Appaloosas often have striped hooves. This is said to be a stronger hoof than either a white hoof, or a solid black one. The dual colors provide for strength and elasticity in the hoof wall. Many appaloosa horses are left unshod, barefoot, and do not experience hoof troubles. What horse Read more…
In addition to highlighting the shine and health of the horse’s coat, some designs are intended to help define the musculature of the horse or simply as an identifying or fun mark. Can you do quarter marks on a clipped horse? Quarter marks are the patterns that are brushed or Read more…
Landing toe first increases the likelihood that the horse will develop things like navicular disease, tendon and ligament injuries, and results in increased tension throughout the body. Training your eye to the different types of landings is a really helpful exercise. Why would a horse walk toe first? So when Read more…
Symptoms of equine hoof rot Dark or black discharge, sometimes with the presence of pus. Foul odour. Soft or irregularly shaped frog. Swelling of the lower leg. How do I know if I have hoof rot? Diagnosis of foot rot is typically made by examination of the hoof, looking at Read more…
Appaloosas. Appaloosas often have “striped hooves”, which is a bold up-and-down striping of light and dark on the same hoof. Are Appaloosas the only horses with striped hooves? Hooves. A common misconception is that all horses with vertically striped hooves are Appaloosas. Striped hooves are found in several horse breeds, Read more…
Dorsal stripes are a type of camouflage that helps animals blend in with their surroundings. The stripe is usually black or dark brown and runs down the middle of the back. The coat of a dun horse can be many different colors but is usually some shade of brown or Read more…
Obvious horizontal lines or rings on the hoof wall indicate historical interruptions to hoof wall growth. These lines are caused by a variety of factors, including changes in feed and management, direct injury to the coronet band, stress and illness, and even changing weather conditions over time. What do ridges Read more…
White line disease is insidious, Fraley says, because a horse with it might not show any lameness until it reaches a critical point where the coffin bone is close to rotating. At that point, the hoof can lose sole depth. “Then they can be prone to bruising or abscesses,” Fraley Read more…
mane. On horses, the mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. What is a horses fringe called? The part of a horse’s mane that falls across Read more…
Gabapentin has been used in horses for many years, and is often prescribed as adjunct therapy for horses with pain rising from laminitis, particularly as part of a multimodal approach to pain management. What does gabapentin do for a horse? Higher oral dosing and longer treatment regimens of gabapentin may Read more…