Page 164 - February 2021

EQUINE HEALTH
HOOF CARE FOR FOALS
by Heather Smith Thomas
There are several reasons to start handling a foal’s feet in the first days and weeks of life. This is a basic part of his early
training, so he will be easy to trim and shoe when he grows up. Also, if there are abnor- malities or slight deviations from desired leg conformation, corrections can be done early and gradually so the legs can straighten as the foal grows.
A leg that is slightly out of line may get worse as a foal grows without proper foot trimming to help balance it. A leg that is crooked, or a foot that toes in or out will result in uneven wear on the hoof. As the hoof wears unevenly, the problem may be compounded and it becomes a vicious cycle - the more the foot wears unevenly, the more crooked the foot or leg becomes, the more uneven it wears.
In a young animal that is still growing, you can make minor corrections that will straighten a leg, but if you overdo it, you
can adversely affect the joints on up the leg. Corrections are best done in very small incre- ments, and often. This is more effective and less stressful to feet and legs than going too long between trimmings and having to take off more hoof at once.
Also, keep in mind that many young foals toe out at first due to lack of muscle develop- ment. These generally straighten up on their own later as they grow and fill out. If you try to correct them, they will become crooked later due to your interference with bone growth.
A young horse has different parameters and proportions than an adult horse, such as longer legs and shorter neck and not as deep a
body. A foals’ front end is not fully developed, especially the pectoral muscles.
Many foals are a little base wide (feet tend to splay outward) because they are so narrow through the chest but become straighter as they grow up and fill out. If you try to correct them very much as foals, you may do more harm than good because you have actually overcor- rected by the time they are yearlings or 2 year olds. A foal that’s a little splay-footed is usually nothing to worry about. As the foals’ pectoral muscles and shoulders fill out, this pushes the elbows out and turns his feet in, making the legs straight as he grows.
Another factor involves the growth plates and the cartilage that turns to bone, at the ends of the long bones, lengthening them as the
foal grows. Weight-bearing and compression
“If you are picking up their foot and holding it up, you are asking them to go against a hard-wired instinctive response. So, having their foot held up has to be more pleasurable than the natural anxiety of having that foot trapped.”
It is important to handle a foal’s feet during the first days and weeks of life to check for any abnormalities as well as for training.
162 SPEEDHORSE February 2021