The hardships of summer include not only the annoying flies and midges and the unbearable heat but also the long dry spells.
What horse owner doesn’t know it? The hooves become brittle, crack, and sometimes even chip away. Even though it often seems harmless, this sign should be taken seriously. In some cases, it can become so severe that the horse becomes lame and cannot be ridden for an extended period.
So how should you act in these acute situations, or how can you prevent such effects?
The horse's hoof is considered the most important part of horse care. This care includes cleaning, removing feces and debris, and using care products. When bedding is contaminated with manure and urine, the sole and frog of the hoof become dirty, which, if not properly cared for, leads to a decrease in the quality of the hoof horn and rot processes.
The goal of hoof care is to maintain or restore the regular shape of the hoof and the quality of the hoof horn and to prevent the previously mentioned rotting processes.
However, the most common problem in summer is dryness, which affects the hooves and causes cracks. The so-called "stress cracks" are only a few millimeters deep and can be remedied by sufficient moisture. Another type of hoof crack occurs in the lower part of the hoof, extending through the entire bearing edge and often through the white line. Germs and bacteria penetrate the inside, causing hoof abscesses, and the hoof is essentially destroyed from the inside.
The first question you should ask yourself before treating the cracks is: Where do they come from? Cracks occur when stress happens in the hoof. The causes for this are a lack of moisture or too wide or too long hooves.
In cases where cracks are caused by too long or too wide hooves, the issue is often resolved by the farrier’s treatment and usually does not occur again.
Too dry hooves, however, require more intensive and long-term treatment. After exposure to moisture for at least 15 minutes, the hooves should be wiped dry with a cloth and then greased. Additionally, specially formulated feed mixtures with a balanced ratio of minerals, trace elements, and vitamins help to strengthen the hooves from the inside, preventing them from cracking easily. If such an intensive treatment is not carried out, worse consequences, such as permanent lameness or numerous hoof abscesses, can be expected.
