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.
Ricky Farr MRCVS gives some helpful tips on how to keep your horse’s hooves healthy through the winter with some easy-to-follow preventative measures.
{"content":"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"}
You might also be interested in…
An abscess in the hoof can be excruciatingly painful for the horse but this common problem is normally quite straightforward
Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Thrush is a degenerative infection of the horse's frog that causes it to rot away and has a distinctive aroma
A hoof being treated for white line disease.
Credit: Karen Coumbe MRCVS
White line disease can be found in all sizes, types and breeds of horse, while donkeys are particularly susceptible to
Credit: Graeme Brown
We asked H&H readers to come up with their top winter survival tips. Here are some of the best...
MA VetMB CertEP CertVA MRCVS
Our equine veterinary expert has more than 30 years experience in practice. She is an FEI vet and has attended the past three Olympic and two World Equestrian Games in her role. She has a particular interest in anaesthesia, pre-purchase examinations, ophthalmology and dermatology amongst other clinical concerns. She has been Horse & Hound’s official veterinary advisor since 1991. Karen is part of the Bell Equine team.