Text: Christine Pinna With the large amounts of summer rain recently arriving, many horse owners will be looking at their horse's hooves while biting their nails and praying for dry weather. But is there something that we, as horse owners, can do to help prevent the inevitable thrush, cracks and chipping that tends to occur in these…
By Shari Michaelis We've all heard the saying "no hoof, no horse," and I would go as far as to say, "no legs, no horse". Whether you do showjumping, dressage, eventing, endurance, or anything in between, your horse's future depends mainly on how his legs and hooves stand up to whatever task you expect him to…
Q: My horses frog peeled off. Is this normal? He’s sound and doesn’t seem bothered, but the whole thing just suddenly seemed to lift up and come off? A: The frog is crucial for overall hoof health, as its tough but elastic tissues absorb concussive forces and cushion the structures within the hoof. In order to…
Q: What is Ballerina Syndrome? A: Ballerina Syndrome refers to the situation where a 'normal' foal changes within a few days of birth to having very upright pasterns, and walking on the tips of his toes. Some suggest that the speed of the bone growth in these foals is too fast for the tendons to adapt, but…
