While routine hoof care is a necessity for maintaining horse health, it also makes horses more comfortable. In a recent study, scientists found that horses take more steps after they have been trimmed and they spend more time in a relaxed position, reports The Horse.
Dr. Jay A. Daniel of Berry College, in Mount Berry, GA, fitted seven riding horses with an accelerometer on one hind leg. The horses wore the device for 23 hours each day for more than two weeks. All the horses lived outside in groups of 12 on the Berry College campus.
Three horses had their hooves trimmed and were reset halfway through the study. The other horses were all handled as if they were having their feet done, but their hooves were not actually trimmed.
The scientists noted that the horses that had had their hooves trimmed and received new shoes took more steps per day than the control group, meaning that they were more comfortable on their feet. The horses also spent more time lying down once their feet had been done, indicating that they were more relaxed, but not sore.
Read more at The Horse.
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