Page 208 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

• sore heels

• quarter or heel cracks
VetBooks.ir • sidebone

•
pedal osteitis
• inflammation and osteoarthritis of the fetlock, pastern and coffin joints

• musculoskeletal pain.

Correcting a hoof imbalance requires skill and experience and will take time. The

conformation and gait of the horse need to be taken into consideration. It is not always
possible to achieve perfect foot balance in every horse and inappropriate attempts to achieve

it can cause a sound horse to become lame.

Helping the farrier

Shoeing horses is a skilled and physically demanding job that requires dedication and

patience. There are many ways in which you can help your farrier and so build up a good
relationship.

• Book the correct number of horses.

• Give advance warning if a particular horse is likely to be difficult and require extra time.
• Have the horses in and ready with clean legs and feet when the farrier arrives.

• Provide a swept, hard and non-slip standing area with good light and protection from bad

weather.
• Train youngsters to allow their legs to be handled and lifted.

• If a horse cannot be tied up safely, ensure that someone is available to hold it.

• Do not apply any hoof dressing before the farrier arrives.

Accidents associated with shoeing

NAIL BIND

Occasionally a nail is driven too close to the sensitive laminae when the shoe is nailed onto
the foot (Figure 6.12b). This can cause pressure on the sensitive tissues. It may cause

immediate lameness but the symptoms may not develop for a couple of hours or until the
horse is worked (Figure 6.13).