Farrier Erin Wessells Answers Common Questions about Hoof Care

Horse's hoof being picked out

When it comes to your horse’s soundness and overall well-being, it is essential that your horse’s hooves are healthy and functioning properly. We sat down with Erin Wessells, a practicing farrier from Enfield, NH, to discuss the subject of horses’ hooves and to answer questions that we and our customers frequently have on our minds.

Erin attended the University of New Hampshire (UNH) studying for a degree in pre-veterinary studies, with the goal of going to veterinary school. However, when working on her senior thesis about equine lameness and conformation issues, she rode along with farrier Mike Sandville. “Just like that,” she says, “I was hooked! I fell in love with farrier work.” After completing her degree at UNH, she attended the Cornell Farrier Program where she learned more in-depth knowledge about shoeing for conformation and lameness issues. Her apprenticeships took her up and down the east coast, from Ithaca, NY, to Wellington, FL. Then, in January 2014, she began working for herself, servicing clients within the New Hampshire area. 

With her years of experience and extensive equine education, she is truly a wonderful resource about the hoof and the general anatomy of the horse! Erin enjoys sharing her knowledge with horse lovers and helping us all learn more about our equine companions.

The Cheshire Horse (CH): What are some of the most common hoof care issues that you see on your rounds?

Erin Wessells (EW): Mainly, I see a plethora of bacterial infections such as thrush and white line disease. There are so many topical treatments that can treat the infections, but the best long-term treatment is to improve management practices. Why are these infections happening? Instead of only treating topically, could poor nutrition, too much muck and manure, and wet stalls be playing a factor into these issues? Regularly scheduled farrier care is key to controlling these common hoof care issues as well as great management strategies. 

CH: How can a horse owner support their horse’s hoof?

EW: Keeping their horses’ hooves consistently picked and clean is essential. After that, it’s important to listen to your farrier and follow his or her instructions. If they recommend a certain hoof supplement or hoof oil, do it! They are drawing on their years of experience and education to try to improve the quality of your horse’s hoof. What the horse owner is able to do the weeks in between farrier visits is just as important as seeing the farrier regularly.

CH: Do you have any tips for horse owners who are trying to find a farrier?

EW: My suggestion is that horse owners ask their veterinarian for recommendations. If your trusted vet is recommending a farrier, there is no doubt that they have the knowledge and skills to work on your horse. This is even more important if you have a horse with lameness issues, since you want a farrier that your vet enjoys working with as part of a horse health team.

The Americans Farrier’s Association also has lists of farriers and this can be a great resource, especially if you are moving to a new geographic area and do not have many contacts yet.

CH: How can horse owners make the trimming and shoeing process less stressful for their horse? 

EW: The biggest thing is to work with their horse on a daily basis and try to replicate what the farrier does to some degree. During your grooming routine, pick up their hoof and really hold it for it a while, don’t let them put it down right after you finish picking it up. Take the butt-end of your hoof pick or hand and bang on the hoof a bit; it doesn’t need to be hard but forceful enough that they feel the concussion. Running your hands up and down their legs to check for pain and inflammation (like you would do after a ride) is important to helping your horse become accustomed to your touch and is a great way to prep your horse for the farrier.

Many people think to do this with their youngsters, but tend to stop doing this as their horse ages. No matter how old your horse is, it is never too late to get them familiar with people handling their hooves. All of the pieces of the process that might cause your horse to be uncomfortable, make sure that you perform them on a regular basis.

CH: We’ve talked a lot about hoof quality; what determines the hoof quality of your horse? How can you improve it?

EW: There are many factors that go into determining the quality of your horse’s hoof, but we’ll focus on the big three: nutrition, breeding, and maintenance. If your horse is not receiving adequate nutrition, the quality of your horse’s hoof will deteriorate rapidly. This is easy to address; make sure that your horse is receiving all their nutritional requirements and consider integrating a quality hoof supplement into your horse’s diet if necessary.

Unfortunately, your horse’s genetics and breeding also play a big role in the overall quality of the hoof. I hate to pick on any breed, but for instance, many Thoroughbreds have shelly, delicate hooves. While you cannot change the underlying genetic factors of your horse, you can improve the general quality of the hoof with diet and a healthy hoof maintenance program.

How you care for your horse’s hooves has a huge impact on the quality of the hoof. In order to keep your horse’s hooves in optimal condition, commit to regular trimming or shoeing, consistent cleaning, and the use of topical treatments like hoof oils and antibacterial products as needed.

CH: In the summer, many of our customers have additional hoof concerns due to their horses stomping. Do you have any recommendations for them?

EW: What I find in the summer is that things are dry, and many horses are stomping to deter the flies. The more they stomp, the nail holes loosen, and then eventually the shoes fall off. If your horse continues to stomp without shoes, the hoof walls start to crumble and the quality of the hoof deteriorates rapidly.

During this time, it is really important to focus on having supple and moist hooves. I recommend using a hoof hardener, like Mustad Tuff-Stuff, immediately after you have your horse shod to seal the nail holes, keep them tight, and protect the hoof. Then, it is a great idea to use a quality hoof oil, such as Farriers’ Fix Hoof Oil, to put moisture back into the hoof and keep it soft and supple. Also a good quality fly spray goes a long way to help control the stomping!

CH: The barefoot movement is becoming increasingly popular. What do you tell horse owners who want their horses to go barefoot?

EW: The biggest thing that I tell my clients is that there is a difference between keeping your horse trimmed and having your horse working and performing well barefoot. If you are planning to pull your horse’s shoes and continue working them consistently, it is more important than ever to make sure that you have your management practices in check. If your horse is not nutritionally balanced and their hooves are not well maintained, frankly it’s not going to work. 

Many horses are capable of going barefoot, but it requires the investment of time and attention to top quality management practices in order to make a successful transition. It is also extremely important to continue having a farrier working with your horse on a consistent schedule to monitor the health of the hoof and ensure that no long term damage is occurring.

CH: Hoof boots are also popular among many of our customers; do you have any suggestions for hoof boot users?

EW: When I first started as an apprentice farrier, hoof boots were a fad; there just wasn’t a lot of research or development put into them at that time. Now, I think that the companies have really rolled out some incredible technologies that can be great when utilized properly; in fact I have recommended them to a number of my clients for varying reasons. Hoof boots are a really important tool that we have at our fingertips!

When considering using hoof boots for your horse, they need to fit properly. Just like traditional horseshoes, they can do more harm than good if they are not correctly sized for your horse’s hoof. If you need help making sure that your hoof boots are the correct size, I encourage speaking with your farrier.

In fact, I am a hoof boot user myself! I have a 30-year-old Quarter Horse that slipped on the ice and chipped a bone in his hip joint two winters ago. He was completely non-weight bearing on his left hind and I was afraid that we were going to have to put him down. After a period of stall rest, his left front abscessed extremely badly and blew out a large portion of his hoof and coronary band. It was by far the worst abscess I have ever seen.

Fast forward to the next winter, he was completely pasture sound, but I didn’t feel comfortable leaving him barefoot; I wanted him to have more traction on the snow and ice. I tried traditional shoes and glue-on shoes, but due to the abscess there was no way to keep a shoe on that foot as I had little to no hoof wall to fix a shoe onto. I ended up purchasing a set of hoof boots and putting studs into them. It was the perfect solution! This is just one of the many applications that hoof boots have.

CH: What do you wish more people knew about the hoof?

EW: I’m going to jump a little off topic here! It’s not the hoof itself, but I wish that more horse owners understood the mechanics behind the hoof. The horse’s hoof is not the only structure that we should be looking at, it’s also important to look at what stresses leg conformation may be doing to the hoof. Many equestrians obsess over cosmetic issues of the hoof wall, but are not looking at the big picture of the structural soundness of the horse and the mechanics behind how the hoof functions as an entire structure. No hoof, no horse!  

CH: Could you give us a little insight into the important structures of the hoof? What do they do?

EW: The frog is ultimately the heart of everything. If the frog is not healthy and functioning properly, the hoof will not be healthy and performing at its best. Not only is the frog essential as a shock absorber and pumping blood throughout the hoof, it is also really important for traction. Also, a fun fact about the frog, it is also a scent gland!

The laminae is another really important structure. I like to think of it as the Velcro that holds the coffin bone to the hoof wall. If the quality of the laminae begins to deteriorate, the coffin bone can begin to pull away from the wall, which causes big issues such as laminitis to develop.

CH: How can horseshoes assist in the health and soundness of these various hoof structures?

EW: A lot of soundness issues can be helped with shoeing. Each shoe is modified for the specific needs that your horse is displaying. There are so many various shoes, pads, breakover options, and shoe modifications that I could go on forever about this! Really, it comes down to what needs your individual horse displays.

If your horse has soundness or lameness issues, it is really important that your veterinarian and farrier are working together as a team. This is the best way for your horse to get the most out of the horseshoes that your farrier is applying. When it comes down to shoeing a horse who isn’t completely sound, it is highly recommended that the horse owner provide your farrier with a set of x-rays to work with from the vet. Being able to see the internal structure of the hoof can be vital sometimes when your farrier and vet are trying to decide what measures to take to help the horses’ hoof health and overall soundness.

CH: Is there anything that you would like to pass onto horse owners and equestrians?

EW: Don’t be afraid to talk to your farrier and ask any hoof care questions you may have. Don’t just talk about the weather when your farrier comes! I enjoy it when my clients ask questions and want to learn about their horses’ hoof health and what they can do as far as management practices for better hoof health. If you have a concern, bring it up to us…after all, we want you to succeed and are here to help as part of your horses’ health care team. Your horses are athletes and we want to help them perform to the best of their ability, but that starts with communication and expressing concerns you as a horse owner have with your farrier.

At The Cheshire Horse, we are here to help too! If you have any questions regarding the hoof care products that we carry or would like assistance making your purchase, we encourage you to speak with a member of our friendly and highly trained sales staff. To learn more about the anatomy of the horse hoof and the importance of hoof care, we recommend picking up a copy of The Essential Hoof Book: The Complete Modern Guide to Horses Feet that is a complete reference guide to everything for the hoof.

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