Should there be any heat in the hoof or should it be cold all over?

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Samantha008

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Sorry im sure this is a very basic question but i genuinely dont know the answer. In my new ISH's hooves, the top of the hoof below the coronet band is quite warm. Not hot to the touch, but warm, especially when compared to the bottom of the hoof!! Its exactly the same in all four hooves. I felt a little ponies in the stable next to mine and his were cold, but then he is a completely different breed. Hes not lame and is happily cantering around the field.

Should i be worried?

Thanks
 
If they are the same all round I shouldn't be too worried. There are warmer near the coronary band naturally. Also if you have shoes on the front but not on the back the shoe-less hooves will feel warmer as more circulation in those. Is he tetchy about the soles of his hoof if you press them? If you worried get your farrier to check him out, but he's probably fine.
 
I think if one hoof doesn't match the others in terms of temp then I would worry, other than that I would have thought all is well. My mare is barefoot and her feet are much warmer than oh shod mares feet. Gave me a bit of a scare at first! But it makes sense that where there is increased circulation (unshod hooves or closer to the coronet band) there is more heat.
 
It could just be normal for the horse :)

for instance, my last horse would have slightly warmer than cold (lol) slightly puffy legs in morning after being stabled all night - perfectly normal for him, and disapeared when walked out!

If the hoof is hot, only one, then that would be a worry, but if all are the same temp sounds like normal to me :)
 
Don't panic, it might be normal for your horse, just keep an eye (or hand) on things.

True that barefoot feet are warmer than shod, which also gave me a bit of a fright to start with until I realised it was normal.
 
There should be a certain amount of warmth in the feet as the foot is living tissue with a blood supply, if you have one that is hotter than the other then this would be something you would keep an eye on/take action on

A stone cold foot is very bad and something you do not ever want!

Sounds like you have normal feet, but if you are worried just check them every day for say a week then you will get used to how they feel
 
My tb is the same warmth at the top of the hoof below the coronet band. This is normal for him. He is barefoot as well. I would only worry if there was a significant difference between one hoof and the other 3. Just monitor the hooves daily and you will find out what is right for your horse
 
I agree with everyone else; if they are the same all round, don't worry. You may also find that the temp of the hooves changes depending on conditions. I defy any horse to have warm hooves in this weather! But in high Summer on hard ground, it will be a different story. It's always a good idead to run a hand over your entire horse, picking up anomolies. Key in any horse health issue, not just feet!
 
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