We’ve all heard the adage, “No hoof, no horse.” The phrase endures; sounding a familiar ring years after it was first coined. But how do we know if our hoof care program is really working? We’re pretty good at recognizing a problem like thrush, but for many of us identifying the perfect hoof is still a bit of a mystery. In this month’s “Horseman’s Corner” we share tips on what to look for in the healthy equine hoof.

Form Follows Function

Your horse is designed to be on the move. If we study him in motion, we see that in gaits like the canter and gallop, a single hoof bears his entire weight time and time again. Fortunately, the hoof was designed by nature to change shape, absorbing the impact of that tremendous load. When the hoof makes contact with the ground the arch flattens slightly, concaved sole lowers, and the heels spread...all to absorb the impact of the horse’s weight in motion.

Inside the hoof things work similar to the way your heart functions, pumping blood back to the body. Just like your heart, the hoof has a diastolic phase (a resting phase when blood pools into the wall’s corium) and a systolic phase (active phase when the blood is then squeezed back out into circulation). Because there are no muscles in the lower leg to aid this process, the horse’s body relies on the hoof to pump blood back to the heart. The hoof is often referred to as the horse’s “second heart.”

A Closer Look

The healthy hoof is shaped like a cone, wider at the ground than at the coronary band. Front hooves are fairly round, while rear hooves are more oval shaped. That’s because the rear hooves are the driving force behind the horse’s motion, digging in and pushing off to propel the horse forward.

If you tap on the outside of the hoof wall, you’ll notice that it’s fairly hard, but scratches easily if your horse bangs it on a rock. That’s because the wall consists of a keratinized material, similar to what we have in our fingernails. Keratins are an extremely strong, but fibrous protein, insoluble and as tough as…well…nails or they can be softer and more flexible as in your horse’s skin. Good nutrition is critical to keratin formation; so biotin, vitamin A, E, D3, B vitamins, and minerals like iron, manganese, copper, zinc, iodine, cobalt, and selenium all assist in building healthy keratin.

In a healthy hoof, tiny tubules run straight down from the coronary band to the ground. In a hoof that has suffered past injury or trauma due to illness, these tubules may be flared. Flares can also be the result of a hoof that has grown too long in between trims. If the wall outgrows the hoof, the horse’s weight essentially rests on the wall instead of on the entire weight-bearing surface of the hoof where it belongs. This causes the tubules to break, bend, or twist.

If you look closely, you’ll see tiny growth rings running laterally around the hoof wall. Like the growth rings found in a tree, these marks share a history of the health and vitality of the hoof. Growth rings should be evenly spaced and parallel to the coronet band. Uneven or deeply ridged growth rings may indicate a bout with laminitis, past dietary deficiencies (or overloads), or even physical trauma.

If you pick the hoof up and study the wall from the bottom, you’ll notice that the wall is thickest at the toe, thins a bit at the widest point of the hoof, and thickens again where it meets the heel. There are variations in every hoof, of course, and many hoof care practitioners shoot for uniform thickness all the way round.

In the barefoot horse, the sole often appears calloused and tough. In a shod hoof, the sole may appear flaky and soft. The white line joins the sole and the hoof wall. It should be a thin unbroken groove, slightly yellowish and fibrous. A white line with fissures and cracks can lead to problems. Breaks in the line often allow fungus and other debris to work their way into the hoof wall. If left untreated, this may eventually destroy the integrity of the hoof.

The frog, that funny-looking wedge-shaped cushion is just that...a cushion. It should be left untrimmed so that it can do its job. Frogs will shed quite nicely all on their own, usually twice a year. In the barefoot horse, the frog contacts the ground, acting as a cushion to pump the blood back to the heart. In a shod horse, the frog does not touch the ground and may appear contracted or soft in texture.

We hear a lot about the bars of the hoof. They look like little mountain ranges either side of the heel and are created by the inward fold of the hoof wall itself at the heel. It’s very important to clean the deep ridges or clefts of the bars and frog as this is where mud, debris, and the like can cause problems like thrush.

Balancing Act

Whether you choose to shoe or go barefoot, a healthy hoof is a balanced hoof. A balanced hoof is unique to each horse; the balanced hoof of a Thoroughbred horse in race training might look different that of a draft horse at the county fair. Still, there are some fundamentals that tell the story on both types. Generally speaking, excessive hoof length is not desirable. Excessively long toes lead to lameness in the shoulders, neck, and back and are the leading cause of quarter cracks, painful fissures that originate at the coronary band.

Although we hear a lot about the proper “angle” of the hoof, most hoof practitioners won’t force an ideal angle on a horse whose conformation simply doesn’t support it. Most horses do best when the angle of the hoof wall parallels the pastern angle while the limb is bearing weight. Understand that even on the same horse angles may differ, particularly in horses that have a club foot, are pigeon toed, or tend to toe out. Forcing angles that don’t “fit” is not an effective way to improve gait nor does it promote soundness.

Most shod horses require shoes every four to six weeks. It is simply not good practice to wait until the shoe comes loose. Doing so wreaks havoc on the hoof wall and makes your farrier’s job harder than it needs to be. A barefoot horse requires trimming every four to six weeks depending on the terrain and his exercise level. 

Nutrition, exercise, and management all play a role in hoof health as well. It’s impossible to create a healthy hoof on a poor diet. Your horse should have access to nutritional forage in the form of grass or hay. Limit grain to a bare minimum and replace with forage. Your horse’s hooves and his gut will thank you.