Why You Need Routine Farrier Care

If you wait until your horse is stumbling around or has such ugly feet that your friends will start to talk before you call the farrier your reducing your horse’s health and functionality.  When your horse’s hooves are long they pry themselves apart when they walk.  Kind of like when you jam your long fingernail on a table only they are doing this with every step and they weight 1000 pounds.  This prying can cause inflammation in the hoof which is partly how you get abscesses (pockets of infection).  Also if you live in a wet state like Washington (oh you poor WA farriers) this prying gives openings for bacterial infections often called white line disease.  If this isn’t treated it will destroy the whole hoof capsule.  Not only is this cruel to the horse it can be cruel on your pocket book making you wish you had just paid the normal care every 8 – 12 weeks.