Four Tips to Keep Your Horse Sound

Keeping horses sound takes planning and attention to detail, but the result—a comfortable horse that’s able to perform the exercise you’re asking for—is worth the effort. Follow these tips to give your horse the best chance of avoiding lameness.

1. Put the horse on a schedule of regular hoof care. Trimming and resetting of shoes should be done at least every six weeks, and more often if your horse has ever had issues with bruising, abscesses, deformities, or other special conditions. Lengthening this interval means your horse’s limbs will be put under a strain, as longer toes cause misalignments of structures in the hoof and leg. Find a farrier who will evaluate your horse as an individual, checking conformation, size, weight, and the use to which the horse is going to be put. Your farrier should be willing to work with your veterinarian to solve any issues pertaining to hoof care.

2. Keep your horse at a good weight. Allowing a horse to become overweight puts added strain on his joints and connective tissue. When a horse is at a good weight, the owner should be able to feel ribs with light finger pressure, but should not be able to see them. If your horse is overweight, find ways to feed fewer calories (restrict grazing time, use a grazing muzzle, feed a lower grade of hay, decrease or stop feeding grain and use a balancer pellet to provide required nutrients) and increase the horse’s exercise program.

3. Set up a realistic exercise program. Build fitness with a program of steady work, beginning with short periods of walking and trotting and moving slowly toward longer periods of more intense exercise. Young horses, senior horses, and horses returning from illness, injury, or layoff need to be conditioned gradually before performing intense exercise. Ideally, work should be scheduled five or six days a week year-round, but this may be impossible for many horse owners. Keep in mind that an unfit horse is at greater risk of injury than if he is in better condition. A horse that stands in the field all week and then is ridden for hours on a weekend is a prime candidate for lameness. Hint: If your muscles are sore after you ride, your horse’s back and legs are probably sore, also.

4. Pay attention to your horse’s legs and hooves. As you groom your horse every day, look for cuts, swelling, or tender spots, and have a veterinarian evaluate and treat injuries promptly. Pick out your horse’s hooves at least once a day, especially before exercise, and look for chips, cracks, heat, or discolored spots that may indicate bruising. Use protective wraps or boots to prevent injuries when training or transporting the horse. If you aren’t familiar with wraps or boots, find someone who can teach you how to use them. Leg bandages that are applied too tightly can cause permanent tendon injury. Periodically, have someone lead your horse at a walk and trot as you watch from the front, rear, and side. Keep an eye out for irregular stride length or head-bobbing as the horse moves, and ask a veterinarian for advice on these indications of pain or lameness. As a protective measure, consider using a joint supplement even if your horse shows no signs of joint problems.