Horses belong to the class of mammals called ungulates. Ungulates are mammals that bring down their weights on the tips of their toes while in motion. The ungulate category often is composed of hoofed animals like zebras, camels, mules, deer and giraffes apart from horses.
The hoof is the toe tip of ungulates, reinforced by a thick and hard layer of keratin. The sole is softer and rubbery in comparison to the outside, but still hard. The layer of solid nail round the toe tips forms a hard wall. The whole weight of the pony falls on the soles and the wall edges.
The hooves of horses keep growing, but are also continually eroded through motion. They take the whole weight of the pony, which can exceed 1000 lbs. Horses are valued because of their strength and their ability to bear humans and other loads for pleasure as well as work. Their mobility is greatly valued, and thus, a horse with issues of the feet can lose his essential usefulness.
Hoof care comprises of three elements: cleaning, trimming and shoeing.
Cleaning
Hygiene is very important in horse care. You have to keep your horse's hooves clean at all times, and take pains to clean them out before and after rides. The hoof pick is an essential part of your horse care cleaning kit. Ensure that even if he is not ridden, your horse gets hoof care each day with the pick to ward off any possibility of thrush.
Trimming
Hooves grow all of the time, and therefore they have to be trimmed regularly to keep them in ideal size and shape and allow the pony to maintain top form. Ideally, trimming must be done once one or two months; it would depend on the uses the pony is put to and his living and work environment. Trimming isn't an easy task, and is most definitely not to be done by amateurs. It requires the services of trained farriers.
Inexperienced and amateur farriers, most usual gaffe is to trim the wall rather too short. Excess trimming is comparable to cutting the nails on your feet too far in. It can cause a large amount of grief. When it comes to hoof care, money mindedness can have terrible effects; the work must be handled by professionals. The expenses involved in hiring an accomplished farrier to get the job done are well worth bearing.
Shoeing
If you are using a pony regularly, you shoe him. Not doing so is the equivalent of your doing rigorous work on your feet without shoes.
We need shoes to protect our feet and horses need shoes for the same reason. While pony feet in their natural state are extremely robust and enduring, they are not intended for the sort of labor humans can subject horses to.
You do get horses that are completely unfit for hard work, due to flat hoof walls or feeble ones. Even these horses do require shoes. You must ask your vet and use the services of a top bracket farrier for such horses, as a good deal of extra care is necessary.
The hoof is the toe tip of ungulates, reinforced by a thick and hard layer of keratin. The sole is softer and rubbery in comparison to the outside, but still hard. The layer of solid nail round the toe tips forms a hard wall. The whole weight of the pony falls on the soles and the wall edges.
The hooves of horses keep growing, but are also continually eroded through motion. They take the whole weight of the pony, which can exceed 1000 lbs. Horses are valued because of their strength and their ability to bear humans and other loads for pleasure as well as work. Their mobility is greatly valued, and thus, a horse with issues of the feet can lose his essential usefulness.
Hoof care comprises of three elements: cleaning, trimming and shoeing.
Cleaning
Hygiene is very important in horse care. You have to keep your horse's hooves clean at all times, and take pains to clean them out before and after rides. The hoof pick is an essential part of your horse care cleaning kit. Ensure that even if he is not ridden, your horse gets hoof care each day with the pick to ward off any possibility of thrush.
Trimming
Hooves grow all of the time, and therefore they have to be trimmed regularly to keep them in ideal size and shape and allow the pony to maintain top form. Ideally, trimming must be done once one or two months; it would depend on the uses the pony is put to and his living and work environment. Trimming isn't an easy task, and is most definitely not to be done by amateurs. It requires the services of trained farriers.
Inexperienced and amateur farriers, most usual gaffe is to trim the wall rather too short. Excess trimming is comparable to cutting the nails on your feet too far in. It can cause a large amount of grief. When it comes to hoof care, money mindedness can have terrible effects; the work must be handled by professionals. The expenses involved in hiring an accomplished farrier to get the job done are well worth bearing.
Shoeing
If you are using a pony regularly, you shoe him. Not doing so is the equivalent of your doing rigorous work on your feet without shoes.
We need shoes to protect our feet and horses need shoes for the same reason. While pony feet in their natural state are extremely robust and enduring, they are not intended for the sort of labor humans can subject horses to.
You do get horses that are completely unfit for hard work, due to flat hoof walls or feeble ones. Even these horses do require shoes. You must ask your vet and use the services of a top bracket farrier for such horses, as a good deal of extra care is necessary.
About the Author:
Horses are Heather Toms
passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of
articles with other horse lovers visit HorseHorses
passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of
articles with other horse lovers visit HorseHorses
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