Hoof health is a very important factor for a healthy, productive and happy horse. If the hoof is diseased and the horse has pain during movement, it suffers a lot and the whole thing often entails secondary diseases.
Standing and moving on excessively wet ground often results in soggy horn in horses. This allows bacteria to enter the hoof. This is how thrush develops, for example.
Especially in muddy paddocks or meadows, the hooves are exposed to constant wetness, which can cause a lot of damage.
Boxes or open stalls with a lot of manure and urine are also poison for horses’ hooves because of bacteria and ammonia.
Nevertheless, too much dryness is also not good, otherwise hooves will crack and bacteria will penetrate more easily.
Therefore, from us the following tips for maintaining hoof health:
- – Create as dry a surface as possible for the horse to stand and walk on
- – Regularly muck out boxes and paddocks
- – as much movement as possible so that the hoof expands and remains hard-wearing
- – either set up a watering hole or regularly moisten the hooves themselves
- – every 8-10 weeks call the farrier
- – daily scratch out and clean hooves
- – pay attention to a good basic feed with all nutrients
- – If problems occur frequently, have a blood test done to rule out possible nutrient deficiencies.
You have to take care of the care & feeding, but we can support you with the housing conditions!
With our water-permeable plastic mats you can lay boxes, open stables, feeding places u. Paddocks downright dry!
The excess wetness simply flows away downwards, so that the hoof has a dry base, but is still supplied with moisture by the slightly damp tread layer after a rain.
Mud & pavement paddocks were yesterday!