Vent: I read a study that says most hoof cracks are not from moisture

I found a paper from a vet school in Kentucky. It tracked 200 horses for two years. The study said only about 30% of hoof wall cracks were linked to wet or dry conditions. The big cause they found was poor hoof balance and landing force. I always thought keeping a horse's feet dry was the main thing. This makes me question a lot of the standard advice we give. What do you all think about hoof balance being the real problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_max12d ago

That Kentucky study explains why my own horse's feet are a mess despite my best efforts.

milesbailey12d ago

Man, that study hit home for me too... my old gelding was the same way. What finally helped, and @craig.mila you might find this useful, was focusing way more on movement over different ground. The trim is still part of it, sure, but getting him walking on gravel and harder surfaces seemed to make a bigger difference than anything I did with a rasp. It took a long time to see a change, but his feet are tougher now.

craig.mila12d ago

Yeah, I used to think it was all about the trim too. That study @the_max mentioned really made me see it different. I mean, maybe it's just me but it explains a lot.

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