What causes hoof wall separation?

What causes hoof wall separation?

A separation in the hoof wall is considered to be a delaminating process potentially thought to originate from genetic factors, mechanical stress, inappropriate farriery and environmental conditions affecting the inner hoof wall attachment (Moyer 2003).

What do you do when your hoof walls are separating?

There is no treatment or “cure” for HWSD. Management through hoof care and/or the use of special shoes may be attempted, but these options are expensive and labor-intensive. Environmental management and dietary supplementation may also be incorporated to lessen the symptoms and keep the pony more comfortable.

What is a hoof resection?

About nine months later, the hoof has grown out completely and the horse is sound. Performing a resection–literally taking off part or all of the hoof wall–seems drastic, but it can relieve the pressure on the laminae and thereby allow the critical blood circulation to be restored.

How do you tell if your farrier is doing a good job?

But how can you know if your farrier is actually doing what is best for your horse? Your horse should be able to move with the least effort possible at any gait. He will perform better and tire less easily if he can move efficiently. The most important part of a farrier’s job is to maximize efficiency.

Should you tip the farrier?

Although, many horse owners will tip their farrier every time for a job well done. Generally these visits are including in your farrier’s fees, but since our horses like to remove shoes on your farrier’s day off, it’s nice to thank him with a little tip.

How long does it take a farrier to shoe a horse?

My farrier takes about 20 minutes to fully shoe a horse. He trims our 40 horses in about 2 or 3 hours depending on how much we chatter.

What is a hoof pick used for?

A hoof pick is a must-have in your horse grooming kit. Used to clear mud, rocks, snow and other debris from your horse’s hooves, a hoof pick is a grooming tool you don’t want to be without!

What is seedy toe in a horse?

Seedy toe is a separation of the horse’s hoof wall from the underlying sensitive laminae at the white line, resulting in a cavity that fills with crumbling dirt, horn and debris and is prone to associated infection.

What is the best treatment for seedy toe in horses?

Antiseptics and astringents, e.g. dilute povidone iodine or antibiotic wound spray are applied to the cleaned, raw tissues and the horse should be treated with antibiotics, active against both aerobic and anaerobic bacterial infections, if the deeper tissues of the foot are involved.

How do I know if my horse has seedy toes?

What Causes Seedy Toe in Horses?

1. Reluctance to move as much.
2. Blood visible on the white line or hoof wall.
3. Elevated pulse.
4. Cantering instead of trotting.
5. An off-balance gait.
6. Limping on hard terrain.

How do you get rid of white lines on a horse?

The mainstay of white line disease treatment is hoof-wall resection, where a skilled farrier cuts away all three layers of the hoof wall to remove the infected material. A hoof knife or Dremel tool can clear out the powdery hoof wall.

What does white line disease look like in horses?

The white line of the foot can be seen by looking at the sole of your horse’s hoof. The area (that looks whitish) between the outside hoof wall and where it meets the sole is the white line. When this becomes damaged, it allows fungus and/or bacteria to invade and separate the layers of the hoof wall.

How long does it take to cure white line disease?

If you consider a full hoof wall at the toe requires nine to 10 months to grow, then resection halfway up the hoof means it’ll take four to five months to recover.

What do you feed a horse with white line disease?

Kempson’s gave this overall advice on nutrition and white line disease.

• A diet should be well balanced with calcium and phosphorus.
• Alfalfa is a good source of calcium for poor absorbers.
• Avoid excess selenium.
• Copper will protect the horse from too much selenium to some extent.

Is white line disease painful?

Symptoms of White Line Disease The medial (middle) hoof wall is the structure first affected. The initial stages are non-painful. Often the farrier is the first to detect white line disease during a routine trimming or shoeing procedure.

What does thrush look like in horses?

How is thrush diagnosed? Thrush produces a foul smelling black discharge in the affected sulcus of the frog. There is pain on applying pressure to the area. The hind feet are more often affected than the front feet and, occasionally, infection may result in a general swelling of the distal (lower) limb.

How do you treat severe thrush in horses?

Initially, your farrier will also treat the thrush much like a dirty wound, trimming away the loose, diseased frog tissue and possibly applying dilute bleach. You can follow this up with applications of a mild astringent, such as Betadine®, or another anti-thrush product.

What does hoof rot look like in horses?

In most cases, horses who develop hoof rot will go lame to some degree. Lameness may vary from a slight tenderness to full on limping or refusing to put weight on the affected limbs. If your horse goes lame and you suspect hoof rot may be the cause, call your farrier and have her check his feet.