| practice I see many horses suffering from the ill | | | | very broad range of trace minerals in a balanced form |
| effects of hoof flares, especially the barefoot horse. In | | | | that your horse can easily assimilate. Biotin is another |
| fact, with the barefoot movement becoming so | | | | nutrient that is important for hoof health but if your |
| popular, I see more horses than ever who have | | | | horse has plenty of beneficial bacteria in his gut, these |
| improperly trimmed hooves, sometimes with serious | | | | bacteria produce will produce sufficient biotin. It is better |
| side effects. I've seen many performance horses with | | | | to support your horse's good gut bacteria by feeding |
| health and soundness issues directly relating to hoof | | | | probiotics than feeding biotin because the healthy |
| flares. That's why this article focuses on both the | | | | bacteria does so much more for your horse, including |
| causes of hoof flares and the ways to prevent them. | | | | keeping his immune system strong. Simplexity Health |
| Hoof flares are caused by a weakening of the | | | | also offers high potency probiotics. |
| attachments (laminae) of the hoof wall to the coffin | | | | Overfeeding: Besides making your horse fat, giving |
| bone inside the foot. In wild horses the separation that | | | | your horse too much feed that is high in starch will |
| occurs at the lower part of the wall allows that portion | | | | cause a shift in the bacterial population in your horse's |
| of wall to break off so that their hooves don't grow | | | | hindgut (or cecum). Normally the cecum is designed to |
| too long in soft footing. Horses in the wild live on rocky | | | | digest only fiber but if undigested starch makes it past |
| soil and rarely have hoof flares because constant | | | | the small intestine into the hindgut, the fiber-digesting |
| travel over rough ground (up to 25 miles a day) keeps | | | | bacteria that live in the cecum die off and the |
| the hoof worn off at the correct length. Most | | | | starch-digesting bacteria take over. This shift can be |
| domesticated horses don't live on such rocky soil but, | | | | devastating to your horse because it causes toxins to |
| even so, there is no reason that, with proper trimming | | | | be released into his bloodstream that, in turn, cause an |
| and management, the barefoot horse should suffer | | | | enzyme to be released that breaks down the laminae |
| from hoof flares. | | | | in the hoof wall. Well-known hoof expert Pete Ramey |
| To determine if your horse has hoof flares run a | | | | believes that this is nature's way of allowing |
| straight edge from the coronary band to the ground | | | | excessively long hoof walls to break off easily if the |
| surface of the foot and move this edge all the way | | | | wild horse happens to move into a grazing situation |
| around the hoof. There should never be any space | | | | with high sugar content forage. In the wild horse this |
| between the straight edge and the hoof wall. Does | | | | bounty would be a temporary situation but with the |
| your barefoot horse have hoof flares? If so, you might | | | | barefoot domestic horse long-term high starch or |
| want to consider the conditions that allow them to | | | | sugar diets can cause chronic hoof problems that may |
| form, including both mechanical causes, nutritional | | | | eventually progress to laminitis. |
| causes, and hoof wall infections. | | | | ** Hoof Wall Infections ** |
| ** Mechanical Causes ** | | | | Many types of fungus and bacteria have been blamed |
| Obesity: An overweight horse or a horse with a large | | | | for hoof wall separation or "white line" disease but in |
| body but small feet will tend to have trouble with hoof | | | | reality these pathogens are probably simply taking |
| flares because of the excess weight that has to be | | | | advantage of the environment created in the foot |
| carried over such a small area. In a barefoot horse, the | | | | when the hoof wall attachments become weak from |
| overtaxed laminae weaken and stretch, causing flares. | | | | another cause. Once the pathogen is in place, |
| Dieting and increased exercise are the obvious | | | | however, to promote healthy hoof growth in your |
| answers for the overweight horse but the | | | | barefoot horse you may need to treat your horse's |
| small-footed horse will have to be managed with | | | | hooves even after the underlying cause has been |
| greater care. If you have a small-footed horse you will | | | | corrected. Very minor hoof wall infections respond to |
| need to pay close attention to his diet and be sure that | | | | a topical mix of 1 ounce tea tree oil diluted in 16 ounces |
| hoof flares are trimmed off at each trimming. | | | | of apple cider vinegar. Deeper infections must be |
| Too Long Between Trims: In the wild hoof flares are | | | | treated more aggressively. The best product I have |
| nature's way of breaking off excessive hoof wall. In | | | | found for persistent white line infections is White |
| other words, the hoof wall is weaker where the hoof | | | | Lightning. This product is applied under a wrap or within |
| flares and tends to break off as the horse travels | | | | an airtight soaking boot and it releases a chlorine gas |
| over hard, rocky soil. Without this mechanism the wild | | | | that penetrates deep into the hoof tissue. It does not |
| horse would end up extremely long flared hooves and | | | | affect healthy tissue and the treatment should be done |
| would not be able to run from predators. Fortunately, | | | | once a week until healthy hoof attachments have |
| wild horses constantly wear their hooves down with | | | | grown all the way down and there is no separation or |
| lengthy daily travel. The domestic barefoot horse is not | | | | stretching showing in the white line. Horses that don't |
| as fortunate. Since most domestic horses live on soft | | | | respond to treatment for hoof infections and careful |
| ground and don't travel as much as wild horses, they | | | | management may have a weak immune system and |
| don't have a chance to wear their hooves down daily, | | | | treatment will need to be focused there to see results. |
| a little at a time. Instead, the domesticated horse's | | | | How to Trim Hoof Flares |
| hooves grow flares, which then break off in large | | | | If you barefoot horse does have hoof flares, I |
| chunks. This uneven wear makes it hard to shoe the | | | | recommend trimming them aggressively. When I trim a |
| horse or balance the hoof for even weight-bearing. | | | | horse with hoof flares, I rasp from the front of the |
| The best way to avoid flares caused by hoof | | | | hoof wall until I no longer have any space showing |
| overgrowth is to trim your horse at regular intervals | | | | when I run my straight edge around the hoof. This may |
| and be sure to keep a roll on the edge of the hoof | | | | remove enough wall that shoeing will not be possible |
| wall to allow for easy breakover. | | | | and the horse may need boots or pea gravel footing |
| ** Nutritional Causes ** | | | | to be comfortable. Some trimmers are not going to |
| Deficiencies or Imbalances: Horses need adequate | | | | want to do this but I feel it is the fastest way to grow |
| minerals in the correct balance to have healthy | | | | out a healthy hoof as any flare that is left in place will |
| hooves. Sulfur is especially important because it is a | | | | tend to drag the new hoof growing down away from |
| disulfide bond that holds the hoof laminae to the coffin | | | | the bone. The best plan is to avoid hoof flares and |
| bone. If your barefoot horse suffers from poor hoof | | | | with proper management of the hoof, diet, and immune |
| quality it is important to analyze the nutritional content | | | | system they should never be a problem. |
| of your hay before adding expensive supplements. If | | | | For more information on managing the barefoot horse |
| analyzing your hay is not an option then consider giving | | | | or for one-stop shopping for holistic horsekeeping |
| your horse a food-based supplement such as | | | | products such as those mentioned in this article, be |
| Simplexity Health's blue-green algae, which provides a | | | | sure to click the resource box below. |