-painful puffiness of the flexor tendon sheath above the fetlock joint
• Eventually, pus may discharge around the coronet

If you notice any of the above signs, you should:

• Call your vet
• Clean and examine the foot thoroughly. If the offending item is still present, leave it there, or, if you must remove it, keep it to show your vet
• Poultice or bandage the foot and leave the horse in a clean, dry environment

Your vet will thoroughly clean and examine the foot, removing the shoe if necessary and using hoof testers to locate areas of particular sensitivity.

Frog injuries are particularly difficult to find, as any wounds quickly close over. If there is nothing obvious, the vet may recommend tubbing the foot in a bucket of hot water mixed with Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate), or applying a hot poultice. This helps to draw the infection closer to the surface and also softens the sole, making it easier for your vet to examine.

Once the site of injury has been located, the vet will dig away at the sole with a hoof knife until the pus has been released, often resulting in immediate relief. The hole will then be flushed with dilute hydrogen peroxide or the antibioticmetronidazole, both of which work against the anaerobic bacteria that find their way in.

If there is any doubt at all about the horse’s tetanus vaccination status, the vet will give him a precautionary tetanus anti-toxin.You will need to poulticethe foot twice a day for a few days. Occasionally, the drainage hole closes over prematurely, causing the lameness to return. Your vet will then need to pare the sole more extensively. Packing the drainage hole with cotton wool soaked in an iodine solution may help to keep it open. If pus has burst out at the coronet, this should be treated in a similar way.

When the discharge has ceased, the wound should be covered with a dry dressing until new horn has grown. This usually takes about a week and it is vital to keep the foot clean and dry until then. Shoeing with pads may enable a horse to be brought back into work earlier.

Antibiotics tend not to be used as they prolong lameness if drainage is inadequate. However, they are beneficial when the wound is fresh, where there is good drainage, but swelling persists and for deep penetrations.