Head to Hoof Equine Services

I see a lot of posts on social media of horse owners worried about hoof cracks, and often wondering if they can do something to help.

So what are some causes of hoof cracks?:

✴️A diet issue or imbalance - poor wall quality due to low levels of (or imbalanced levels of) minor minerals, poor amino acid profile or low protein in diet, high sugar/starch, etc can lead to poor wall quality that breaks or cracks easily.

✴️Hoof balance issues - excess pressure and load on a certain area or a hoof imbalance can overextend an already weak area of the wall and perpetuate wall cracks.

✴️Laminae issues - a weak laminae connection lends more susceptibility to flaring and excess leverage that can lead to cracking.

✴️Metabolic issues- on a similar vein to the last comment, metabolic issues, especially if undiagnosed or unregulated, can lead to a weakened wall and weak laminae connection. That includes PPID or EMS/IR.

✴️Toe crena/P3 bone loss or remodeling - if the coffin bone (P3) has an area of bone damage, whether congenital or due to pathology over time, the corium around that area can be damaged, making healthy wall production difficult and cause that area to be susceptible to a crack (see The Horse article with Paige Poss on wall cracks and what's underneath them!).

✴️Trim cycle - a cycle that is too long for the individual horse, especially one with weaker walls due to the problems above, can lead to wall cracking issues that are hard to get on top of if the cycle isn't shortened.

✴️Bacteria/microbial issue - sometimes, microbes can invade a weaker area of wall and eat away at the tissue underneath, perpetuating wall quality issues. This can often take topical treatment, sometimes exposing these areas to air to make anaerobic bacteria less willing to "stick around," and a better mineral balanced diet can really help build quality wall that can better withstand these pathogens.

✴️An old injury - some wall cracks stem from a scar from an injury just above the hairline that involved the coronary band. These will usually grow out to a superficial line if properly addressed.

Some horses with hoof wall cracking might need a diet adjustment, some might need a different cycle length, and some might need even need a different approach to their trim. Talk to your hoofcare provider if you're concerned, and see if there's anything you can do to work on growing them out!

Horses with rotational deformities often have very twisty legs with multiple conformational challenges...or do they? The photo on the right is before any hoof care; the photo on the left is immediately after trimming and shoeing. Be careful when labeling conformation vs. posture vs. anatomy! "That's just the way the horse is made" is somewhat dependent on who is assessing the situation!

Be sure to check out Daisy's Patreon Blog for more in depth content!

Surely you’ve heard of neurologic examinations in horses, but do you actually know what they are and how they are performed?

Our friends at UC Davis Center for Equine Health dedicated their latest issue of “Horse Report” to the topic of equine neurology. Below is what they have to say about the neurological examination in the horse:

Equine neurological examinations evaluate horses from head to tail. They are performed to evaluate signs consistent with neurologic disease or to establish that a horse is neurologically normal, such as during a pre-purchase exam.

A neurological exam can be divided into two parts:

• A static examination, which occurs while the horse is standing still; the animal is observed and palpated to determine its behavior, posture, any abnormal reflexes or pain, loss of muscle, numbness, localized heat and swelling.
• A dynamic examination, which occurs while the horse is in motion on the ground but not while riding. The horse is asked to perform some specific steps (see photos below) to determine if the animal knows where its feet are and can control its limbs without, for example, stepping on itself, misplacing its feet, dragging its toes, losing balance or exhibiting other gait abnormalities.
Please note that these steps outline a general neurological examination, and individual veterinarians may favor slight modifications.

If you’d like to read more about equine neurologic conditions, the full issue of UC Davis’s “Horse Report” dedicated to equine neurology is available athttps://cehhorsereport.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk9021/files/inline-files/Horse_Report_Fall_21_web.pdf

IS YOUR HORSE 15 OR OLDER? Read on!

With each passing year, horses are living longer lives and many survive easily to 25 years of age or older. While this is good news, it also means that horse owners need to be aware of changes occurring with age, so they can preserve the health and quality of life of their equine friends throughout middle age and the geriatric years.

For example, Equine Cushing’s disease is one of the most common diseases of horses greater than 15 years of age. This syndrome is better defined as Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) because it reflects the location within the brain that is abnormal, and the clinical signs are associated with abnormally elevated hormone concentrations in the blood.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is another endocrine disorder that can affect mature horses and shares some of the same clinical signs as PPID. Although the two disorders feature some striking clinical similarities — most notably a predisposition to development of chronic laminitis — the underlying disease biology is quite different in each case and successful management requires proper diagnosis by a competent veterinarian first.

Our understanding of both conditions, especially EMS, is incomplete and subject to continuous evolution, but sufficient information is currently available to highlight some important similarities and differences for the interested horse owner. Consult your veterinarian for more information and work with them to develop the best wellness practices to ensure a healthy life for your mature horse.

Additional information regarding the older horse’s care and nutrition is available on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/older-horse-special-care-nutrition

Hoof Comfort

Often, at a trim appointment I'll ask owners how the horse has been feeling or if they've had any hoof sensitivity. Sometimes I'll get the answer, "oh no, they've been great! Just a little sensitive over stones like any horse would be!"

I want to address this because I think many don't realize that hoof sensitivity over stones on a barefoot horse should not be accepted as normal, or ignored!

There are many reasons why a horse can be sore over gravel/stones or harder ground, including:

✳️Low grade laminitic issues caused by EMS or PPID

✳️Diet sensitivities such as high ESC/starch or mineral imbalances in the diet, causing sensitivity even in metabolically 'healthy' horses

✳️A trim that is too aggressive for what the horse is comfortable with

✳️Lack of movement/stimulation to the hoof - such as horses in stalls the majority of the time, or turned out in areas where they don't move a lot or over varied terrain

✳️Internal corium damage from chronic laminitic issues that makes it difficult to grow adequate sole, etc

I want to clarify, as I've mentioned in past posts, that thin soles are the majority of the time a SYMPTOM of a systemic issue, not 'conformational' or genetic! The amount of rock crunching barefoot OTTBs I see would attest to the fact that we don't just have to accept 'weak' or 'sensitive' feet, despite breed, job, or history.

If your horse is uncomfortable on gravel, don't just accept that as a norm. See if there is any part of the diet or management that can be tweaked to improve laminae connection, sole depth, and ultimately, comfort. While not all horses will be "rock crunching," I've seen it done enough times to know that trying some simple changes is easy enough, can't hurt, and just might work!

The Humble Hoof podcast addresses many issues that can cause sensitive feet, so check out some of the interviews we have done there for more in depth info 😊

Hoofcare is a never-ending journey of education. We will never know everything there is to know about hooves and soundness. But that's why it's all the more important to avoid complacency, and always strive for things like continuing education, more research, and seeking to improve the horses' feet in our care.

One person said to me today that "It's the intent that counts. Make sure we make every effort not to screw up." This might seem silly and negative... But looking at it from another perspective, consider this: by making every effort to not screw up, we are actually going to be more careful, more observant, seek the WHY behind what we are doing, and run in the opposite direction of carelessness.

So go out there and make every effort not to screw up 😉 Because we WILL screw up sometimes, but this way we at least will be mindful, aware, observant, make changes and grow as we go.

Experiment results!

I wanted to see how deep the thrush treatment went into the foot, on this particular foot.

There was a little white line separation, very minor, and a area of “seedy toe” in the left heel quarter.
The frog was not good, with 2 slits in the central sulcus, one was pretty deep.
Check my video from yesterday for details.

Findings.
The treatment covered the exfoliating frog well and went deep in the collateral grooves and central sulcus.
Some treatment penetrated the layers in the sole, the layers that looked like they were ready to exfoliate.

Take a close look at the frog, that part in the middle, the central sulcus….
The frog is missing tissue and you can see how much is missing. Look carefully, the gap is perilously close to the inner tissues, by about 2 mm.
Consider the frog exterior should be around 1 cm minimum from inner tissues… 2 mm is not good at all. Would you have guessed this was so deep?

So this leads me to say that thrush treatments that sting and destroy living tissue must be avoided. In this case, the best treatment would need to be gentle and considerate of how deep the slit is in the frog.

This slit would hurt… sensitive tissues including sensitive frog contains pain nerves.

Imagine a deep cut in the bottom of your foot at the heel.
Imaging putting caustic treatments on it.
Imagine how walking would be painful.

Your horse feels the same. Then to avoid the pain would change his gait to land on toes and not heels.
There is not much protection for the coffin bone at the toe. Imagine the huge energy that smashes up the foot as the toe first landing occurs.

Thrush is not to be ignored- I truly believe this. Even if you are told it’s not an issue or won’t hurt…. I’m not a vet farrier or trimmer, however I am an anatomist and have studied over 400 equine feet. I’ve seen thrush cripple horses.

http://www.patreon.com/hoofstudies

How you talk about your horse matters, because it reflects how you think about your horse.

How you think about your horse matters because it is the starting place from how you see your horse's behaviors, responses and needs...
.. and this will influence how you engage and work with your horse.

"He's just spooking to get out of work."

"She's just a snarky mare."

"He's just lazy and doesn't want to respond to my aids."

"She hates the whip."

"He just doesn't want to do it."

How do you relate to a horse if you're coming from that perspective?

Those are all negative words that come from a negative bias, and they make it seem as if the horse is plotting against us or unwilling to work towards a productive relationship.

Their brain simply isn't capable of working that way because of its construction and function.

It's in the horse's very nature to synchrinize and work together as a unit/group/herd/partnership for safety.

How about throwing away those limiting thoughts and replacing them with thoughts that reflect awareness, and offer actual insight to show our understanding of the situation and needs of our partner, the horse.

Replacing those thoughts above with more appropriate thoughts might look like this:

"He's tense or worried about something and it's distracting him from the work."

"She's sensitive and I offer my aids or requests in ways she thinks are offensive."

"He doesn't understand my aids clearly, or is maybe weak and unable to properly respond."

"She was never properly introduced to the whip, so I need to help her to reduce her anxiety."

"He just doesn't understand yet."

How do you relate to a horse if you're coming from that perspective?

The whole idea I'm trying to get at is that we need to drop our defensive negativity bias. Even in our basic thoughts towards and about our horses, because they have a tremendous influence on how we relate to them. This influences the success or failure of our partnership.

It up to you... and your thoughts.

There are multiple ways to consider horses' hoof and body issues - it's so true that everything affects everything.

I like the use of simple straightforward images and language to communicate the essence of an issue. It's easier to remember and easier to recognize when looking at a horse in front of you.

The start of dealing with a problem is to see that there *is a problem. :-)

We can go into details (there are plenty!) and argue the toss over the technicalities and individual variations later!

-- Jane

THE SEASONAL RISE

In the northern hemisphere, starting in July/August horses experience the seasonal rise of a hormone called ACTH, which signals them to prepare for winter, grow a thicker coat, etc. This is completely normal for them.

Problems can arise, however, when this hormonal rise is exaggerated. Issues with improper ACTH levels can lead to hoof sensitivity, weight loss, topline loss, excessive drinking/peeing, udder swelling in mares and sheath swelling in geldings, changes in behavior, or even laminitis (often seeming to "come out of nowhere"). Horses with exaggerated ACTH levels are considered to have PPID/Cushing's Disease.

Many owners test their horses' ACTH levels in the spring to check for PPID issues. When these levels come back normal, they assume their horse is all set for the rest of the year. There is a problem with this assumption, however. During the spring, ACTH levels are naturally at their lowest, and horses with early PPID can have levels well under control at this time, and then "suddenly" founder in the fall when levels rise.

So what can we do to help prevent possible issues during the seasonal rise?

⭐️If your horse has been diagnosed with PPID in the past, consider checking their baseline ACTH levels in late July/early August to ensure their levels are well under control during the start of the seasonal rise. It is possible your PPID horse might need an adjustment in their medication dose to ensure ACTH levels stay within normal levels during this time, which in turn can lessen the risk of laminitis. PPID horses with "normal" ACTH levels the rest of the year can become laminitic during the seasonal rise if their ACTH isn't kept in check.
⭐️If you have a horse that has NOT been diagnosed with PPID but has had any of the subtle symptoms listed above - especially if you've noticed an increase in hoof sensitivity in the fall - ask your vet about testing their ACTH levels. Liphook in the UK has a handy chart for what the "normal" levels should be, on average, for each week in the seasonal rise. Older schools of thought avoided testing during this time of year as the assumption was that "all horses would have high ACTH in the fall," but now the lab ranges are able to differentiate between what is a normal response to the seasonal rise and what is not. Don't avoid testing for fear of a false positive!
⭐️In the future, consider testing yearly to catch any issues as soon as possible. Dr. Andrew Van Eps at New Bolton, a leading laminitis researcher, suggests testing ACTH levels yearly starting at age 10, with the TRH stim test (a more sensitive test used usually in the spring to catch early cases). The earlier we are able to notice these endocrinopathic issues, the more likely we are to prevent laminitis and permanent hoof damage from catching it too late.

This time of year can be nerve-wracking for owners with PPID horses, but with proper preparation and management, it doesn't have to be! Being aware of the potential issues can help owners to better prepare and keep a watchful eye on their horses.

You may notice a lot of us talk a lot about observing the landing and loading of the hoof in motion during rehab. For example, toe first landings can result in injury and soft tissue damage in the distal limb, as the shock absorbing structures of the hoof are not fully utilized.

It's been estimated that the frog, digital cushion, heel bulbs, and laminar junction absorb ~70% of the energy exerted on the hoof during locomotion. And when impacting the ground, the hoof is also decelerating, and needs to transmit shockwaves and vibrations through the joints, bones, and distal limb.

Considering that at a canter, for example, the hoof has 1.5 times the horse's bodyweight acting upon it during loading, ensuring healthy caudal structures is pretty important!

Have you watched your horse's landings lately, and checked the health of their caudal hoof?

Hoof rehab is hard. It can be emotionally and mentally exhausting to deal with a horse with hoof or soundness issues. Next week, I will be publishing a podcast episode on mindset during rehab, and in preparation here are 5 tips for dealing with the ups and downs throughout the journey:

1️⃣ Set small, attainable goals to focus on.

Rehab can feel daunting, so instead of putting extra pressure on your horse or yourself, set easily attainable weekly goals that will allow instant success. This can be as simple as something like, "offer forward stretches daily of both front feet," or "treat the frogs for thrush 4 times this week," or even "get my horse to eat one more pinch of his new mineral supplement." Don't set something too lofty, as that will put extra stress on you and bog you down during the process, or make you feel like a failure if you don't complete it. Little successes will add up to bigger successes over time.

2️⃣ Be optimistic around your horse.

This might feel incredibly difficult, especially when your horse is experiencing a setback, but it is very important. Horses are acutely aware of our emotions and as prey animals, they feed off of our energy when around them. When you're with your horse, don't focus on their soundness or obsess about every little thing about their foot - soon, they might think they have to obsess about their feet as well! Instead, push all that out of your mind and for lack of a better word, be happy. You don't have to lie to yourself and say everything is fine when it isn't, but focus on something else entirely - like how much you enjoy being outside this time of year, or how satisfying it is to shed out the last of your horse's winter coat. You will be less stressed, and your horse will be too.

3️⃣ Stay the course.

It is tempting during rehab to flip flop to various approaches whenever something isn't instantly working. The truth is, it took a lot of time for your horse's hoof and soundness issues to get to where they are, and it takes a lot of time for that to get better and heal. Every time we shift the treatment plan, the hoof and internal structures have to adapt and regroup. Sometimes, this can actually cause setbacks due to the constant adjustments the soft tissue needs to make with every change we do.
Does this mean we never change course? Of course not! But be sure to trust the process a bit, and observe how your horse responds (without projecting your fear/worry/anxiety on them!) and have a little patience.

4️⃣ Find a group for support.

Whether this is an online community, or barn friends who can be a listening ear, make sure you surround yourself with others who can allow you to discuss progress/vent about setbacks/celebrate successes. Don't be scared to include your professionals in this, too, and keep the lines of communication open. When it comes to the pros in your life, don't be scared to reach out and ask questions, but be careful not to constantly challenge or criticize the approaches taken. We as professionals care about your horse and their soundness too, and we are just trying to help!

5️⃣ Focus on the positives more than the negatives.

As a society, it's easy to get stuck focusing constantly on the negatives around us in general. I would even say it's almost against human nature to focus on the positives around us. It's even easy to forget something good that has happened the second we see a minor issue. Use this rehab process as a time to pick out at least one good thing per day that you can focus on. Keep a journal and even write the positives down. Mentally make your positives "weigh more" than anything else. Whether that is that you can see a healthier frog healing from thrush, or that your horse's landings have improved. When times are really tough, maybe it can be just as simple as the fact that this horse is still in your life and that tomorrow is another day, or that your horse is teaching you so much and it will allow you to help others in the future. Don't allow the negatives to bog you down, even when it feels overwhelming.

Hopefully some of these tips are helpful as you go through your rehab journey! Stay tuned for a more in depth discussion about this next Friday on the podcast. ❤️

I saw this quote yesterday and realized how true it is for all things equine.

Often, the more we know, the more we realize we don't know. In the beginning of our learning, everything can seem straight forward and like it has a clear cut solution. It can be tempting to fall into the trap of thinking we have all the answers and that we know how to approach every situation.

But soon, we meet horses that don't fit the mold.

It's those cases that don't fit the mold that push us to grow and learn, and open our eyes to the fact that there is no foolproof method or approach that works for every single horse. It sure can keep us humble.

The horse is our ultimate teacher!