Excercise and care of Hoof

EXCERCISE OF STALLION

Exercise is by far the most important factor in keeping the stallions in tip-top breeding condition.

The combination of over-feeding and idleness quickly leads to disaster. More vigorous exercise is required to be given during winter months and in summer, early exercise should be given to avoid profuse sweating.

There are various ways of giving exercise to the stallions. Whatever method is employed, proper exercise during covering season is very essential.

Ridden exercise is the best if it can be safely given to the stallions. For riding stallions, men trained in equitation should be employed. The stallions require l'/2 hours exercise daily.

It should be di­vided for an hour in the morning and 1/2 hour in the evening. The exercise should be alternatively changed into walk and trot at intervals.

In winter, more time should be consumed in trot while in summer more time should be taken in walk.

The stallions should be grouped together for exercise accord­ing to the temperament of the individual stallion. The stallions which resent the company of the other stallions should be given individual exercise.

The area of exercise should be away from the brood mares stables and no brood mare should be visible while the stallions are being exercised.

Enclosed exercising school with a wall all round is also used for exercising and grazing of the stallions.

Exercising track is made all round and central area of the school is sown with Lucerne for grazing.

The track for exercise should be even, soft and at raised level from the ground. There should be no stone or hole on the exercising track.

Dried dung or tan should be used on the track to keep it soft. Before the stallions are taken out for exercise, the exercising track should be inspected daily for its suitability.

The stallions should be exercised under the supervision of a competent hand.

FEEDING AND EXERCISE

Brood mares in liberty get enough exercise and no special attention is necessary for their exercise.

The mares confined to loose box should be turned out every day in grazing paddocks.

Exercise, in whatever form it may be, is essential for brood mares for promoting health and preventing ailments

STABLE ROUTINE

Daily work of the stallion should be carried out according to set routine and daily stable routine be supervised by the Incharge.

The work of the stallions must start early in the morning so that they have enough time for exercise, covering and grooming which should be completed during cool hours of the day.

The first thing when an attendant enters the stable is to clean the water and feeding troughs, then a morning light feed is given to the stallions.

While the stallions are busy in feeding, the bedding of the loose box is removed, the portions soiled with dung and urine are separated and the remainder is laid outside systematically for aeration and drying, then the floors must be thoroughly cleaned by scrubbing. By this time, the stallion finishes his grain feed and he should be prepared for exercise.

His feet are picked up and body lightly cleaned before saddling and taking him out for exercise.

After return from exercise, stallion's girth is slackened, the stallion is allowed to cool himself for about^- 20 minutes before the saddle is taken off.

The stallions are lightly groomed if the covering is done before grooming parade, otherwise thorough grooming is taken in hand straight­away.

HOOF CARE

Foot care is one of the most neglected of all horse management practices. Most lameness that impairs the usefulness of a horse can be prevented by proper foot care. Foot care should b as routine as feeding and watering. It should include

• Routine cleaning
• Periodic trimming
• Corrections of minor imperfections
• Treatment of foot disease and injuries.

Ideally, a horse’s foot should be inspected and cleaned every day. A hoof pick or or fine-bristled wire brush can be used for cleaning the sole, frog and hoof wall. This will improve the likelihood of detecting pr0oblems early.

The hoof wall grows an average of ¼ inch per month. Most horse’ hooves are trimmed and shod every 6 to 8 weeks. This depends on rate of growth and wearing of hoof wall.

Tools required

Hoof pick – used to clean any dirt or rocks from the hoof crevices

Nippers used to remove extra hoof wall

Clinch cutter or pincher or puller – used to remove shoes that have been worn and are ready to be taken off

Hammer – two kinds can be used one for driving the nail in and the other for shaping or rounding the horseshoe on the anvil

Rasp need for leveling the foot

Hoof leveler used to determine the angle of the hoof wall and check that the hoof is level to the ground

The foot should be cleaned from the heel towards the toe with a hoof pick.

Special care should be taken to clean the commissures on each side of the frog and the cleft of the frog itself, but the heal should not be opened excessively. This weakens the area and interferes with proper contraction and expansion of the heal.

After the hose has been ridden, its sole must be cleaned and checked for gravel or other foreign objects that could be lodged in the natural depression of the foot.

A nail, gravel, stick, other other object can work into the foot and cause lameness for a long time.

PERIODIC CLEANING

Trimming of the feet is important, although it is not needed as frequently as cleaning. Trimming should be done at about 4 weeks intervals on horse kept in stall or paddocks or about 6 weeks interval for horse used heavily or running in pastures.

The main goal in trimming is to retain the proper shape and length of the foot. The bottom of the foot should be kept level, and the inside and outside walls should be maintained at equal lengths. The toe of no4rmal feet and pastern should be 3 inch long; the quarter, 2 inches and the heal 1 inch.

The hoof wall should be trimmed with nippers to remove excess length, then a rasp is used to smooth and level the bottom of the foot. Each stroke of the rasp needs to run from the heel through the toe to prevent uneven area in the hoof wall.

Trimming the sole, referred to as lowering the sole, is done to keep the pressure on the hoof wall rather than on the sensitive inner part of the foot. The dead, flaky tissue should be trimmed from the sole. Live tissue, elastic when stretched between the fingers, should not be trimmed away.

The frog should not be trimmed excessively because it should contact the ground with each step. It is trimmed only enough to remove dead tissue and to provide uniform and adequate fissure along the junction of the sole and the frog.

After the bearing surface has been rasped to the level surface of proper length, the edge of the wall should be rounded if the horse will not be shod. This prevents chipping and peeling as the foot contact rocks, logs or other obstructions.

The heel should be trimmed enough to promote expansion and prevent contraction of the heels. The main concern is to trim often enough to prevent cracking and uneven wear, which could eventually contribute to improper set of the feet and legs.

Maintaining hoof-wall angle

The proper hoof wall angle in relation to ground and the angle of the pastern is very important. The angle of the hoof wall should approximate the angle formed by the shoulder and the pastern usually 45 to 55 degrees.

CORRECTION OF MINOR IMPERFECTIONS

The most common deviation from the normal set of feet and legs are when either front or rear feet toe in or toe out.

Other problems commonly corrected by trimming are cocked ankles, buck knees, calf knees, sickle hocks, and slight rotation of the cannon bone.

Also, some common faults in the movement of feet in a stride – forging, scalping, interfering and brushing are corrected by careful trimming

TREATMENT OF HOOF INJURIES AND FOOT DISEASES

Moisture in the horse’s feet helps to maintain flexibility and prevent cracking. Most of the moisture needed in a healthy and well protected foot can come from within. One way to maintain proper moisture in the foot is to regularly apply a good hoof dressing containing some animal fat such as lanolin.

When a shoe is lost, it is important to promptly cut the hoof wall level with the sole to preen it from breaking about the point while awaiting the farrier. Removing the opposite shoe and lowering the hoof wall to equal the length of the other hoof will balance the gait of the horse.

Much lameness results from nail pricks. Horse should not be ridden in areas littered with trash and board containing nails. Injury caused by nails can ruin the horse. As soon as the nail prick is identified, prompt medical attention and packing is needed to prevent infection by ground borne disease organisms.

SADDLE

Saddle Various types of saddle are used for riding and carriage of load. These may differ in various details but their construction is based on the same principles.

Hence they have similar frame work known as saddle tree consist of a front arch and a rear arch secured by two side bars placed parallel to each other.

The purpose of using two arches is to ensure that spine of the horse is not pressed.

Similarly, the side bars not only distribute the weight equally on the back but also keep the arches in the place.