This time of year it is wise to stay warm and safe when riding your horse. In addition, you want to ensure your horse has shoes that are going to give them protection from the elements of weather.

One thing that you absolutely want to make sure of is traction to prevent accidental falls in addition to winter horseshoes.

There are several options:

1) HorseshoeBorium® of screen size 8 to 10. This has the texture of coarse sand, has a mild steel matrix and is put on with an oxy-acetylene torch. It will cost several dollars per shoe. It can be put on as raised spots (best for snow and ice) or spread over the shoe (best for slick pavement).

2) Drill Tech Borium® of screen size 4 to 6. This has the texture of small gravel, has a bronze matrix and is put on in the forge on the shoe’s toe and heels. It is also expensive. It is preferred on draft horses.

3) Drive-in or screw in studs. Less expensive than Borium®. Screw-in gives the option of changing height and traction.

4) Weld toe and heel pieces made from square stock on the shoe. These can be made sharp – called “sharp shoeing.”

5) Weld 3/8th inch nuts on the shoe across the web. These are popular on working cow horses here in Nebraska and cost considerably less to install than Borium®.

For additional Winter Care tips you can download my tip sheet that has several more resources for keeping your horse safe and happy this season. Simply fill out the form below and we will send it to you by email.

If you have any additional tips please feel free to post a comment below and share them with me or go over to our facebook page and post them there.

Last month we shod the horses and mules at Fort Robinson State Park for the first time this season. We have been shoeing them for the last three years. They have draft horse teams, mule teams, and saddle horses used for the stage coach, tour wagons, and short and long trail rides in the Soldier Creek wilderness area. We also do the Chadron State Park trail horses. These horses are used for trail riding in the Pine Ridge forest areas. This work provides valuable experience for the students at Butler Professional Farrier School.

Fort Robinson served as a military post for 74 years. It played a critical role in the settlement of the West. It was first built next to the Red Cloud Agency in Crawford, Nebraska. From here soldiers were trained and sent to fight in the great Sioux Indian Wars. Chief Crazy Horse was killed while trying to escape at the post in 1877. Later, Dull Knife’s band of Northern Cheyenne attempted to escape and were stopped after 64 were killed along with all their horses. Troopers were sent from here to quell the ghost dancers in the last of the armed conflicts with the Lakota Sioux in 1890. 

This was the last functioning cavalry outpost in the U. S. It was closed in 1948 and was made a state park in 1972. There are many original buildings including a multi-forge blacksmith shop stocked with “keg shoes.” Issue shoes made by Phoenix were called that because they were shipped in wooden barrel kegs. In addition, the post veterinary clinic and museum contain lots of interesting history. Numerous officers’ quarters have been converted into inexpensive guest houses, arena, pool, theater and a restaurant that hosts family reunions and other vacation activities for 100’s of thousands of guests each year.

From 1885 to 1907 Fort Rob became home to the famous buffalo soldiers. Cavalry battle reenactments are held here. In 1919, it became a remount depot. The cavalry remount was established to produce a source of quality horses. A few quality stallions were loaned out to local ranchers for a small fee. These approved stallions were bred to native mares with the agreement that the military would purchase suitable animals for the cavalry.

During World War Two the Fort became a German prisoner of war internment camp. It was also the army’s largest war dog breeding and training center. Polo teams and Olympic jumping teams trained here. Many mules were trained to pack needed supplies to troops fighting in remote locations. During World War Two there were more than 5000 horses and 4000 mules on the post. It was also the nation’s largest dog training center, having trained 3565 dogs by 1944 and with 1353 on hand at that time. Most of the dogs were used by troops in the pacific theater. For a short time after the cavalry left, the fort was a USDA beef research station. It is now Nebraska’s premier state park.   

Knowledge of history and an understanding of tradition are very important in any trade or craft to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. A sense of history adds to our motivation to be good at what we do. It makes us proud to be a part of our craft and encourages us to grow in skill in our chosen profession. A great source of farrier history is On the Horses Foot by Henry Heymering.  Our book The Principles of Horseshoeing (P3) goes into more detail about the history of the craft and is available at www.dougbutler.com.

The royal wedding in England has captured the attention and imagination of the world. As I watched, Adam Smith’s statement in The Wealth of Nations came to mind, “The chief enjoyment of riches consists in the parade of riches….” In spite of the occurrence of other significant world events, “the story book event” took precedence. Not that getting married to the love of your life is not significant! My marriage of 44 years has certainly been a most important event in my life that has allowed me much achievement and happiness.

Much preparation went into creating London’s beautiful pageant observed by three billion people. The beautiful horses that accompanied the bride and groom and chauffeured the British royalty were all shod by master craftsmen trained in an ancient but effective system of farriery that preserves the soundness of these noble steeds.

Farriers in England are trained in the most exacting farrier training system in the world. It has been under the watchful eye of the Worshipful Company of Farriers since 1356 A. D. I sought permission twenty years ago to study their system and take all of the exams administered by the Company. My objective was to better understand how to best teach and help students learn this difficult craft. In 1992, I was the first person outside of Great Britain to obtain the Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers (FWCF), by taking and passing the Company’s highest examination.

Apprentices are first taught to trim the feet of horses that are kept in pastures and are not to be used on roads or ridden to any degree. Those horses that are used on roads, and do something besides eat, are shod with steel to protect them and the people who use them. Due to benefits to the health of the foot and precision in fitting, most horses are hot fit by British craftsmen. This seals moisture in the foot, prevents excess moisture from entering, and assures a perfect unity of hoof and shoe.

The steel horseshoes are fashioned according to the individual animal’s use. Some are made from fullered concave – a section of steel that until recently was available only in the U. K. Fullered refers to a groove all around the shoe which fills with dirt and dirt against dirt gives better traction than steel or even hoof against dirt. Concave refers to the self-cleaning pattern – meaning it is sloped or concaved on the inside edge so mud and snow is shed from the center of the foot as the horse moves. The portion of the shoe against the hoof is wide protecting the wall and sole from bruising. The edge of the shoe contacting the ground is narrow, creating a gripping action supplying traction to prevent dangerous slipping. The horses didn’t slip while carrying the royal couple, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Additional traction may be provided by installing studs – sharp projections that are screwed or driven into the shoe. They are of varying height depending upon working conditions. They have a tungsten core that bites into the ground or pavement to provide safety for horse and rider or coach passenger. Horseshoe Borium® or Carbraze® containing particles of tungsten carbide are often used for this purpose in America.

We wouldn’t shoe horses if we didn’t have to. Horses that are rarely used don’t need shoes. Wild horses that have been naturally selected for sound feet rarely need shoes. Domestic horses that are used to any degree need protection for their hooves, especially since we have bred modern horses for things other than and at the expense of soundness – such as color, conformation, and athletic ability.

The hoof wall is protected from chipping or cracking by shoes. The sole is protected from bruising by shoes. The fragile coffin bone inside a weak hoof is protected. Foot balance is maintained to lessen stresses on joints. Even race horses wear aluminum shoes to provide and maintain balance, protection and traction.

The current barefoot fad has been tried before in the horse industry. Books written before 1900 tell of its trial and call it “the barefoot experiment.” It was abandoned in England and America due to the injury of horses and riders.

Most horses that are rarely worked don’t need shoes. But, those that are worked, ridden over uneven or abrasive ground, and for extended periods of time, do. Horses used for athletic activities such as jumping, racing, reining, cutting, roping, etc. usually need shoes. Using unshod horses in these events could be judged to be cruelty to animals or to the humans who depend upon them. Especially in Britain, where the people are great lovers of horses, animal welfare laws that prohibit unskilled persons from working on horse’s feet are enforced. 

More than luck goes into making a Royal Wedding appear as a fantasy spectacular.

In reality, accomplished horsemen know they need a competent well-trained farrier to maintain their valuable horses. They will either find one or learn the skill themselves. At Butler Professional Farrier School we specialize in training farriers and horsemen to know how and why they do their job of keeping horses sound. We invite inquiries at www.butlerprofessionalfarrierschool.com. Or call 1-800-728-3826 or 1-308-665-1510.

January brings a renewed hope for personal and family progress in the new year.  Starting with New Year’s resolutions, this is the time of year when people tend to set goals and make commitments.   Using this traditional time of the year to evaluate the past and plan for the future are worthwhile, healthy pursuits.

However, by the middle of January, many goals decided at the first of the year are already set aside.  It’s normal for many to experience cycles of progression and other times when it’s more a fight against inevitable challenges of regression.  Yet it’s  important  to not give up because goal setting and making commitments should be a continuous process rather than a once-a-year experience.

An example to illustrate this principle is the way we’ve set up our farrier school. To study important subjects on a regular, daily basis provides a better and longer-lasting understanding of the subject than does last minute “cramming.”  The mind has time to process and ponder the information, weighing the information in relation to other ideas and concepts we teach.  It’s easier to incorporate the information into an over-all perspective.

Cramming, on the other hand, fills the mind with facts and figures, without the information staying around very long.  A person normally prefers to undergo surgery at the hands of a physician who had not crammed for his exams, but rather one who consistently and carefully continues his studies and practice with the commitment to keep learning and progressing.  Just as it is “good medicine” for people to do this, it’s very desirable for horse owners to only allow practiced professionals to work on their valuable horses.

A story told by Dr. George Platt [found in detail on page 728 of The Principles of Horseshoeing (P3)] tells of the importance of “doing work that fits you.”  Some work requires a lot of skill and experience you may not have acquired yet in your career.  In the scenario Dr. Platt discusses a veterinarian working on a founder horse case.  The vet recognizes the farrier “is not up to solving this problem.”  In explaining to the owner the serious condition of the horse, the vet explains the farrier’s role is very critical.  He explains how the farrier he recommends would probably cost about $300 to do the job, and the monthly follow-up would be an important, added expense for about six more months.  Fortunately this owner chose to go with the experienced, well-trained farrier, while the comparison situation, in contrast, doesn’t work out when another owner chooses an incompetent farrier as the cheapest route to go.  (Dr. Platt’s whole explanation in P3 is worth reading.)

The point is that to excel and be capable of treating the horse correctly takes time and effort on the farrier’s part.  There’s more to starting off a new year than only having a few goals in mind, especially if there’s no serious commitment behind those goals.

Selecting worthwhile goals are intermediate mile-posts that mark progress.  Determining your overall “vision” and purpose can have a far-reaching effect on your farrier career and even exceed the importance of goals.  A vision is like a lighthouse, for it gives direction rather than a destination – it’s important to keep this perspective in what you hope to accomplish.

It’s never too late to refocus your vision of future desires, as long as that vision is supported by goals that provide purpose and direction in the here-and-now.   In Star Wars, Yoda had good advice: “Do or do not.  There is no try.”  There must be genuine, wholehearted effort if worthwhile change is to occur.

Values, as well as vision, are important in your farrier business.  Have integrity and sincerity among your new year’s commitments, for example, and you’ll better serve your customers and their valued horses.  There are no shortcuts to any place worth going!  Practice is a means of achieving the perfection desired.  As Irving Berlin, the famed musician, stated, “Talent is only a starting point.”

Dave Ramsey, a well known money management expert, says:

“Malcom Gladwell in his book Outliers studied people who are unusually successful.  He discovered that while some people have a natural predisposition toward some areas, the key was they took the gifts they had and then practiced and studied for thousands of hours to turn their gifts into world-class talents.  In other words, these people made choices, and the “talents” were really acquired skills.

“This stuff doesn’t just occur.  You’re not a born leader [farrier] any more than you’re a born football player, actor or musician.  You may start with a gift, but you have to make a choice to work your tail off if you want to develop that gift to its fullest potential.”

In my own life, I retired from university teaching in 1995, yet no matter how many times I’ve thought about retiring, I seem to keep flunking, or dropping out of, the “retirement course”!  Goal setting, therefore, is still important even at my age!

We’re excited to have a new class starting this week!

• “I think the school is set up real well because of the way we do class in the morning and then right after have an example in a horse to work on that we had talked about in the lecture. We work on horses until lunch and then forge in the afternoon … it’s a pretty well rounded day.  It helps you learn because you do it. You talk about it, you go out and actually get to see it on the horse, hands-on, so you feel and experience it.   For your homework, you read it, write it down, think about it, and also draw it. It applies to all your senses in every way it can.  The horse I worked on for my final was great, and I felt real good about the job; once again, it gives me even more confidence – knowing I can do the job.”                                              –Guy Nelson, OH

• “I decided to come back here because I was so satisfied from the first two times I came here.  Each time – the basic and then the advanced class – everything became easier.  I like the teaching style – you have three teachers just for you – it’s a one-to-one teaching system.  It’s the best in my opinion.  You learn all the steps you need to do.  It’s much easier learning when the teaching way is easier.”    — Cristiano Biacca, DVM, Italy

• “I had a really good time and learned a lot more than I thought I would.  The best part was getting under so many horses.  I had someone from home ask me during our fourth week if I had been able to shoe any horses yet, and I said, ‘Yeah, since the second day!’  I liked the six week course – others I looked at were 12 weeks long, and it didn’t look like I’d do as much as I would at this school in only six weeks.”                           –Dani Jo Rueter, IA

• “In the morning class – I learned about founder, how to know if a horse has founder and what to do to fix it.  That same day, we work on the horses which have founder – it’s very good:  we learn in the morning and do in the afternoon!  The homework makes me improve – something’s carved into my brain so I can remember that because I’m drawing.  I know how to find something I need to know in the P3 book –it helped me pull things together and apply things.  Here I have everything I need – it’s really convenient.  I can be here and have more time to study than at other schools.  My friend went to another horseshoeing school, and he had to travel to other places to shoe horses, wash clothes, buy his noon meals and get other things he needed.”                                 –Hyunsuk Ma, South Korea

• BPFS is more in-depth even in the foundation course.  The thing I really respect about Dr. Butler is that the horse comes first.  He’s very interested in the individual horse’s welfare. He taught us to recognize our limitations.  I know where to draw the line when I reach the point that I’m not experienced enough and need to refer something to another more experienced farrier.              –Kelly Avery, Canada

For those of you who don’t yet own The Principles of Horseshoeing (P3), you may purchase it at www.dougbutler.com.

The future will bring the foot care industry a combination of good news and bad news.

The good news is that farrier communication will be better and easier. Publications, the internet, conventions, summits, sponsored clinics and general sharing of knowledge make learning faster and easier. The bad news is that unsound ideas will be spread faster by the same media and adopted and put into practice by those weak in knowledge and experience. The “natural” and barefoot movements are examples of fads that continue to spread out of proportion to the application of sound research and common sense.

The good news is that farriery will continue to get easier, more effective and more lucrative for the skilled farrier. New materials and techniques as well as the proliferation of shoes, tools and accessories will be useful to skilled farriers who understand basic balance and therapeutic principles. The bad news is that persons weak in skills and understanding, because they are unwilling to pay the price to become competent, will continue to pass themselves off as qualified farriers by using these products. In so doing, they will hurt more horses and horse owners.

The good news is that business publications, accounting and contact management programs will make the farrier business easier to professionally manage than ever before. The bad news is that surveyed horse owners say good business principles are being ignored by many farriers. Hiring qualified employees to help expand your business has always been difficult. New levels of government watch-dogging and involvement along with the liability and risk of litigation will make it even more so. Continued intrusion by the revenue-seeking federal government will continue to be discouraging to small business owners.

The good news is that people with discretionary income will continue to look to the horse industry as a pleasant way to spend their time and money. There is a strong demand for sound, highly-trained, gentle horses. If horse people have good experiences, they will remain in the industry and support good farrier and veterinary care. The bad news is that less educated horse enthusiasts will buy unsound, poorly-trained, and even dangerous horses. These people will tolerate a standard of work lower than ever before from lazy con artists who have no intention of improving their skill level beyond what is necessary to fool ignorant customers. Fads and incompetence will continue to proliferate in the presence of an uneducated public.

The good news is there is always room at the top, and the hoof care industry is no exception. Farrier work is now and will continue to be practiced at a higher standard than ever before by a few dedicated craftsman. Opportunities will be good for the well educated and highly skilled farrier. Good craftsmen will get better, while the poor ones that have no desire to improve will continue to give the rest an image of ignorance. The poorly prepared farrier is bad news now and will continue to be in the future.

The September/October 1999 issue of the American Farriers Journal published my look into the next 25 years of farriery. I stick by those predictions and comments. The things that all farriers will need to know and do to stay in business in the future are the things that the most successful farriers are already doing.

Assess the foal’s limbs soon after birth. Most mild limb deformities can be helped by stall rest that limits exercise. Many problems are due to lack of cartilage and bone maturity and will improve with time if the affected areas are not stressed. If there is more than a 5- degree deviation in the limb, or concerns about the straightness of the legs, your veterinarian should assess the situation and make recommendations at this time. The hooves should not be trimmed until the foal is at least two weeks old, and then only if a problem is evident.

It is important to treat limb deviations before the epiphyseal growth plates of the lower leg bones close at about three months (short pastern), six months (long pastern), and nine months (distal cannon bone). After these plates close, very little structural change can be made in the limb by trimming or shoeing. It is questionable how much change can actually be made before that time. Severe angular (conformation) defects cannot be eliminated by corrective trimming or shoeing. Serious problems may require periostial stripping or check ligament surgery. Future plans for the horse should be considered in making this decision as its athletic career may be limited.

The Farrier’s First Visit
A foal’s feet should be checked by a competent farrier by the time it is two months old. You can help prepare your foal for the farrier’s first visit by (1) teaching the foal to stand and lead, (2) picking up and holding the foal’s feet daily, (3) providing the farrier a safe corner in which to trim the foal’s hooves, (4) having an experienced person hold the foal for the farrier, and (5) having an experienced person hold the mare close at hand.

Imprint training should be started as soon after birth as possible in order to begin the process of desensitization of the foal to the farrier. To do this, rub down the legs and pat the bottom of the hoof with your hand 40 or 50 times on each foot or until the foal relaxes. Repeat daily and then weekly and finally monthly. It is also important to clean out a foal’s feet each time the animal is handled to accustom it to foot handling.

Foot Balance and Trimming
Regular foot balancing will allow the foal to grow as straight as possible. The focus of trimming should be on keeping the weight of the foal evenly distributed over the limbs. The foal’s hoof may be trimmed more often than that of a mature horse, but less hoof is removed. The excess wall is trimmed down to the level of the sole at the toe.

Keeping the hoof length the same on the inner and outer sides of the leg (medial /lateral balance) is critical. This must be maintained because a foal frequently wears one side or the other unevenly. The animal will learn to compensate for minor structural faults. Avoid over-trimming of the sole and thus removing protection from the coffin bone. Trimming one side lower in an effort to straighten legs produces sheared heels.

Medial or lateral extension shoes made from aluminum or plastic may be glued or nailed to the feet of crooked foals to help in the distributing of weight more evenly over the bone column. Shoeing the foot may protect it from wearing away faster than it grows and sometimes it is necessary to maintain a balanced stance. If a horse is shod during the growing months, shoes should be reset frequently (every 3 to 4 weeks) and progressively larger shoes applied each time.

Having the hoof trimmed out of medial/lateral balance in an effort to straighten bones is not a good practice. Excessive stresses on the joint may cause damage, but the most noticeable effect will be the creation of a sheared heel. This may cause circulatory disturbance and lameness later on. The edges of a foal’s hooves should be kept rounded to avoid chipping.

When a young horse begins serious training, regular trimming and hoof care should include shoes that protect the foot or are necessary to enhance the action of the specific type of horse.

Foal limb soundness begins before a foal is born. It involves considerations of nature (genetic) and nurture (environment). Genetic factors include inherited conformation and behavioral traits from the stallion and mare. Environmental factors include physical space in the mare’s uterus, nutrition, training and disease prevention.

Choosing a mating that has a good chance of producing a structurally correct horse is important since conformation deformities predispose animals to unsoundness. Nutrition of the mare is especially important during the last three months of gestation, as the majority of the foal’s limb growth takes place during this time. Nutrition of the lactating mare and supplemental foal feeding affects the growth of the foal after birth. Imprint training should be done soon after birth as a preparation for hoof care that should begin during the second month of life.

Genetics
Sound legs start with the mating of a sound stallion to a sound mare. They each contribute one half of the whole. Some horses are said to be very prepotent, meaning they are capable of stamping their characteristics on their offspring no matter what the genetics of the other horse. Sometimes, we see exceptional “nicks” or good combinations that consistently produce good horses. In some cases outcrossing is desirable as it produces heterosis or hybrid vigor. The mule is an extreme example since it is usually hardier than either parent. Most horsemen realize that breeding is a “roll of the dice” but they do what they can to control some of the variables.

Unfortunately, many of our modern horse breeding programs are not focused on soundness. Instead, they are focused on beauty, color, disposition, speed, cow sense, early rapid growth, mature size, etc. Structural deformities are accepted where they should be cause for rejection. Structurally incorrect horses are then trained and put into use, eventually becoming unsound. A price must be paid for adopting the short term at the expense of the long term. Structurally incorrect horses may stay sound for a while, but very few unsound horses are structurally correct.

Heritability of skeletal structure in horses is one of the highest for any trait, estimated by some researchers as high as .65. This means that there is a 65 percent chance that crooked or sound legs are due to heredity and a 35 percent chance that they are due to environment. Selection of sound horses for mating is essential.

Prenatal (before birth) Environment
Foals grow to the size of the mother’s womb before birth. Some almost look like spiders when they are born, as their legs are so much more developed than their body size. The limbs complete much of their development in the womb and are largely a product of the nutrition received by the mare.

The cartilage in the leg rapidly proliferates during gestation, and its maturation to bone may be delayed in horses fed diets deficient in some minerals and vitamins. Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Copper and Zinc are especially important minerals, as are Vitamins A and D.

Overfeeding of carbohydrates and protein can also cause problems. Excess protein is treated like excess carbohydrate by the body and may cause hormonal imbalance as well as nutritional diseases. Overgrowing in the confining uterine environment caused by a delayed foaling date causes some limb deformities.

Post Natal (after birth) Environment
Foals are naturally awkward when they are born. Their body size will grow faster than the length of their legs. The small bones of the knee or hock may not be completely formed at birth and are crushed by excessive exercise and body weight. Many times foal legs will straighten as the animal grows older and stronger.

Limb defects can be aggravated by many things. The stall should be safe and large enough that the foal won’t be injured by the mare. Exercise areas should be as safe as possible. Some foals have had a leg broken while in a stall or while exercising in a rough pasture. Other older horses in the same pen may purposely injure foals.

Fences that are sharp or not visible are especially dangerous. The fact that the foal has a short neck in relation to long legs may also aggravate deformities as he spreads his legs to eat off the ground. Standing with one front foot back and the other forward may also cause the development of club foot on the foot that is back if it becomes a habit.

The most important post natal consideration is the lactation of the mare. Too little or too much milk can cause limb development problems and lameness. Mares that are easy keepers and good milk producers have a higher incidence of foals with DOD.

Developmental orthopedic disease (nicknamed DOD) is the name given to various abnormalities of the limbs. These can have genetic or environmental origins. Horses bred to grow fast and mature rapidly are susceptible. Horses fed a high calorie, imbalanced ration are at great risk for epiphysitis – an inflammation of the growth plates of the long bones. Usually, this comes about from excessive grain and protein supplement consumption. However, overeating of high quality alfalfa hay may also produce it.

Types of Neo Natal (new born) Deformities
Foals with the knees or hocks turned in are called valgus. Foals with the knees or hocks turned out are called varus. When both left and right hock (or knee) joints are bent in the same direction, we say the foal is windswept.

A foal with a straight pastern and high-heeled foot is said to have contracted tendons or be club footed. A foal with the fetlock forward due to superficial tendon contracture is said to be knuckled over. Foals with the pastern down and the heels crushed with the toe up are said to have tendon laxity.

We all value our animals — both in terms of money and our emotional attachment to them. Although there are fewer horses today than a hundred years ago, there are more people who own horses, and individual animals have a much higher value.

Many well-meaning people buy a horse just because they become emotionally attached to it — kind of like “love at first sight.” However, before you fall in love with that horse, it’s important to get the opinion of some experts — and listen to what they say — about the horse. Purchasing a sound horse will help you avoid some very expensive and potentially incurable problems that would be with you all of that horse’s life.

Here are 5 important tips that will help you improve your chances of purchasing a horse that is sound:

1) Engage a competent farrier as well as an equine veterinarian to perform a thorough pre-purchase soundness examination of the horse — before you become emotionally attached to it. Hire a specialist who does this type of exam regularly and knows what to look for. This doesn’t have to mean a lot of x-rays or expensive tests; it simply means you have an experienced person look over the animal and examine it closely.

2) Purchase the horse only if these experts pronounce the animal sound. If you plan to hire a professional to take care of your horse, you will profit by also getting their opinion before you buy. A horse that may not be sound for use as a daily stressed runner may be ideal for an occasionally ridden pleasure horse.

3) Learn about conformation. Consult some books, look at horses, study them, and really acquaint yourself with what is good conformation and what is not.

4) Learn about behavior. Become familiar with what constitutes normal behavior and what is abnormal behavior in horses. Look for these traits in the horse you are interested in purchasing.

5) Learn about feet. If you haven’t studied the feet in any detail, consult a good book that includes the anatomy of the horse’s foot. Pay attention to any genetic factors in some breeds and lines of horses, such as club feet and other inherited problems.

When searching for a horse to purchase, if you come upon a foot problem on a horse that otherwise seems to have a lot of possibilities, have the feet examined more closely. The experienced observation and advice of an expert is often more valuable than simply looking at an x-ray and making a decision on your own.

Realize that you are making a major commitment to take care of this animal — perhaps for its entire life. A rational judgment at the beginning could save you tons of money and heartaches later and make your life with your horse an even more enjoyable experience.

Cold Weather Horse Care by Doug Butler Phd, CJF, FWCF

Horses have different needs than people do. Here are a few of a horse’s winter needs – from its point of view.

1. Shelter

Horses have a thick skin insulated by fat and thick winter hair. The horse’s integument (its hooves and skin) has an underlying dermis that contains AVAs (arterio-venous anastomoses). These vascular systems allow the body to shunt or divert blood away from its surface area periodically to keep the animal’s central core warm. Then, alternately, the warm blood is circulated back to the external areas to keep them nourished and healthy. You can observe the effectiveness of this system by noting that unmelted snow can rest on a horse’s back without the horse shivering. The horse’s skin may feel cold, but it is warm inside.

Horse blankets or “rugs” are not needed on most horses unless the horse has been clipped, is routinely worked into a sweat, or has a thin skin like some Thoroughbreds. Hair growth is controlled by day length and hormones. Shorter days trigger hormone responses that cause increased hair growth. The thicker, longer hair protects the horse in the harsh winter environment. A wind break is all that is needed for most horses, except in the most extreme conditions.

As wind speed increases, the air temperature goes down. This is especially important to consider when hauling horses. On a cold day, the temperature in a trailer with ventilated sides can be much colder than you think. The following chart will give you an idea of the difference air velocity makes on a cold day.

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2. Ventilation

Horses need good ventilation, or fresh air. Horses confined in tightly-closed barns may suffer from lung disease due to lack of adequate ventilation. The average horse breathes out about 2 gallons of water per day. In addition, a horse voids about a gallon of urine a day which contains ammonia. A horse also produces about 35 pounds of feces per day. In a closed barn, especially if not cleaned daily, a combination of these factors can be the cause of lung conditions such as heaves and pneumonia. Heated barns often compound the problems. Horses, when given a choice, prefer to stay outside without a shelter over head, except in the most severe weather.

3. Feed

Horses are herbivores. They need fiber in their diet. During the winter months, fiber becomes more important because of the heat of digestion generated when digesting fiber. Due to their very small stomach size, horses need at least two feedings a day. If allowed, most horses will spend 70 percent of a twenty-four-hour period grazing. The amount of good quality hay fed to a confined horse should be about one and a half to two percent of its body weight. In extremely cold climates, it’s wise to have fibrous feed, such as grass hay, in front of horses all of the time.

While grains produce energy, they also are laid down as fat if a horse is not working. Corn or maize is a heavier feed containing twice as much energy per volume as oats, and is a preferred winter feed in some areas. Most horses do not need grain while they are inactive in the winter.

Emerging grasses in the spring are high in fructans. Fructans are a rich form of carbohydrates or sugars. Horses that have been confined during the winter months should be slowly introduced to growing pasture in the spring to prevent digestive upsets resulting in colic and laminitis or founder. Horses should be let on the grass for gradually increasing times. Anytime feed stuffs are changed it should be done gradually over a period of five days since this is how long it takes the bacteria flora of the gut to adapt to a new feedstuff.

4. Water

Water should be available to horses at all times. Even during the winter an average horse needs 7 to 10 gallons of water a day. During the coldest part of the winter, when water buckets freeze, you may be able to provide water only twice a day when you feed your horses. Experiments have shown that horses will drink more water when the water is slightly warmer than the air temperature in winter and slightly cooler than the air temperature in summer. Extremely hot or extremely cold water causes horses to limit their intake and may cause them to colic.

5. Space

Horses prefer enough area to move around and exercise. Animals that are exercised and trained daily need less space than those that are confined twenty-four/seven. Horses sleep very little; some studies indicate as little as two hours in twenty-four. Many will rarely lie down, unless in a protected area or guarded by a companion. When they lie down, most horses are more concerned about being “caught down” than they are about resting. Of course, a closed stall takes this threat away.

The horse’s limbs contain unique stay apparatuses that allow the large muscle groups to rest while the horse is standing. This feature allows these preyed-upon animals the ability to instantly flee from the standing position. When horses are given a choice of being under an artificial light or being in the dark, the majority prefer the light.

6. Companionship

Horses are herd animals. They instinctively prefer companionship. This may be a problem when a horse becomes “love sick” and doesn’t want to be separated from its companion. Generally horses are more content when they can see each other. However, because of herd hierarchy, the ones on the lower end of the pecking order may not get enough feed unless they are kept separate.

7. Foot Care

Horse hooves are 25 to 50 percent water. Water freezes. Frozen hooves may split when nails are driven into them, and pounding upon the feet may be painful. The coriums or sensitive structures under the hoof are often bruised when the horse stands on snow that balls up under the hooves. In the spring, the farrier will notice bruises in the sole horn caused during the winter months. Snowball pads are designed to prevent snowballing. They should be used when shoes, and especially bar shoes, are applied during winter.

Horses that are worked on slippery surfaces should be shod for traction with borium, studs and/or pads to protect both the horse and rider. Removing the shoes and trimming the hooves of horses that will be idle for the winter may be the best solution. However, horses with special problems requiring therapeutic shoes should remain shod and protected with pads.

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Taking care of a horse is a big responsibility. We hope that these ideas will help you better fulfill that responsibility during the winter and spring months. For a more complete discussion of horse care and concerns throughout the year, including how to select and evaluate your farrier, see our book – Horse Foot Care, A Horse Owners Guide to Humane Horse Foot Care. Our desire is to raise the standard of farrier practice and make life more pleasant for our equine friends and their care-takers.