horse hooves on grass moving
My horse has sensitive feet: why? How can it be relieved?
Table of Contents
Have you noticed a sensitivity in your horse’s feet? Its hooves are warm and the usual amplitude of its locomotion seems to be lacking? It is important to focus on this ailment from which your pet suffers in order to find the cause. Indeed, foot pain and tenderness in horses can reveal pathologies that are more or less important to treat. It is necessary to find out if the origin of the pain is joint, bone, ligament or other cause. Here’s what can cause your horse’s feet to be tender.
6 Health Problems That Result in Sensitive Feet in Horses
Hoof trimming and pain
Your horse has sensitive hooves, have you thought to check his trimming? It is one of the leading causes of discomfort in the hooves. This care gesture, which aims to round the hooves and balance the support, must be carried out regularly. Improper trimming can cause pain to the horse. Similarly, the person in charge of trimming must make sure that it is adapted to the type of ground that the animal will then tread. If the horse’s foot pain is particularly noticeable just after trimming, it is probably because it weakens the hooves.
Deficiencies
A deficiency of trace elements and minerals can cause pain in your horse’s feet. Making sure that he does not lack anything is one way to prevent pain. There are vitamin supplements to give him so that he is in perfect health.
Hoof infections
It is not uncommon to see a horse have an infection in the hoofs. The fork can be the culprit, but it can also come from heels that are too tight. The grounds on which animals gallop are sometimes filled with bacteria and fungi. As the foot is in direct contact with the ground, an infection quickly occurs. To find out if the forks are infected, test your horse’s sensitivity when you put a hoof pick at the gaps. Normally, he shouldn’t smell anything.
Hoof ailments
But hoof diseases are not always of bacterial origin. Sometimes it is a case of cracked pads, degeneration of the frog, contracture, crack in the heel or even clubfoot, cyst, bleima or abscess. A simple dry or damaged foot can cause sensitivity. Hence the importance of carrying out proper hoof care like the specialized products that can be found at Classequine.com for example. Natural care is to be preferred.
Laminitis
When the blood vessels that pass through the horse’s foot are blocked, there is an inflammatory congestion of the hoof called laminitis. If not caught in time, this disease can cause serious health problems in the horse. Laminitis can be related to overeating protein or dehydration. It can also come from an infection or trauma. Laminitis usually affects the forelimbs or, in rarer cases, all 4 limbs. It is very painful to the touch. It will therefore be necessary to treat it quickly with anti-inflammatories, diuretics and plenty of rest. Once the animal has recovered, it will be necessary to provide orthopedic care.
Some trauma to the navicular bone can cause pain in the hooves and lead to what is called navicular syndrome. It is actually a repeated process of trauma followed by inflammatory episodes that cause the syndrome. Gradually, an abnormality then forms in the motor skills of the foot and causes lameness problems on the forelimbs. Unfortunately, this disease is incurable, there is currently no cure to treat it. Comfort care is provided.
How to prevent sensitive feet in horses?
As a preventive measure, it is advisable to use preventive care for horses’ feet. True cade oil, for example, is one of the essential care to be given to the horse to nourish the horn in depth. Other treatments can ripen abscesses, stimulate the growth of a horn, clean rotten forks or sole, etc.
