Lorien Stable: Trainer's Notes

[WoodWalker]

I have a problem with the hooves on my 14 year old percheron mare. Her hooves keep chipping really bad. Even after about a week or 2 after
I get them trimmed, the will start to look ratty again. I don't shoe my horses because I don;t stall them and they always loose them from constant walking aroung outside. Any suggestions as to why they are doing this or how I can help it would be greatly appriaciated.
Shea

[galadriel]

Feet chipping can be pretty natural; it may look kind of ratty, but may not affect the foot's performance.

My horses are barefoot also. Between trims, I often take a farrier's rasp and even out the edges. I have consulted extensively with my trimmer about how the hoof ought to look, and what I can do to help. I wouldn't want to jump in and start rasping--but with his guidance, I do feel that I am contributing to the health of my horses' feet.

[CatsTack]

Yep, chipping is natural. It's the hoof's way to get rid of the hoof wall that's interferring with function. As long as your horsey is not lame, it's fine.

Here's the bad part the reason for the chipping is that the hoof wall is too long. The hoof wall is not designed to be weight bearing, that's why it's chipping. If the wall is weight bearing it's getting in the way of the sole and the frog, they are the weight bearing structures. They need to make good contact with the ground.

Hope this helps, Cat

[galadriel]

If the wall grows much faster than the sole, then the hooves may chip a lot; this helps keep the hoof wall at the length where they need to be.

I have been observing that if the feet are really well balanced, then they wear slowly instead of growing then chipping. So a foot which is doing a lot of chipping may not be well enough balanced for the horse in question. Some trim shapes work for some horses...some do not. So even if you have a really good farrier, frequently chipping feet *may* indicate that his/her trimming style is not quite right for your horse.