Articles

An Amateur Point of View:

Feet And Shoes—You Can’t Leave Home Without Them, Part II
by Russ Vento

  Once again, as I did last month, let me stress that I am not a professional farrier or a veterinarian. Everything I say here is based on my own years of experience with farriers and veterinarians, as I’ve tried to learn about my horses’ feet, the shoes they wear, and how this issue effects their quality of life and their performance in whatever we are doing. As I’ve said many times in this column, it is my belief that as amateurs, we need to get involved with our horses’ health and welfare, and to do that, we need to learn everything we can about horse care. Whether we keep our horses with trainers or in our own backyard, in the end, we are responsible them, and the more we know, the better owners we are and the more support we can give our farriers, veterinarians and, if applicable, trainers.
  We’ve all heard the old expression, “No foot, no horse.” It is very important that we keep our horses’ hooves in healthy condition, and that we shoe them correctly for what they do. Last month we looked at shoeing, and the reasons for differences in how horses are shod. This month, we focus on the foot—the foundation of the horse. A horse’s hoof conformation (and how it is shod) affects the bones, tendons, muscles, and joints of the leg. If we have a problem with the hoof, we have a problem with the horse.

Feet
  The most proactive way to deal with hoof health is through the horse’s nutrition. Good nutrition is available to us, but we have to remember that it takes six to eight months to a year to grow out a horse’s hoof. We can’t observe what good results someone else is getting with a nutrition program and figure we can get the same effects after a month or two. It is more long-term. As with everything else, look at as many programs as you can and talk to a lot of people; figure out what works best for your horse. And here is the most important part: Check with your trainer! Many of the hoof supplements available to us are not legal to use when a horse is showing. It is not necessarily that the products are performance-enhancing. Sometimes they can serve as masking agents for illegal performance-enhancing substances. So use any legal supplement when you’re not showing, but if it is not legal around show time, plan to take your horse off it 30 days before a competition. 
  A well-known hoof ailment that we hear about is quarter cracks, which are extremely common in dry climates, but not seen as much in high humidity. A strong and balanced hoof is much less likely to spring a quarter crack. Many times quarter cracks arise because of hard footing or an imbalanced foot or shoe. The shoe could be too tight, or be a quarter- or a half-inch off, so that it’s putting pressure on the inside or outside of the horse’s foot. Sometimes it is like a pressure point, and it has to break or crack. Years ago, quarter cracks were a nightmare; basically, you had to just wait and let the horse’s foot grow out. Many times now you can relieve the pressure point. There are different types of patches to use, depending on the farrier you use and the climate in which you live. The point is to prevent further cracking and to close the crack, which not only repairs the hoof, but also helps relieve the horse’s pain. A common patch is a reinforcing one made of fiberglass, which is applied with adhesive; another is the copper plate patch (copper because it moves like the horse’s foot and it is pliable) that can be screwed on either side of the crack with tiny screws (smaller than one-quarter inch). So quarter cracks remain a serious issue that you have to be aware of, but now you have more options for treatment.
  Another common affliction—in all breeds, not just Arabians—is club feet. That is when the foot goes straight up and down instead of having any angulation to it. The horse will grow more heel on that foot. They don’t grow a lot of toe; when you try to get toe on that horse, you get a dished foot. It not only puts pressure on the heel, but it also puts pressure on the front of that horse’s coffin joint. Also, the navicular bones in that foot will be tipped or straight. Many times you can be aware of club feet when horses are young and trim their feet. You’re never going to get rid of a club foot, but you can trim and balance the foot as it is young and as it grows, and the horse will have a more comfortable life.
  In most cases, club feet are not caused by shoeing. A true club foot is genetic, and is a major breeding fault. The dished foot changes the way a horse goes, because that horse may not be comfortable. It all comes back to balance and angulation, and because discomfort in the foot will affect the entire leg, the end result is usually suspensory or tendon problems. 
  You might hear ‘oh, it’s a club foot, and you can just shoe it differently,’ or ‘it’s a dished foot, and you just fill it in.’ That’s horse pucky. It is a major breeding fault, and while it won’t be the demise of your horse, it will be a constant maintenance issue for your farrier or your veterinarian or both. Club feet have to be managed, and we as breeders need to be aware of that.
  After the show season is over, many trainers pull their horses’ shoes, and let their feet grow and be natural. Others take off pads and put on plates to let the feet get aired out and stronger. All of that is good, but the biggest thing is just to know your horse and know what is good for it individually.

In Closing
  Once again, I am not a professional farrier or veterinarian. This is just what I’ve learned over the years. It is our responsibility to learn about our horses, but if we have a trainer, we need to be sure that he or she will take the time to talk to us, to listen to us, and to explain to us. Of course, we need to know better than asking all of our questions two minutes before our trainer rides into the ring! So we need to establish the kind of relationship with our trainers that we can ask questions and they will help educate us. The bottom line is that if we don’t ask, we have to take what we get.

For anyone who would like to email questions, topics, or comments, I can be reached atinfo@battagliafarms.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Russell Vento Jr. has been involved in the Arabian industry for 25 years, and since 1989 has been a partner in Battaglia Farms. He was honored twice with APAHA Amateur Horseman Awards. To date, he has owned or shown 30 U.S., Canadian and National Show Horse national champions, and he now enjoys watching his daughter Skyler win on many of the horses with whom he was successful. He has been a Large R USAE/AHA judge since 1996.