HOOF | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Tis The Season: Top Five Winter Hoof Care Tips

The American Farriers Journal has released a checklist of winter hoof care tips that can help horse owners keep their horses' hooves healthy during the difficult cold season.

First, the AFJ recommends maintaining a regular shoeing or trimming interval.

“Even though hooves grow more slowly during fall and winter, regular farrier care is important,” states the AFJ. “If shoes are pulled for the winter, hooves may need to be trimmed more frequently.”

A second tip is to keep stalls and run-in sheds clean and dry with regular maintenance, including manure/soiled bedding removal.

Another part of the horse owner's daily winter routine should be checking and cleaning out each hoof. Regular visual exams can help detect early changes that could signify the beginning of larger problems, and regular cleaning will help prevent a dangerous buildup of snow/ice.

Fourth on the list is to maintain anti-thrush measures.

“In milder winter climates, mud can create as big a problem as snow and ice,” the AFJ warns.

Finally, consider your horse's changing nutritional needs during the winter months. Vitamins A and E are mainly provided by hay, but those levels can drop to less than 20 percent of normal by winter's end. Additional supplementation may be necessary, but as always, consult your veterinarian and farrier for specific advice.

Check out the full checklist at the American Farriers Journal.

The post ‘Tis The Season: Top Five Winter Hoof Care Tips appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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International Jumpers Compete Sans Shoes; Here’s How

The Swedish show jumping team recently won Olympic gold and jumped more clear rounds than any other nation at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but that wasn't their only claim to fame — two of the three team horses did it barefoot.

Most competition horses wear shoes to protect their hooves from wear, provide traction, and prevent issues with the structures within the hoof. However, going without shoes also has its benefits, though horses that have had shoes on for months or years may need time for their hooves to strengthen and grow accustomed to not wearing shoes.

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Dr. Stephen O'Grady of Palm Beach Equine Clinic told Horse Network horse hooves are designed to absorb concussion, accept weight, and dissipate energy. A barefoot hoof has a surface that interacts with the ground to strengthen the overall foot. A shod hoof, on the other hand, bears weight just on its periphery, where the shoe rests on the sole; shoes don't utilize the soft- tissue structures within the hoof.

Though not wearing shoes can improve hoof health, not every horse can go barefoot and be comfortable, O'Grady says. The type of work the horse is asked to do, the surfaces on which he works, and genetics will all play a role in deciding if a horse can stay sound barefoot. The horse's veterinarian and farrier should be consulted before shoes are pulled.

A horse that has had its shoes pulled will need to be acclimated gradually, and have workload tapered to allow for the adjustment. The horse will also have his hooves shaped and not trimmed, so his hooves will look different than those hooves wearing shoes.

Done properly, many horses can transition to going barefoot – even those jumping in the Olympics.

Study Examines Prevalence of Quarter Cracks in High-Performance Horses

Like equine athletes in all disciplines, Thoroughbred racehorses face hoof-related challenges, including quarter cracks. In an effort to better understand this hoof wall abnormality, researchers investigated the incidence, clinical presentation and future racing performance of Thoroughbreds with quarter cracks over a nine-year period.*

A quarter crack is a full-thickness failure of the hoof capsule between the toe and heel that may extend the entire height of the hoof, from coronary band to ground. The separation often results in unsoundness due to instability of the hoof wall or infection of the deep dermal tissue, though many horses remain free of lameness despite the presence of a quarter crack.

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Quarter cracks are thought to arise for many reasons: innate hoof weakness; improper hoof balance; injury or trauma to the coronary band; or infection of the corium, part of the internal vascular network of the hoof. Poor farriery may contribute to hoof imbalance, which could contribute to crack formation. A common finding among horses with quarter cracks is sheared heels, an unevenness of the heels that causes unequal weight-bearing on the bulbs and creates a shearing force absorbed by the hoof capsule.

During the nine-year study period, just over 4,500 horses in a training center were followed. Seventy-four horses had at least one quarter crack during the study period. Twenty horses had two or more quarter cracks. Almost half of all horses with quarter cracks were lame at the onset of the defect.

An overwhelming number of cracks occurred in the front hooves and there was a proportional difference in the number of cracks in the left rather than right front hooves. Most of the cracks came about on the inside of the hooves.

The quarter cracks identified in this study were treated in various ways, though the principle treatments included corrective shoeing with a heart-bar shoe, wire stabilization, and the use of epoxy or acrylic. Treatment goals centered around correcting the hoof imbalance and eliminating uneven movement.

Racing performance following treatment was available for 63 of the 74 horses. Of the 63 horses, 54 horses had at least one start after treatment. When compared to control horses, there was no significant difference in the number of career races, career wins and career placings for horses with quarter cracks.

As mentioned previously, horses genetically predisposed to weak hoof walls might be susceptible to quarter cracks. Racehorses are generally well-nourished, as trainers know the importance of sound nutrition in conditioning an athlete. Aside from high-quality forage and fortified concentrates, horses inclined to poor-quality hooves should be given a research-proven hoof supplement. Biotin should be a primary ingredient in the supplement, but other ingredients will further support hoof health. A high-quality hoof supplement also contains methionine, iodine and zinc.

*McGlinchey, L., P. Robinson, B. Porter, A.B.S. Sidhu, and S.M. Rosanowski. 2020. Quarter cracks in Thoroughbred racehorses trained in Hong Kong over a 9-year period (2007-2015): Incidence, clinical presentation, and future racing performance. Equine Veterinary Education 32 (Suppl. 10):18-24.

Beloved Son Of Secretariat Passes At 30

The great Secretariat had just four of his progeny alive and well in the beginning of 2020. That number would be down to three by 2021. The youngest of his offspring, Secret of the Sea (later dubbed “Strider”), was one of the last foals born in Secretariat's final crop in 1990. Bred by Darley Stud, Strider wasn't destined for the greatness of his father, finishing his career with just one win in nine starts.

Strider was retired by trainer Clint Goodrich and kept as his personal horse, living in Montana and then Colorado, where he came to be owned by racing fans Linda and Scott Riba in 2011.

The couple enjoyed nearly nine years with Strider, but in 2019 his health began to fail. The gelding was diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome, a condition common in older horses that causes hormonal imbalances, which affect every facet of their lives, from their hair coat quality to their hooves.

Though Cushing's disease is sometimes manageable, it is incurable. Strider developed other problems after his Cushing's diagnosis and was euthanized on Dec. 12 due to struggles with his hoof health. He was 30 years old.

Read more at Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

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