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Daily Hoof Care: A Vital Responsibility for Horse Owners

Updated:

December 27, 2024

While partnering with a skilled farrier is essential to long-term hoof health, daily hoof maintenance begins with the horse owner. Your horse depends on you to maintain clean, healthy hooves and to minimize exposure to conditions that can lead to lameness or infection. Overlooking routine hoof care can result in preventable issues—such as thrush, abscesses, or structural damage—that negatively affect your horse’s soundness, comfort, and performance.

Treating Navicular Disease with Farriery

Updated:

August 12, 2022

equine Navicular Disease Farriery, Cole Henderson, horse navicular, navicular syndrome, chronic heel lameness, caudal heel syndrome, No Foot No Horse

Navicular disease, now referred to as navicular syndrome, chronic heel lameness, or caudal heel syndrome, was first documented in 1752 by farrier Jeremiah Bridges in his famous book No Foot, No Horse (published some 40 years before the opening of the Royal Veterinary College in London, England).

Unravelling the Mysteries of Navicular Disease

Updated:

July 20, 2020

equine navicular, petroglyph animal hospital, horse hoof problems, equine hoof problems, equine coffin joint, equine bute

First let’s begin by locating the navicular bone in the horse. Each of your horse’s hooves contains two bones: the distal phalanx (coffin bone or P3) and the distal sesamoid bone (navicular bone). The navicular bone is a small, boat-shaped bone that is bordered by the coffin bone, middle phalanx (P2), and deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT). It is approximately six centimetres in length and two centimetres in width in the average 1200 pound horse.