| Farriery! |
| Most people wouldn't have a whole page devoted to farriery and the horses hooves, but i am a great believer in the saying 'no foot no horse' plus i want to be a farrier when im older! I hope this info is useful for you (i got it out of the Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship...so its all correct!) |
| Your Farrier should be visit your horses at least 6 times a year (or every 4-8weeks) he should encourage the correct growth and balance of the feet abnd can deal with short term and long term probalems. |
| Before the farrier comes check: The horse should have clean, dry legs and feet There should be a suitable sheltered place with a flat, clean non-slippery surface, where there are no distractions You know what you want/what you need doing. |
| The Exterior of the hoof: Consists of 3 parts, the wall, the sole and the frog. All 3 are non-sensitive, with no nerves or blood suply, so this is why your horse can be shod with out it hurting him, or making him bleed. The Interior of the hoof is made up of lots of bones, joints and sensiive structure, all of which can be damaged if the exterior is damaged. |
| After the farrier has visited check: The shoe is suitable for the horses work. That the clenches are not sticking out. That there are 3 nails on the inside and 4 on the outside. THAT THE SHOE HAS BEEN MADE TO FIT THE HOOF AND NOT THE HOOF MADE TO FIT THE SHOE |
| Types of shoes: Plain Stamped Hunter Rolled Toe Anti-brushing shoe(feather edged) Broad Web Grass tip Surgical Shoe (various types specially made by your farrier to try to help with certain injuries or conditions) |
| Studs: Competition studs can come in various sizes and shapes, depending on what you want to do with the horse. They screw is in specially made holes in the shoes. They should be removed after use, because they unbalance the hoof and can damage surfaces. When the holes are empty they should be filled with oiled cotton wool to stop them becoming clogged up |