Stable Bound Horses

Has the rain and mud resulted in your horse being stable-bound? It is a very frustrating time for both horse and human alike. It may be true that bored horses are at a higher risk of developing stable vices, but most settle to restricted turnout if their field pals are also stabled, and they’ve got access to high quality forage and water.

Horses enjoy being able to play! It is understood that play behavior is of great importance to your horses well-being and as a result we are now actively encouraged to enrich the stabled horses environment. Allowing your horse or pony the chance to have toys in their stable will increase diversity of their environment.

Likits in their different forms act as a good source of entertainment and will help enrich the space for your trusty steed whilst he is in his stable. Using the different Likit holders and their varying level of difficulties, combinations of flavor’s and position in which the toy is in to keep him interested and hold his attention, in turn will be a very effective, low maintenance and safe way to enrich the environment he is living in.

Tackling Mud Fever head on

Mud fever is not a single disease, but can be seen in different forms. It occurs especially in warm, wet weather and is associated with a number of causes. It is certainly not limited to horses that are paddling knee deep in mud!

Mud fever can range from a mild skin irritation to very painful infected sores, and can in some cases cause significant swelling with severe lameness. The condition affects the lower limb, most commonly the back of the pastern.

It starts off as matted hair with dry crusts, caused by the inflamed skin weeping. When the same condition occurs on the upper body it is referred to as “rain scald”.

The bacteria Dermatophilus congolensis causes mud fever and under normal circumstances this bacteria lives in soil as spores and can survive from year to year. These spores become activated by wet weather and this is why we see the disease when the ground is wet.

Carr & Day & Martin have the answer with MF Pro.

MF Pro is a uniquely formulated 3 step system designed to cleanse, relieve and protect vulnerable areas and can help to combat common winter skin conditions.

Freckles is a 15.1hh, 4 year old mare, who has been afflicted with mud fever for some time. Her owners had previously tried a number of products, but with no success.

But MF Pro turned things around for Freckles.

Below is a picture taken before Freckles was treated and another picture taken after the affected area was treated using MF Pro for just 3 days!  As you can see, the results are outstanding

Before

 

After

 

Read on for more information about what MF Pro does and how to use it.

 

Your horse’s hooves and the environment

Following on from our previous blog posts No Hoof, No Horse and Hoof Health – make it a priority and reap the benefits, here we explore hoof health still further. Horse care experts Carr & Day & Martin give us some insights into the effects that the environment has on our horse’s hooves.

But firstly…

What makes up our horse’s hooves?

Hoof horn is constructed of two types of keratin molecules – spring-like spiral structures and more rigid zig-zag structures.

Each structure is formed with the assistance of hydrogen bonds within or between the keratin molecules and the two different structures are bound to each other by disulphide links. These spring like structures are able to coil to absorb concussion and shock, whilst the zig-zig structures are rigid and act as dampers similar to the shock absorbers in a car.

Like the rest of the horse’s body, water is an important component and horse’s hooves are at their strongest when they have a stable moisture content of 25%. Hooves in this state do not readily absorb excess water and are in fact strong, durable and able to withstand the stresses of work and shoeing.

What happens if the hoof becomes water-logged?

Water is naturally present and evenly distributed throughout the hoof and is stored in the hoof either free moving or as bound, trapped water. When the hoof is exposed to excessive amounts of water in its environment, moisture molecules flood the hoof structures.

As a result, the hoof swells to accommodate the water which weakens the hydrogen bonds that form the spring like and zig-zag structures. The weakened hydrogen bonds cause the shock absorbing springs to become stretched, elongated and unable to re-coil.

The hoof structure is therefore changed and ceases to act as a shock absorber. Hooves in this state may look surprisingly healthy, as any minor cracks tend to disappear due to horn expansion. However, the horn is weakened and prone to being soft and crumbly. It is not surprising therefore that shoes are easily lost, especially in heavy-going.

How does the hoof become dry and damaged?

On a hot day, if a water-logged hoof dries out too quickly, irreversible damage can occur to the molecular structure. Rapid removal of moisture from the hoof does not give the spiral and zig-zag structures enough time to re-align. Hydrogen bonds stretch, break and are unable to reattach and realign, so the structure collapses.

This damage can cause the horn to become dry, brittle and often exhibit cracking. Always remember, it is this rapid removal of moisture that causes the damage, so be careful to ensure that your horse’s hooves do not dry out too quickly when wet.

The optimum 25% moisture content is extremely difficult to maintain, especially in wet and changeable climates. More important than achieving a reasonably dry hoof is regulating and stabilising the moisture at a constant level. Maintaining a consistent moisture level allows the molecular structures of the hoof to adjust gradually to change, so damage does not occur.

The key to managing the moisture content of the hoof is understanding the environmental conditions that affect it.

The hoof structure is damaged by rapid fluctuations in the moisture content. Saturation of the hoof in wet winter conditions, and rapid drying during the summer months causes huge moisture imbalances. The rapid drying of a saturated, weakened hoof causes molecular disruption, resulting in visible cracks and splits.

Once weakened by saturation, the hoof becomes more porous, easily absorbing water from summer showers and morning dews. Excess water causes hooves to become waterlogged and weakened in a similar way that our nails become weak and pliable if we spend too long in the bath. However, on a warm day this excess moisture can dissipate quickly, exacerbating existing damage.

There are a wide range of products available from your local tack shop to help keep your horse’s hooves in tip top shape. The sensitive nature of the hoof is well recognised, but there is no simple, single solution to remedy all hoof problems, so management is essential. Carr & Day & Martin’s traditional and essential products have been tried and trusted for everyday care to maintain, improve or protect hoof quality.

Hoof Health – make it a priority and reap…

Following on from our previous post ‘No Hoof, No Horse’, where our friends at Carr & Day & Martin gave us some insights into the complex structure that is the horse’s hoof and explored a total approach to hoof management, in this post we look in a little more detail as to how to keep our horse’s hooves in tip top shape.

Nutrition for healthy hooves

Improving hoof horn quality and growth

Nutrition is essential for healthy hoof growth. Most horse owners are aware of the benefits of biotin, yet if fed alone it is much less effective than if supplemented with its essential pre-cursors zinc and methionine. In addition, several scientific studies have reported a beneficial effect on hoof horn quality and growth when feeding bioavailable calcium and a quality protein. Independent research also shows that biotin fed at 15 mg per day for a 500 kg horse will support horn growth.

When fed at the recommended level Cornucrescine Daily Hoof Supplement supplies a 500kg horse with 20 mg of biotin per day plus the essential methionine and zinc to ensure maximum benefit.

Cornucrescine Daily Hoof Supplement is a premium supplement containing all these essential ingredients in a pelleted form to help build and maintain strong healthy hooves.

Regular Hoof Maintenance

Whilst nutrition can help with the growth of new horn, the hoof horn from the coronet down is actually dead tissue. Once the horn grows beyond the coronary band it is therefore the environment and the management of it that influences hoof health.

Traditional hoof care applications such as oils and greases are excellent for cosmetic purposes, but cannot be used therapeutically as a scientific approach is necessary. Cornucrescine Original Hoof Ointment is a specific daily application developed in 1896 that will nourish and protect hooves, and has been used by generations of horse owners worldwide to maintain hoof health.

Cornucrescine Original Hoof Ointment is successful in stimulating hoof growth when massaged into the coronet and can help restructuring of the hoof if used regularly. This traditional and unique formulation is the only external application of its kind.

Although Cornucrescine Original Hoof Ointment has been recommended and used by farriers for over a century using the latest technology and research available, several extensions to the range have been developed. These are described on the following pages.

All Carr & Day & Martin Hoof care products are available from approved stockists throughout Ireland.

In our next hoof care post we will look at environmental factors that affect our horse’s hooves and how we can manage them to avoid problems in the future.

No Hoof, No Horse

The old adage – no hoof, no horse – is well known by horse owners and carers around the world. From quarter cracks, to thrush, to abscesses to lost shoes… our horses really do their best to keep us and our farriers on our toes!

We’ve teamed up with horse health experts – Carr & Day & Martin – to bring you some insights into keeping your horse’s hooves healthy and as trouble free as possible. In this blog post, we look at an overall approach to hoof management, as well as a look at the structures that go to make up the hoof itself. In our next post we will look at how to keep your horse’s hooves in excellent condition, from regular maintenance, to managing environmental factors.

A total approach to hoof management

With up to date research a scientific approach to hoof care is now possible. The sensitive nature of the hoof is now well recognised, as is the effect of environmental conditions. Unfortunately, as there is no one ‘wonder product’ to remedy all hoof problems a ‘total approach’ to hoof management is therefore the best policy.

The continued health of the hoof is vitally important. There are four key factors which contribute to hoof horn quality and growth:

• Genetics
• Farriery
• Nutrition
• Environment

The role of a farrier is essential. Regular shoeing is vital to minimize mechanical stresses from loose nails and prevents nail holes from becoming enlarged which provides an entry site and breeding ground for bacteria. However However, you can guard against bacterial infection with regular disinfection of nail holes, cracks and the frog.

As well as making sure your horse is shod regularly, involve your farrier in a planned and therapeutic approach to hoof care.

A stabilised moisture content of the hoof is also essential and the external environment can be controlled by applying an appropriate dressing to either prevent or provide moisture to the hoof horn.

Horn quality and growth can be encouraged and maintained by using the appropriate product, in association with a tailored feed supplement.

Understanding the hoof

The hoof is an extremely complex structure and the single biggest factor affecting the horse’s soundness.

The central role of a hoof is to act as a shock absorber and protector of the internal structures. The hoof withstands huge forces from the weight of the horse – whilst standing still and in motion – hence the adage ‘no hoof, no horse’.

Back to basics

The hoof surrounds and protects the lower part of the short pastern, the pedal and navicular bones, as well as the lower part of the deep digital flexor tendon.

The hoof wall grows downwards from a band of tissue called the coronary band or coronet. The horn grows at the rate of a centimetre a month, taking approximately one year to grow from coronet to the ground. The outer covering of the hoof wall is termed the periople and acts as a moisture regulator, however, the shoeing process often removes this important tissue.

The internal surface of the hoof wall consists of a layer of non-sensitive and sensitive laminae, attached to the pedal bone. The underside of the hoof is a slightly concave shape for strength and grip.

Much of the concussion of movement is absorbed by the hoof and beneath the pedal bone is the digital cushion, which absorbs and dissipates the weight from the short pastern. This mechanism widens the lateral cartilage, which spreads the heel, thus absorbing the concussive forces over a greater surface area.

 

Coming soon… making healthy hooves a priority…