A barefoot question.

[ilovecobs]

Hey, I was wandering if when a horse is barefoot is it normal that little stones and bits of gravel get stuck in the hoof along the white line? If so are they best left in there or best removed? If best removed, how often would you remove them?

Thanks a lot x

 

[Clava]

If the growth is good and the white line is tight then stones don't tend to get stuck, but if they do I remove them immediately. A tiny stone or piece of grit can work it's way up in a weak white lline and let in infection.

 

[Shysmum]

Shy has these occasionally, I have found that it happen when his feet are very dry - lashings of aqueous cream has helped. I do make sure I get them out tho, and check that the feet are trimmed often enough

 

[ThePony]

Both our girls sometimes gets these - usually if we have had a flush of grass that I haven't restricted soon enough, or if their walls are a little too long. I just pick them out with a hoof pick when I'm picking their feet out as usual.

 

[teasle]

My farrier gave me a nail that he bent over at the tip and that is just the thing to pick the little stones out with.

 

[Walrus]

So glad you asked this, I thought I was getting a tad obsessed with all things hoof based! My lad gets these and I just pick them out. The nail sounds like a good idea as my hoofpick isn't very refined!

I think his are getting less the more road work he does!

 

[horserugsnot4u]

Useful advice as one of my two NF ponies has this problem with small pieces of grit, whereas my other one doesn't seem to get anything stuck. Most hoof picks are too thick to get the tiny stones out, so I shall try the bent nail. Just remembered I've got a set of crochet hooks (don't know why) and some of them are quite fine, might dig them out and see if I can put them to good use.