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Hooves play an essential role in the way your horse performs. That’s why hoof growth in horses must be a crucial topic of discussion for horse owners. This guide to hoof care reveals how to improve hoof health through proper care and whole body vibration.
When it comes to horse performance, many horse owners focus on factors such as muscle growth and stamina, while neglecting seemingly minor issues like horse hoof care.
Why Are Healthy Feet on Horses So Important?
- Healthy and strong hooves help a horse maintain its stability. They are critical to a horse being able to maintain its balance.
- The impact of a horse’s movement creates a lot of shock waves that would otherwise lead to the bones being damaged. Healthy hooves, therefore, decrease the risk of leg, spine, and other types of body injuries.
- Hooves impact mobility. Horses belong to a group of mammals called ungulates. These support their body weight on the tips of their toes, making hoof health an essential aspect of a horse’s mobility.
As you can see, healthy hooves are critical to overall horse health. Paying close attention to hoof growth in your horses should be a priority.
Hoof Care Tips
Hoof growth and health is naturally maintained by wear and tear, as the horse’s hooves are worn down by the ground. Domestic horses require their owners’ help to maintain healthy hooves. Here are a few things you can do to ensure your horse has healthy hooves and avoid hoof problems:
Feed with Feet in Mind
A balanced diet plays a huge role in helping maintain hoof health. Green pasture is the most ideal meal to promote hoof health, as it provides a good balance of nutrients. Since most horse owners can’t pasture-feed their horses full-time, supplements like amino acids and biotin are recommended for hoof nutrition.
Invest Time and Resources in Proper Exercise
The amount and quality of exercise a horse gets also affects hoof growth. Exercising increases blood flow to the extremities and inner parts of your horse’s feet. As a result, the hoof capsule is stimulated and the hoof grows faster. This is another reason to invest in a horse exerciser.
Get Regular Farrier Care
Farrier care is one of the most important aspects of taking care of your horse’s hooves. Many farriers, including Jaime Jackson, recommend getting farrier care early to avoid serious hoof problems in the future.
A farrier specializes in all aspects of natural hoof care and can help with regular trimming, which protects and relieves stress on areas including coffin bone, joints, and ligaments. On average, a horse needs farrier care every four to six weeks. However, not all horses are the same, so you must study your horse’s hoof growth rate.
Maintain Proper Hoof Hygiene
Make it a habit to regularly check your horse’s hooves for debris, including mud and stones. Horse hoof picks can make debris removal easier. This helps keep the frog healthy and mitigates the chances of problems such as thrush and white line disease, among others.
You also need to be on the lookout for cracked hoof walls, which can result from injury to the coronary band, as these could lead to more serious hoof problems down the road.
How Whole Body Vibration Promotes Hoof Growth in Horses
Whole-body vibration therapy (WBV) involves standing your horse on a WBV platform that delivers vibrations of varying magnitude (up and down motion) and frequency (cycles per second).
In a study on WBV, horses that underwent whole-body vibration 30 minutes per day, twice a day, five days a week, for 60 days experienced a significant increase in hoof growth rates. A couple of reasons for this are that WBV boosts metabolism and improves blood flow. Both are essential to improved hoof growth and enhanced hoof quality.
Hoof Growth in Horses – Be Proactive About It
As a horse owner, you must be proactive about your horse’s overall health—including its hoof health. Use the tips above to take care of your horse’s hooves.
If you need a horse exerciser or whole-body vibration plates, visit Vitafloor and pick the one that suits you best. Alternatively, you can get in touch by visiting our contact page if you need help finding the appropriate product.