HOOVES
This
is one of the most important
parts of the horse.
The
person you call to look after your horse feet is called a farrier. These people
are trained to give simple trims, corrective trims, and to shoe horses. Miniature
Horses go barefoot. In other words, we do not shoe a mini since their hooves are
so small and cannot accommodate horse shoes.
When horse hooves are trimmed, excess hoof wall is removed to allow the horse a
natural way of going. Sometimes trimming may be done in a specialized
fashion to alter the way of going, or change the appearance of the horse's feet
and legs. Trimming should leave the foot's ground surface on a single flat
plane at right angles to its bone support column and preserve natural
angulations of the hoof/pastern/shoulder axes. Removal of too much hoof
wall causes the horse to be sore and removal of too little wall may cause angle
and balance problems before another trimming is scheduled. Average
trimming is 6 to 8 weeks but may extend to 9 weeks, depending upon hoof growth.
Hoof growth is often influenced by the weather.
It is important to check
your minis feet for stones or other debris and clean them with a hoof pick
regularly, especially if you have been driving them on a gravel road.
