My horse is barefoot. And sound. And his feet look pretty great, if you ask me. What can I do to keep them this way? Are there special products I should be using or certain ways I should be managing them? What if someday he needs shoes? These are just a few of the many questions horse owners ask about their horse’s feet. Here are a few things that horse owners can do to keep their horse’s hooves strong and healthy.

When buying or breeding horses base your decision on conformation and hoof quality. It’s far easier to have healthy feet by buying or breeding horses that already have good feet. If a horse has poor hoof quality then the owner will fight that problem for the rest of the horse’s life. It can be a constant challenge to keep their feet healthy and sound, as well as their shoes on. Two things to look at, when breeding or buying horses, are the coffin bone and pastern bones. The shape and density of the coffin bone has a direct influence on the outer structure of the hoof. The angle and length of the pastern bones also help determine the angle and shape of the hoof. If a horse is born with upright pasterns, he may have a propensity to be club-footed. If he has long, sloping pasterns, he’ll have a more sloping hoof and longer toe with lower heels.

The most important thing you can do for your horse’s hooves is to schedule regular trims to keep them in proper shape and balance. While some owners think bare feet only need trimming once or twice a year, most horses need much more frequent trims to keep the hoof properly balanced and ensure structures are stressed evenly. Regular farrier visits also keep hooves from cracking and chipping. Trim cycles can span four to eight weeks, depending on the horse, time of year, and the work intensity. Most horses should be checked by a farrier regularly, if for no other reason than to check for abnormal conditions that might benefit from some kind of action. Your farrier might discover problems such as thrush, white line disease, bruising, or a chip or crack in the hoof wall. If caught in the early stages and intervention can be done before the situation becomes serious, these issues can be treated with minimal harm done to the hoof. Regular visits by a farrier keep hooves healthy and questions about hoof care answered.

Constant moisture is an enemy of the hooves and can lead to abscesses, cracking, white line disease, and many other problems. Even worse than being constantly wet is an environment where the horse goes from wet to dry to wet over and over again. Even in summer when it is dry because of drought people think the feet are too dry, however they get wet with the morning dew. Then the feet are dry again by afternoon and the horses are stomping flies which can cause the now-brittle horn to crack. Use pest management methods to control flies and the stomping they trigger, and take good care of pastures, using rotational grazing to ensure pastures stay grass-covered.

Another aspect of ideal hoof health is a balanced diet, a steady stream of nutrients, and exercise. Although it’s fairly easy to provide adequate levels of nutrients, overfeeding any one of those can have a damaging effect not only on the feet but on the horse’s overall health. For most horses, green pasture is the ideal meal, containing protein, vitamins, and minerals. When feeding supplemented feeds, such as hay and grain, make sure they supply a balance of appropriate nutrients. Monitor your horse’s body condition, especially if he’s an easy keeper. We tend to overfeed our horses and if a horse is overweight this puts extra stress on the joints, feet, etc.

Besides promoting good overall equine health, exercise also supports condition of the hoof itself. The more a horse moves around the better the blood circulation to the extremities and inner parts of the foot. Movement stimulates the hoof capsule to grow and keeps the feet healthy. Horses that are turned out in enough space to move around or have a regular work program are the ones with the healthiest feet. So, get your horse out and moving as much as possible, especially if he’s not exercised regularly.

Now that you know the healthy hoof factors that play in your horse’s overall hoof health, you can keep an eye on each and make changes as needed to help those feet continue to be healthy and functional and look ­fabulous. If you have any questions or need references feel free to contact Katie Carter, Livestock Agent through Pamlico Extension Office at (252) 876-5606 and katie_carter@ncsu.edu.