Mrs. Zackery’s Crash Course in Hoof Anomalies.

Below is the view of the foot most often seen by the bare foot trimmer. These are the structures and areas of the horse’s hoof anatomy that we most often directly affect, when trimming. Learn the names and proportions of each area of the hoof. It will help you trim correctly and also help you recognize a healthy foot.

 When a horse has a problem in one or more areas of the foot, we can have any of, but not limited to, the following:

Bruising- Rupture of the small blood vessels in the foot. The pooled blood is the “bruise”.

Quarter Cracks- can be a mild superficial sand crack, or a deep fissure that goes through the hoof wall into the sensitive laminae below.

Wall Separation- When the hoof wall begins to separate from the inner hoof.

Abscess- An infection, generally caused by bacteria, inside the hoof. The result is a pus pocket that usually works its way out of the foot by following the path of least resistance.

Thrush-Thrush is a that primarily affects the grooves of the Frog. The infection causes a gooey black discharge with a distinctive .

White Line Disease- White line disease is characterized by a separation of the inner hoof wall which may be visible as a hole or crack on the sole at the toe. Bacteria and fungi invade the space between hoof wall layers. As the infection eats away at the hoof tissue, the hoof may appear white and crumbly when scraped with a hoof pick.

Laminitis-The coffin bone of the interior of a horse’s hoof is attached to the inner hoof wall with Velcro-like structures called laminae. When the sensitive inner laminae become inflamed, the horse is suffering from laminitis.

Hoof-Ease is effective in treating many of these pain-producing problems. The reason is because it is not only anti-bacterial, but it also cushions the foot (like walking on a gel sole) and it has drawing ingredients that draw out infection.