Moon blindness, with its aggressive progressive nature, is a danger to almost 25% of horses in the US. To the many horse shows, I have been to, and for the many horses I have shod, I have encountered several sad cases of this blinding condition. Even more saddening is when an owner fails to notice the symptoms of the disease. What follows next is often a quick deterioration of the animal’s eye health, immense pain, and loss of vision. Worst of all, at an advanced stage, moon blindness can no longer be reversed. The damage is permanent. 

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What is Moon Blindness?

Vets and veterinary ophthalmologists refer to it as Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU). The name implies the repetitious nature of the condition that is a deep inflammation inside a horse’s eye. This inflammation is associated with pain and can lead to glaucoma, cataracts, and other forms of eye damage.

The term moon blindness refers to the buffing and fading stages of the condition. Previously, episodes of the disease were related to the phases of the moon, thus the name moon blindness

ERU is characterized by repeated episodes of eye inflammation interrupted by varying periods of clinical inactivity. The condition is one of the most mysterious horse health problems; quite little is known about it regarding cause, treatment, and prevention. There is no cure for it, but strategic clinical management can help to preserve your animal’s eyesight.

Currently, ERU remains the most common cause of blindness in horses. The inflammation often targets the uveal tract of the eye—the latter is the tissue membrane that shields the eye’s inner and sensitive tissues and chambers from the outer layer. The uveal also keeps pathogens carried in the blood from entering the eye’s inner layers that include the retina.

The blood-ocular barrier likewise stops large molecules or blood cells from entering the eye. It keeps away drugs as well and helps to maintain the fluid within the eye clear.

Inflammation or trauma to this protective tissue causes these substances to enter the eye. The result is the formation of antibodies that also attack the eye’s protein layers. An accumulation of antibodies in the eye further heightens the inflammation.

Causes of ERU

Causes of moon blindness are still unknown, but many scientific postulations try to explain its origin and development. These include:

Autoimmune reactions

One of the major suggested causes of equine moon blindness is the inflammatory processes of the structures that make up the uveal tract (iris, choroidal, and ciliary body). Being an immune-mediated disease implies that the horse’s immune system attacks its eye tissues after mistaking them for the disease-causing organisms.

The resultant inflammation and pain may fade away for a few weeks or months, leaving the horse with no apparent symptoms. However, the horse’s cells may continue fighting and attacking the tissue of the eye between episodes of inflammation. That may result in tearing, squinting, and other painful symptoms.

Bacteria

Some researchers believe that moon blindness is an infection resulting from the activity of Leptospira interrogans. The latter is a species of bacteria comprising of over 200 pathogenic serovars. The pathogens trigger the intraocular immune responses that lead to ERU. It’s not the bacterial infection that causes the uveitis, but rather the immune response to the initial infection. Horses contract leptospirosis through contaminated feed or water.

Viral infections

Equine viral infections, including influenza virus and adenovirus, are also classified as causes of moon blindness. However, there is still much uncertainty around these causative agents. 

Researchers suppose that due to hypersensitive reactions to viral activities in the eye’s blood-ocular barrier, the horse eventually fails to develop immune tolerance to his eye, thus triggering autoimmune responses.

Allergic reactions

Clinical evidence suggests that inoculations of specific retinal proteins, one known as the S-antigen, can induce the development of allergic uveitis in various animals, including horses.

Parasites

Parasites cause ERU in the same way as bacteria and viruses –they create the breakage of the blood-ocular barrier, thereby resulting in an autoimmune response. 

In the past, the major parasite linked to ERU was Onchocerca in its tiny larva form, but that’s no longer the case thanks to ivermectin therapy. However, if ever there are strains of ivermectin–resistant Onchocerca parasites, they could certainly lead to ERU.

Genetics

The Appaloosa breeds have a high higher risk of ERU compared to other races. This predilection points to a genetic basis for moon blindness. If your Appaloosa develops ERU in one eye, chances are the other eye will catch the infection too.

Remember, though, that equine recurrent uveitis is not contagious, meaning that it cannot spread from one horse to another. It affects all horses, regardless of age or sex. The underlying cause for ERU will likely remain controversial and debated for decades to come.

Other suggested causes of moon blindness include:

• Vitamin deficiencies
• Tooth and hoof abscesses
• Physical trauma to the eye

Symptoms of Equine Recurrent Uveitis

The first episode of moon blindness may occur in young horses between four and eight years old. However, not every horse develops a recurrent case of the condition. Vets typically confirm that it’s ERU after two or three episodes of the disease. 

I have seen cases of Equine Recurrent Uveitis on both eyes. Generally, if there is no immediate treatment and care for one eye, the other eye may get a similar inflammation later. It makes sense; the same bacterial, viral, or traumatic conditions that cause ERU can still affect the other eye if not identified and rectified.

Signs of ERU include:

Dilation of Vessels

The protective uveal tract contains many blood vessels. Inflammation would, therefore, lead to the dilation of the vessels and visible redness. Ocular fluid may also start to leak, denoting the disruption of the blood-ocular barrier. The presence of blood might also be observed, especially in cases of traumatic uveitis.

In most ERU cases I have seen, the affected eye is teary and swollen. It often seems as if the animal bumped himself onto an obstacle or got hay into his eyes. The horse then quickly recovers, the owners forget about it. But it starts again after a few months.

Each episode brings a progressive worsening of the uveal inflammatory process, increasing the risks for impaired vision.

Squinting

The ocular inflammation in ERU is painful for the animal, and that explains the squinting. The sore, red, and swollen eye membranes would be sensitive even to drought and light. When both eyes are affected, the pupils are smaller than those of healthy horses when examined under the same light conditions.

Cloudiness of eye

Cloudiness of the eye, also known as corneal opacity in an ERU- affected eye, maybe due to corneal ulceration, stromal edema, or neovascularization. Corneal edema (swelling) results from the break in the structural integrity of the corneal epithelium. It pinpoints to the trauma and autoimmune reactions the eye has suffered. 

Neovascularization, on the other hand, is the sign of the formation of new blood vessels in the eye area in response to the loss of blood supply in the retina. The new blood vessels are fragile and bleed easily, leading to scar tissues, hence the cloudiness. In severe cases, this could lead to blinding hemorrhages.

Corneal Ulcers

Some horse eyes develop corneal ulcers and other complications that may compel the removal of the eye. The corneal ulcer typically occurs as redness in the eye, pain, discharge, and reduced vision. If the ERU leads to corneal ulcers, it’s an indication that its underlying causes could bacterial infection, fungi, or a parasite that causes severe eye irritation.

Treatment for Moon Blindness

There is no cure for moon blindness, but treatment and care help to reduce uveal inflammation, preserve pupil size and motility, provide pain relief, and prevent the risk of blindness.

After the initial acute episode, which may last several days, a dormant phase follows. The animal does not present clinical signs of ocular inflammation. But vets agree that even during this phase, the uveal inflammatory process continues. Early diagnosis, through a thorough ophthalmic examination, combined with aggressive and disciplined therapy, can significantly reduce the chances of total or partial loss of vision.

The progressive nature of ERU underscores the need for performing periodic examinations during the disease, should you be suspicious of the symptoms you have seen. For confirmed cases of ERU, regular inspections are needed as well to assess treatment efficiency and identify changes in preliminary examinations. 

A careful examination of the eyeball is often necessary for both eyes. Remember that inspection may not be easy in animals that have developed an involuntary tight closure of the eyelids. At the slightest touch, such horses become intolerant to manipulation due to intense ERU-related eye discomfort.

Your vet or vet ophthalmologist may use a parenteral sedative or perform an anesthetic blockage of the eyelid’s atrial nerve to help carry out an accurate examination. Other abnormalities on the external eye are often just identified through inspection with an external light source.

For successful treatment of horse moon blindness, consistency is needed from the owner and the vet. A hastened clinical evaluation, with the resulting therapeutic inadequacy, lack of treatment turnout, or even early discontinuation of treatment, often results in higher chances of failures.

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids can be administered by topical, ocular injections or a combination of the two according to the severity of the condition. The medications lead to inflammation suppression as well as pain relief. But the consistency and route of administration play a significant role in the level of relief obtained from this therapy. Ophthalmic ointments are preferred to eye drops because they have longer contact time with the eye.

Beware, however, that corticosteroids may have unwanted side effects given their immune-suppressing abilities. The medications might leave the horse prone to fungal infections in the eye or even bacterial infections elsewhere, including laminitis in the hooves.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

NSAIDs are often widely used in horse clinics and can be helpful for the treatment of uveitis. NSAIDs have a remarkable anti prostaglandin activity (they stop inflammation by constraining the formation of prostaglandins, a group of tissues and lipids that control blood flow and blood clotting at an injury site) and thus minimize potential risks.

Injection or oral administration of NSAIDs may be required to control inflammation. They not only reduce the inflammation of the uveal tract but also reduce the chances of ERU relapses. The three common anti-prostaglandin drugs used in the treatment of ERU include:

• Phenylbutazone – administered orally or intravenously (IV) and used for mild ERU infections.
• Flunixin meglumine – administered orally or IV and used for moderate to severe ERU cases for it has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, analgesic, and antipyretic effects.
• Acetylsalicylic acid – I have seen this used with success (at least on condition management level) on recurrent uveitis after treating acute episodes with other drugs.

The biggest challenge for topical steroidal inflammatory drugs is that most have antibiotics in their formulations. In cases of moon blindness unaccompanied by a corneal ulcer, the use of antibiotics may excite uncontrollable fungal growth. Given that they alter the healthy flora of the eye, most vets favor corticosteroids over them.

Immuno-suppressants

Immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclophosphamide can be used to control severe ERU. Cyclophosphamide is the same drug used to prevent organ rejection in patients after a heart or kidney transplant surgery. Cyclophosphamide implants deliver better results than topical administration; the drug has a low ability to penetrate the eye.

Surgical procedures

Your veterinarian may recommend surgical treatment alternatives for your horse’s moon blindness condition. There is inconclusive research on surgical therapies for ERU. Procedures can only be done by experienced ophthalmologists with immense knowledge of the disease and equipped with the latest high-tech tools.

Recovery and Prognosis

Some animals often need long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory therapy to maintain eye function and comfort. The chances of vision preservation depend on the frequency and severity of recurrent episodes and the success of the treatment. 

If your animal’s cause of ERU was not a perforating kind of trauma, or if it doesn’t have any associated corneal ulcers, there is a good chance for preservation of vision after treatment. Several recurrent episodes and risk of blindness are prognostic for ineffective treatment. 

It’s imperative to begin early treatment once you suspect a case of moon blindness. The severity of the condition always advances with each progressive episode. In my experience through years, I can confirm that early diagnosis and treatment for ERU leads to a favorable prognosis.

There are currently many unanswered questions regarding the nature, control, and treatment of ERU. Little is still known. There is ongoing research on new treatment modalities, but confer with your vet (never start treatment for ERU without a vet’s diagnosis), they may advise you on new treatment methods to try.

Currently, early detection of eye changes, together with aggressive and persistent treatment for the symptoms, is the main way to combat the disease. Sadly, (as my farrier duties involve closely working with vets), I have seen many horses referred for examination and treatment at a later stage of the condition, rendering all future therapies highly inefficient. Sometimes when it’s too late, it’s just too late.

Prevention of Moon Blindness

There is little that horse owners can do to prevent Equine Recurrent Uveitis, given its complex and mostly obscure causes. You just don’t know what will cause the condition or what environment will trigger it. Be that as it may, adhering to proper nutrition, and providing a clean environment can certainly help to keep your horse healthy, for ERU is just like any other disease.

Provide good nutrition

Your horse needs a balanced diet comprised of vitamins, proteins, fat, and starch to remain healthy. These nutrients can be found in live grass, hay, or grain feeds. Nonetheless, minerals such as calcium, sulfur, and magnesium are always in trace amounts and may need supplementation. Vets agree that the MSM organic sulfur supplement is an excellent ally in the prevention and management of moon blindness.

Keep environment clean

As mentioned at the start, the suggested causes of ERU include bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viral infections or exposure. You can wipe out these causative agents by maintaining a clean environment in the horse’s sleeping quarters and giving the animal regular sponge baths.

Remove dangerous obstacles to the eye

Sharp objects in the horse’s stall can cause eye trauma that leads to ERU. Clear your animal’s environment of such obstacles, including nails, hooks, and hanging pieces of wood. Remove anything else that can poke or scratch the eyes in the animal’s grazing areas as well.

Call vet at the onset of any eye infections

Early diagnosis and treatment can help to suppress recurrent episodes of ERU. Therefore, soon as you see symptoms of moon blindness, call your vet. They will determine whether it’s a case of ERU or not and implement a therapy that prevents further deterioration of your horse’s eye health.

The bottom line

Moon blindness often needs urgent and immediate medical attention. The condition has several mostly unknown causes. Equine Recurrent Uveitis is also severe and hard to control. Treatment and management are costly, and the disease has a high chance of causing blindness.

Successful treatment and management of ERU require early diagnosis and persistent aggressive therapy after that. Prevention of ERU could be by proper nutrition and supplementation, maintaining a clean environment, and removing dangerous obstacles that could injure the horse’s eye from his environment.

I have noticed a severe over flexion on my horse’s hind limb when he’s walking or trotting. It’s more evident when turning on the affected leg, backing up slowly, or when I suddenly frighten him.

Stringhalt in horses is the spasmodic contraction of the hind legs’ lateral extensor tendons. Although the condition is painless, it shows the horse is unsound. If it persists, the animal may be unable to walk properly.

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What is Stringhalt in Horses

Stringhalt causes the horse to over flex when walking, to the point of hitting its abdomen with its hind leg. In such a case, the animal suspends its leg more than it does in a normal movement. It also drops the limb back quickly, thus slapping the ground hard and flat.

Therefore, stringhalt is a non-painful neuropathic condition, which is shown by this abnormal hind limb gait. You will notice this when your horse is walking forward or backward. 

Initially, I thought the horse was suffering from shivers, EPM, stifle, or locking patella. You may also be wondering what the difference between shivers and stringhalt in horses is. Read on for more insight.

Shivers

Shivers mimic stringhalt since they both involve the sudden upward flexion of the hind leg when backing and moving off. However, shivers involve muscular quivering of the horse and tail elevation when making that abnormal movement, but it doesn’t hit the ground hard.

History Of Stringhalt

Stringhalt in horses and hooved animals is an age-less disease that was reported back in the Renaissance period. It is an excessive contraction of the digital extensor muscles, especially when these muscles lack enough opposition.

Clinical Signs

You’re likely to notice your horse kicking its abdomen with its hind leg and quickly slapping the ground hard. It is particularly evident when the horse is backing up or turning. It might also involve the two hind legs, and in extreme cases, the condition may include the forelegs.

Possible Causes Of Stringhalt

Stringhalt in horses is a neurological issue. It’s caused by the damage of the nerves, thus triggering the abnormal activity of spindles. These sensory receptors are responsible for detecting any changes in the length of the muscle.

In this situation, certain muscles contract differently, either early or late, when the horse is moving. It’s a sign that the horse is suffering from a neurological disease caused by toxicity. The abnormal gait may become severe, thus warranting euthanasia, especially when it becomes severely incapacitated.

Types of Stringhalt

There are two common categories of stringhalt in horses:

Australian Springhalt

The disease is caused by the ingestion of toxic plants like common dandelion, cheeseweed, and little mallow, although flatweed remains the main contributor of stringhalt. Generally, these weeds are not extremely toxic; however, their toxic levels may increase due to certain environmental conditions.

For instance, you’re likely to notice this behavior during cold weather, and the symptoms are expected to decrease with hot weather. This type affects both hind legs and, in extreme cases, the front legs.

The animal may recover with time after it stops ingesting these toxic plants. For instance, there were two stringhalt outbreaks in Brazil, and Jose Allan Soares de Araujo, a researcher from the veterinary hospital, conducted research during that period. He fed a young horse with flatweed during this time.

As a result, the horse developed stringhalt signs after three weeks and showed some improvement when the plant was removed from its feeds. This seems to confirm that the suspect weed was the cause of the disease.

Therefore, you need to monitor what your horse is feeding on when you notice this condition, as well as provide a high-quality diet to support its recovery. You may also need to give them laxatives to flush the system or get the weed of the animal’s gastrointestinal system to prevent absorption.

Classic Stringhalt

Classic stringhalt is not associated with plant toxicity, but back or neck injury. Still, its origin is a mystery. Thus, the origin of this condition could be the injury on its neck, back, or leg. Most likely, stringhalt clinical symptoms may improve once these injuries heal. 

The animal suddenly jerks its limb upward towards it and drops it to the ground. The action can be mild or violent in classic stringhalt, as the injury deteriorate or when it experiences significant pain in its rear foot that originate from the stifle or hock.

In other situations, there may be no injury, thus making it difficult to determine the cause of the disease. As a consequence, the vet may consider other possibilities such as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), which is a cartilage disorder at the joints. They may also think of Arthrosis or degenerative joint disease as the cause of the disease. Therefore, continuous training or intensive work may worsen the situation.

Therefore, under this condition, your horse may never recover since the disease keeps on deteriorating with time. It may begin with one rear leg and then progress to the second one, and forelegs.

Some of its treatment is botox, anticonvulsant drugs, muscle relaxants, and surgery. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that your horse will recover completely. Thus, it’s not advisable to ride it or perform any ground maneuvers.

However, if the horse is frequently used in the field, it needs a thorough neuromuscular examination first, for its extremely risky to ride a horse suffering from stringhalt.

Diagnosis

An equine veterinarian that specializes in neuromuscular dysfunction is an ideal person to evaluate stringhalt symptoms. However, Australian stringhalt doesn’t require thorough diagnostic procedures like classic stringhalt. It just needs monitoring of the feeds to eliminate the ingestion of toxic weeds.

Orthopedic Exam

An extensive orthopedic examination entails ultrasound and X rays of the affected leg to investigate any major issue in the lateral digital extensor muscle, hock, and tendon. The vet may detect abnormalities in the nervous system reflexes that increase the tone in digital extensor muscles whenever the horse is moving.

One of the clinical signs that may be displayed during the examination is hypertonia, which is increased tension, rigidity, and muscles” spasticity. Hypermetria is another outcome, which is the ataxic muscle disorder, demonstrated by overreaching. Therefore, neurological problems are complex, and can only be discovered after a thorough examination.

For that reason, you may need to pursue advanced treatment from a specialist. They will perform additional diagnostic tests to rule out other diseases of the muscles like infectious diseases such as equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) or polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM)

Diagnostic Workup

A horse with stringhalt symptoms may require hospitalization to provide it with close examination for a number of days. Additional clinical examinations include electromyography (EMGs), diagnostic imaging, and orthopedic workup that offer more accurate diagnoses.

With EMG, the vet is able to have a clear reading of what is happening on the muscles, thus eliminating doubts during the treatment of the disease.

Treatment

Stringhalt caused by the ingestion of toxic weeds can be eliminated when the horse is removed from the pasture. You may give the animal magnesium salts and vitamin B complex to help improve its peripheral neuropathies.

The average recovery of such animals is six to nine months or less; however, those that have severe signs of stringhalt in both legs or forelegs may take longer. In that case, additional treatment should be provided.

Muscle Relaxants

The vet will recommend medication that works directly on the central nervous system. The drugs are helpful to horses that have persistent stringhalt problem. Botulinum toxin or Botox is used to alleviate stringhalt clinical signs.

Anticonvulsants

Sedatives can be used to reduce anxiety and provide relief during a severe phase of stringhalt. For that reason, the vet may recommend anticonvulsants and other drugs in acute stages. Sadly these drugs are sedatives, and therefore, they give the animal suffering from stringhalt, only temporary relief.

Phenytoin

Phenytoin (PHT) or Dilantin is an anti-seizure medication used to manage Australian stringhalt. It is used intravenously or by mouth to prevent focal seizures and tonic-clonic seizures. You may notice a significant improvement in the movement of a horse initially suffering from Australian stringhalt. The anti-epileptic medication is mixed with feeds at the rate of 15 mg/kg every 12 hours for the next two weeks. 

The objective is to reduce clinical signs of stringhalt, for it hyperpolarizes the horse’s nerve membrane, thus enhancing the potential threshold. Therefore, it dampens the firing of the nerves. Seeking long-term treatment for stringhalt in horses can be risky and expensive. It also contributes to positive doping tests, especially for racehorses.

Surgery

A surgical procedure known as lateral digital extensor tenectomy may be done to remove a section of the tendon, or myomectomy running along the hock and the lateral digital extensor muscle. However, its success rate is not guaranteed, and the horse may never recover.

Nonetheless, in most cases, the procedure is able to alleviate clinical signs associated with stringhalt, and your horse may begin to move.

Common Questions About Stringhalt

Can Stringhalt be cured?

Australian stringhalt is caused by the consumption of toxic weeds in the pasture. Thus, your horse can recover some months after you withdraw the weeds from the pasture. On the other hand, classic stringhalt may be cured or not, particularly in severe cases.

However, you can retrain your horse to get around the condition with the use of Botox. The drug is able to temporarily help the animal to get out of its loop until it’s able to manage the neurological issues.

Your horse can have a good quality of life, although it may not return to its previous performance. It may also experience a relapse, while a horse that had severe clinical signs may recover fully and return to its normal life and activities.

Scientists are actively conducting research on this neurological disease to discover new causes and treatments. They are seeking to understand the origin of stringhalt in horses by conducting post-mortem examinations.

For that reason, they are investigating botulinum toxin (Botox) that is recommended above for calming the clinical signs of stringhalt, for it is used in humans to smoothen facial wrinkles. Researchers have recorded a positive outcome, and are advocating its use in higher doses to reduce stringhalt symptoms.

Is Stringhalt Genetic?

There are no genetic links with stringhalt since all breeds are susceptible. The condition is most evident in horses aged 4-5 years, thus inspiring many to think that it’s caused by genetic predisposition. However, even if there are certain correlations, the condition has several causative factors, hence making it hard to link it to genetics explicitly.

The cause of classic stringhalt is still unclear, although it is thought that the disease could be triggered by traumatic damage of sensory nerves of the muscle on the hind limbs.

Can You Ride a Horse with Stringhalt?

A hopping gait shows that the degree of equine reflex hypertonia in your horse is severe. Some horses may still work without impairment, but it’s technically unsound. Although stringhalt is not a response to pain and your horse may not be uncomfortable, it’s still not wise to ride on it or engage in aspects like dressage.

Summing It All Up

Stringhalt in horses is basically an outward sign that the animal is suffering from a neurological disease. Although the Australian stringhalt type is caused by the ingestion of toxic weeds such as flatweeds, the origin of the classic type is still unknown.

A horse with this condition yanks its legs up and halts them whenever it is turning, backing up or walking. Thus, stringhalt is an uncontrollable exaggerated movement. The symptoms may disappear after a few days when you remove the animal from the poor pasture. More so, you may provide the horse with a high-quality diet to speed up the recovery process.

However, if the persist, additional treatment may be necessary, and this may include the use of phenytoin or worse still surgery. Nevertheless, most of the treatment procedures are risky and costly as well as they don’t guarantee that the horse will remove and resume its previous performances.

Think of the horse hooves as the foundation of a home. Your horse, with all its kilos, stands on it, and all its functions depend on that support and balance. Healthy horse hooves need to be strong and healthy for the wellness of the animal. If the hooves get damaged, the injuries could spread to the legs and other areas of the animal’s body. So how do you keep your horse’s hooves healthy, functional, and fabulous?

My first filly was a thoroughbred with their typical delicate hooves. For their athleticism, speed, and grace, one can think of such animals as super-ponies, forgetting the critical weakness that is their hooves. Some will scorn at the idea of regular farrier visits, but a severe bacterial infection of the hooves nearly left me without a horse, and I knew then that I had to pay close attention to the animal. 

Occasional trimming and picking don’t cut it. Turns out TB hooves absorb lots of moisture and lose all of it in dry conditions, leaving them weak and susceptible to chipping and infections. Other factors come into play, too, from diet to exercise, shoeing, and the environment. 

A compressive hoof care plan would entail:

1. Understanding the hoof anatomy

Knowing the functions and structure of the horse foot can help to better take care of it and detect conditions early on. Horse hooves have complex formations from the outside to the inside. 

The outer hoof wall: The hardy outer wall comprises of keratinized epithelial cells. Although it doesn’t have blood vessels and nerves, the hoof wall is a continually growing hoof section. It supports the weight of the horse and protects the inner parts within. Cracks and chipping on this part can leave the internal organs susceptible to damage. 

Coronary band: Atop the hoof wall is the coronary band that acts as the nutritional source for the hoof wall. It packs an ample blood supply, and injury to this part can damage the footwall. 

Close to the coronary band is the periople that similarly safeguards the hoof wall. It comprises of new tissues that grow and harden into the hoof wall.

The inner hoof wall: A sensitive layer lies inside the hoof wall. It holds several leaf-like laminae, which attach to the coffin bone that defines the shape of the foot. These structures bear a significant portion of the horse’s weight. 

The sole and frog: Under the hoof is the sole, which hardly touches the ground because of its concave shape. Although it consists of keratin, the sole is a little more sensitive than the hoof wall. 

There is also the frog, appearing as a V-shaped structure near the heels. Its primary function is to absorb shock and aid in blood circulation in the hoof.

The inner framework of horse hooves consists of:

• The coffin bone: This is the bottom bone near the frog and is housed in the hoof wall. The prominent bone provides shape and structure to the hoof wall and has the tissues that feed the laminae.
• The digital cushion: This lies below the coffin bone and near the back of the hoof. It comprises of cartilaginous material that helps to absorb shock in the foot. If damaged, the digital cushion might never regenerate.
• Navicular bone: This is a small bone behind the coffin bone, and it helps to stabilize the latter, especially when the horse is standing on uneven ground. Assisting with the movement and support of the navicular bone are two tendons; the deep digital flexor and extensor tendons.

2. Schedule farrier visits as often as your horse’s needs

Just like human nails, horses’ hooves grow fast too, outpacing the rate at which they are worn out in the animal’s natural movements. A good trimming helps to keep the hoof capsule in proper balance for equal weight distribution. Even with shoeing, your horse needs regular trimming. 

Consider a trimming cycle span of not more than eight months. 

Toe overgrowth and imbalanced hooves often snowball into injuries for the horse. The stress on one side leads to cracks and chips and can cause separations that put further strain on the joints and tendons. This could then develop into muscle sprains. 

Remember that your horse’s specific needs might vary greatly depending on the physical activity of the horse and the weather. For instance, hooves grow faster in warmer weather than during the winter. 

But trimming is not the only reason for farrier visits. These specialists can also help to check for abnormal conditions that might have escaped your observation. Farriers excel at identifying early onsets of thrush or potentially damaging chips and cracks, under-run heels, bruises, and white line diseases.

3. Maintain high hygiene

You should clean your horse’s hooves regularly, notably after a ride, or a work session. A condition such as a thrush arises and thrives in unsanitary conditions. This kind of bacterial infection is rampant in hooves in wet conditions and targets the frog and heel bulbs.

Thrush creates voids in the hoof wall and spreads to the frog. You will notice a foul odor emanating from the hoof, or it will assume a chalky greyish appearance. In severe cases, a black gooey material oozes from the foot.

Regular trimming at the farriers can help to cut the infected area away and expose the thrush to oxygen, where the bacteria cannot survive. Nonetheless, you can do your bit at home to prevent the condition by maintaining a clean environment.

Check your horse feet: This should be a regular at-home hoof care routine. Check to ensure that the hooves are not packed with mud or rocks that can worsen conditions such as thrush or widen cracks. This routine will help to reveal other abnormalities, and you can then take immediate corrective action.

Pick out the horse’s feet: It’s a basic hygiene routine that I found compelling, especially for the TB hooves with their susceptibility for chipping. Removing stones and sticks lodged in the feet can help to reduce the risk of bigger cracks and chipping. Scrape off soil and small particles from the hoof sole using a brush for a satisfyingly clean hoof.

• Remove debris from his feet before each ride so as not to add weight to the crack-inducing items lodged in the hooves.
• After pasturing, remove the pebbles and sticks that might have gotten in there during the horse’s movements outside.
• Check and remove further objects before stabling at night.
• The next morning, remove manure from the feet before turnout and lookout for symptoms of thrush.

4. Establish normalcy through regular inspections

Apart from thrush, horse hooves are prone to other conditions such as abscess, punctures, and cracks. A routine inspection at home can help to identify and prevent these problems. You will also be able to seek the vet’s help before a condition worsens.

Check for abscess: Abscess is an infection that targets the soft tissue of the hoof and can lead to lameness in severe cases. The condition results from bruises and puncture wounds. On the other hand, radical wet-dry cycles can also cause abscess when the white line expands and contracts to let in bacteria and then trap them in there.

Signs to watch out for abscess include lameness on the affected limb. Sometimes the condition causes swelling in the lower leg. Other symptoms may be too subtle and will require the expert judgment of an experienced farrier. By using hoof testers, the experts will pinpoint exactly where the infection is. 

Prevention measures you can take against abscess include removing debris such as nails, sharp stones, and broken glass from the horse’s paddock and fields. 

Check for bruises: Bruising on horse hooves mostly happens on the outer wall, the sole and the frog. Bruises are caused by a heavy impact on stones and hard ground. If you work or ride your pony on had terrain, your animal is at a high risk of bruises.

Bruises are also a common occurrence in thoroughbreds. As was the case with my first filly, wet and dry conditions really impacted the hooves, making them weaker and prone to bruising. It was always worse in the summer when the animal had to continually stomp its feet to shake off flies.

Symptoms of bruising include lameness on the affected foot. Your farrier might help to identify other low lying symptoms and implement protective measures such as shoeing or shoeing with a pad. 

You can prevent bruising and achieve healthy hooves by avoiding riding on rocky terrains. One other solution I found incredibly helpful for the soft TB hooves was the use of hoof hardener products. Find a product that can simultaneously help to keep out moisture and harden the bottom of the foot. 

Check for Cracks: Horizontal cracks are a sign of damage caused by heavy impact and abscess. Horizontal cracks are no cause for alarm, but vertical cracks will need a farrier’s inspection. Vertical cracks result from imbalanced hoof angles and excessive hoof flare. 

With deep cracks, bacteria can enter the wall and access the sensitive tissues of the hoof. The clefts can also cause hoof separation. Both severe bacterial infection and hoof separation can lead to lameness. You can prevent the condition by adopting proper nutrition and a regular trimming schedule for your horse. 

5. Guard against excessive moisture and ice

Wet feet are bad for the horse. If you bathe your horse frequently, chances are their hooves are prone to cracks. When in wet, hooves swell and soften, but when the wetness dries away, the trotters dry and contract. This wet-dry cycle leaves the hooves weaker and prone to wear.

Moisture is also a hoof health risk for:

• Horses that walk through the morning dew
• Horses that are kept on damp beddings
• Horses that stand in the mud for long

You can reduce the moisture in your horse’s feet by limiting exposure to wetness. Instead of soaking during baths, resort to sponge baths. Also, ensure that the washing area has no mud or puddles to minimize the risk of the horse standing on moisture for too long. 

You don’t have to soak the hooves in the summer as a cooling measure. The hoof is designed to adapt suitably to both wet and dry conditions. It is the temperature fluctuation that is bad for them.

For horses that stay out in damp and muddy weather, ensure that they stand on a dry place, possibly in a shed layered with a properly drained gravel pad. 

Other ways to take care of the moisture problem hooves include:

• Reducing summer turnout time by a few hours, so the horse doesn’t spend too much time in the dewy night time.
• Using a non-drying hoof dressing to prevent moisture absorption
• Reducing the number of times you bathe your horse
• Adopting a regular shoeing schedule in the summer
• Avoiding turnout in wet and muddy conditions
• Applying hoof coating to help with moisture retention in the summer
• If cracks have already appeared from the wet-dry cycle changes, use a hoof sealant to keep off external moisture and preserve internal moisture

Hoof care in the winter

In the winter, avoid riding the horse on frozen terrains. The impact of hooves on frozen ground can lead to concussions that cause hoof cracks. Additionally, with the reduced traction on ice, horses can slip and suffer severe injuries or even fall into ice and get submerged.

If you must turn out your shod horse in the winter, spreading sand or cat litter on the path can help with traction. Lead them to safe areas away from frozen water or streams.

Horse hoof winter care tips:

• Avoid ice balls and slippery paths
• Clean off snow and dirt from the horse’s feet
• Remove sharp items (before winter) that might get buried in snow
• Check fences and remove wires that might be buried in snow
• Provide quality bedding for the long stretches of stabling in the winter
• Proper stall footing is also important
• Clean stall often to ensure dry footing
• Consider padding if riding on frozen roads
• You can use old carpets as walkways for traction

6. Adjust Nutrition

A horse’s healthy hooves depend on how he is feeding and what he is feeding on. Hooves, just like human hair or skin, require nutrients for strength and optimal growth and repair. Have the pony on a consistent and timely feeding program. Live grass and mineral supplementation often yield excellent results on their feet.

When your horse’s overall health is declining due to top nutrient deficiency, you will notice signs such as cracking and chipping in the hooves. These signs may be subtle, but not for cases of severe calorie and nutrient deficit. 

Malnutrition is a health risk in horses, but obesity can also lead to diseases such as laminitis. The condition is an inflammation of the laminae, which are the soft leaf-like structures that attach the coffin bone to the hoof wall. 

Infection and damage to laminae cause unbearable pain and can lead to substantial injury to the coffin bone. Laminitis limits the mobility of your horse and can even be fatal in severe cases. Although it has other causes, over-feeding the horse on grain is the main culprit for laminitis.

For building super healthy hooves, your horse needs a balanced diet and a steady stream of nutrients. Horses mostly require green pasture that packs the right amount of proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Minerals: You can speak to your vet before supplementation, but the required minerals include biotin, calcium, niacin, zinc, and phosphorous. 

Proteins: Since 90 % of the footwall consists of protein in dry matter, this nutrient is very essential to have in a horse’s diet. It contains the amino acids cysteine, cysteine, and methionine, which help in hoof growth. Protein deficiency can lead to a reduction in hoof growth, or splitting and cracking. 

Fats: Too much fat can lead to obesity and laminitis. But the right amount of fat is critical for healthy horse hooves. Fat helps in moisture retention in hooves and limits the external absorption of water. In the process, bacteria and fungi are also stopped from entering the horse’s hoof horn. 

Compared to live grass, hay contains fewer amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Thus, for a horse that thrives on hay and grain, supplementation for fatty acids is critical.

Vitamins: Consider doing a soil analysis of your farm to ascertain whether it packs the right amount of vitamins and minerals. Biotin is the most critical vitamin for hoof growth. It weaves cells and keeps them together. You can put your horse on biotin supplements if you have low-grade grass on your farm.

7. Give your horse a regular workout

Exercise is critical to equine health. Horses are built for power and motion, so let them work it out. When they move around more, blood circulates faster to their extremities, including the living parts of the hooves. The circulation enables nourishment of the hoof capsule, helping it to grow stronger and healthier. 

A little stress also helps to harden the hooves. I have seen plenty of show horses that are confined to a stall most of the time; they generally have weaker feet compared to the ones that run around every now and then. But, remember that the exercises have to be done on good terrain, or they would lead to cracks and chips.

8. Shoeing is necessary for healthier horse hooves

The horseshoe protects the hoof wall. Shoes are especially ideal for horses that race or jump on harsh terrain, helping to shield from hoof concussions and the infections that might result from that. Mud is another factor that calls for protection with horseshoes. Just like rocks and sticks, mud weakens the hooves when it dries in there.

Other reasons to shoe your horse include:

• As a treatment measure against infections or for posture correction
• For traction on slippery terrain
• Stopping of ammonia infections from urine-soaked hay

9. Watch out for the dangers of shoeing

It’s good to point out that there might be negative consequences to excessive shoeing. If none of the above-stated shoeing reasons affect your horse, then you can leave them barefoot to avoid the risk of injuries from horseshoe nails and stepping on clips. Your farrier should help you decide.

Caring for shod horses:

• Watch out for half pulled or shifted shoes; they have bent or moved to one side, posing a danger to the sensitive hoof structures
• You can also place a rubber padding between the hoof and the shoe for a comfortable cushioning

Shoeing tips for the winter

• In the winter, get your farrier to design appropriate shoes for the icy conditions
• Decide to go with shoes only if you will be doing a lot of riding in the cold months
• Be wary of the risk of bruises from frozen mud
• Use anti-snowball pads

10. Master how to remove the horses’ shoes

In an emergency situation, such as when risen clinches or shifted shoes cause enormous pain to your animal pain, you might not have time to wait for a farrier. It’s imperative then that you learn the process of removing a horseshoe to save the animal from pain and hoof damage.

1. Here is what to do in horseshoe emergencies:
2. Crawl under your horse and position yourself such that the foot is supported on your knees
3. Remove the clenches by knocking them off with a hammer
4. Pull out the nails using pliers or a nail puller
5. Once you get all the nails out, the shoe will fall off

11. Protect hooves during transportation

Horses are prone to injuries in the lower limbs during transportation. Some of the injuries directly affect the hoof structure or the entire animal body. Protecting hooves in transportation can help to prevent falling, trapping, overturned trailers, and the resulting damages to hooves.

Before transportation, it would help to fit the horse with travel boots or put padding between the hooves and the shoes. These precautions aid to protect the coronary band from overreach injuries. Horses tend to step on themselves when struggling to maintain balance, and that can damage the growing coronary band.

Let’s finish this off…

For healthy horse hooves, your caring plan needs to consider the bigger picture, given the diverse factors that can impact hoof health. It takes the pooled effort, including yours, your farrier and the vet’s to get it right.

In my years living and working around horses, I became well-acquainted with the tell-tale signs of cribbing: teeth marks on fence posts, chronic dental problems, and life-threatening colic. If you’ve ever seen a horse do it once, you’ll recognize the behavior right away from the arch of the neck to the specific grunting noise that follows. And if you’ve ever had to deal with the after-effects of serious injury or property damage, the sight is quite unwelcome.

Cribbing is nothing new, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still a big problem for both horse and rider. As a behavioral issue, cribbing often arises from boredom but can escalate into something more severe. The best method of curing cribbing is prevention, but there are some solutions available to horse owners who have to tackle this issue head-on.

What is Horse Cribbing?

Also called “wind sucking” or “crib biting,” cribbing is a form of stereotypic behavior that horses sometimes engage in. On the surface, it looks like wood chewing as the horse bites down on stable doors, fence posts or other wooden objects. However, the behavior is a bit different from simply chewing. What makes cribbing unique is the way the horse flexes his neck muscles after gripping the wooden object. This causes the animal to suck in a big gulp of air. You might hear a distinctive grunting sound when this happens.

Some horses will simply chew on the wooden surfaces in their stable or paddock without sucking air. Others may engage in wind sucking without the biting or chewing aspect.

Regardless of the exact form it takes, cribbing is a stereotypic behavior. This means that it’s repetitive and compulsive. Like a tiger pacing in the zoo or an elephant repeatedly swinging its trunk, cribbing is a repetitive behavior that only occurs in captivity. The underlying reasons for the behavior may include stress, boredom or loneliness.

Why Does a Horse Crib?

A horse may start cribbing for a number of reasons, including boredom, anxiety, confinement, stress, pain and gastrointestinal issues. What all of these risk factors have in common is that they cause distress. In response to this stress, a horse might engage in stereotypic cribbing behavior as a form of self-soothing or as a coping mechanism.

From the horse’s perspective, cribbing feels good. It produces a measurable physical effect in the body by slowing the animal’s heart rate, lowering cortisol levels and releasing endorphins. Cribbing an also boost saliva production, which may help to ease some kinds of stomach pain.

Because cribbing produces so many pleasure signals in the horse’s brain, the behavior can become addictive. This is why it can be extremely difficult to curb the behavior once it’s started. Just like a person who develops an addiction will modify their behavior and experience pleasure differently in order to seek that “high,” a horse who cribs may experience psychological and physiological changes that make the habit nearly impossible to break.

Myths and Misconceptions

Because cribbing is a common problem in horses and has been reported since the beginning of horse husbandry, many myths and wives’ tales surround it.

One common myth is that cribbing is a learned behavior. If you have one horse that cribs, the story goes, you will soon have a whole herd of them. This does not appear to be true. It’s very common to have several horses living together with only one of them engaging in cribbing behavior.

Instead, horses usually develop cribbing behavior due to a combination of environmental triggers and a genetic disposition. It has been shown that certain breeds, including thoroughbreds and warmbloods, are much more prone to cribbing than quarter horses and Arabians, although the exact reasons for this are still being studied.

Another common belief that turns out to be true, at least in some cases, is that cribbing can be caused by feeding too much grain. Horses whose diets contain mostly hay and pasture are much less likely to develop cribbing tendencies than those who frequently receive grain or sweet feed. If a freshly weaned young horse is immediately started on grain, the likelihood of cribbing goes up even higher.

What Health Risks Are Associated With Cribbing?

If cribbing feels good to the horse and has some physiological benefits, why should you stop it? That’s a question that often comes on the heels of “what is horse cribbing” from people who haven’t experienced it, and it bears consideration. On the surface, the behavior doesn’t seem like it should be especially damaging. Unfortunately, it can lead to severe problems.

The first and most obvious issue you might encounter as a horse owner is damage to property. Bite marks on any solid object within a horse’s reach aren’t much fun and can quickly add up to costly repairs. But it’s not just your barn that can sustain longterm, irreparable damage from cribbing.

Like most addictions, cribbing is self-destructive. It can cause physical injury to the horse who indulges in it. One major issue is air in the stomach, which can lead to potentially deadly colic. Bear in mind that horses can neither belch nor vomit, so trapped gas in the stomach can lead to rupture. Even if it doesn’t get that far, swallowing air can lead to discomfort, which in turn might encourage the horse to engage in more cribbing, thus making the issue even worse.

Another common problem with cribbing is tooth damage. Because the horse will frequently grab or clamp down with the incisors, these teeth can wear down more quickly than the rest of the teeth. This can cause uneven dentition and mouth pain as well as difficulty with grazing. Left unchecked, these teeth issues can result in malnutrition.

In some cases, a horse may become so addicted to the cribbing behavior that he stops eating or engaging in other healthy activities. The cribbing obsession becomes all-consuming, even causing behavioral issues and distractions while riding.

How to Stop Your Horse From Cribbing

Cribbing cannot be cured entirely, but there are steps you can take to reduce the behavior and limit the damage it might cause. Different methods of deterrant will work for different horses, so you may need to experiment to find the right solution for your needs.

Behavioral Modification

If a horse is cribbing primarily from boredom, giving the animal more stimulation can help to curb the behavior or keep it from becoming entrenched:

• Provide plenty of opportunities to roam freely. Horses on open pasture, especially those who have a buddy or two, are much less likely to develop cribbing behavior.
  
• Frequent exercise can help to keep the horse stimulated and prevent boredom. If you can’t ride him frequently, work with him on the ground or in an indoor arena. A busy horse is a happy horse!
  
• Invest time in training. Horses are smart, and putting their brains to work can keep them from getting themselves in trouble. Ground manners, trick training, and even complicated dressage moves are all great for keeping a horse’s mind and body occupied.
  
• Offer toys for mental stimulation. If your horse must spend time alone in a stall or paddock, give him something to do that will occupy his mind and body. Commercially available balls and puzzles are available in many feed and supply stores. You can even make your own treat-dispensing toys with an old milk jug or other recycled materials.

These behavioral modifications are most effective as preventative tools rather than a treatment for a horse who already has an established cribbing habit. Also please note that these behavioral modifications won’t help if the horse’s underlying reason for cribbing is due to pain or stress as opposed to boredom or loneliness. You’ll also want to rule out physical maladies and treat any ailments right away before the horse starts to develop his own coping mechanisms.

Environment Modification

If you can’t prevent cribbing before it starts, the next best thing is to make it inconvenient or physically difficult for the horse to engage in that behavior:

• Cribbing collars and muzzles physically restrict the horse’s movement, preventing him from engaging in the flexing necessary to gulp air. This is a good temporary solution, but most cribbers will resume their behavior as soon as the collar is removed.
  
• A slow feeder to deliver hay can be a useful way to distract the horse and keep him occupied so he won’t engage in cribbing. Feeding hay through a net or mesh feeder forces him to take his time eating, which might be a more appealing option than cribbing if the habit is not yet fully ingrained.
  
• Metal chew guards, foul-tasting deterrent sprays and even electric fencing can all ward a horse off of chewing on particular parts of the stable. Bear in mind that a horse can still suck wind on his own without chewing wood, so a determined cribber may find a way around these tactics. This can at least curb some of the material damage to your barn.

Surgical Correction

One extreme solution to cribbing is a surgery called Forssell’s procedure. In this surgery, some of the horse’s neck muscles or nerves are cut, making the cribbing flex impossible. This effectively acts as a permanent cribbing collar.

The technique is effective, but it comes with the same risks as any major surgery, and it does nothing to treat the underlying issue. A horse may move on to engage in other damaging or stereotypic behaviors as a way to cope with environmental stress.

Holistic Treatments

Some horse owners may find that certain holistic treatments are effective in curbing unwanted behaviors such as cribbing.

Herbal supplements to calm the horse or to ease stomach pain and ulcers can be effective in some cases. Antacids can help to prevent cribbing if digestive upset is at the root of the behavior.

Other holistic or supplementary treatments such as acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, and even reiki can be employed, although their effectiveness has not been widely studied.

In Conclusion

Cribbing is a complicated behavioral issue with many underlying causes. Because this behavior is difficult or impossible to fully eradicate once it’s been established, your top priority as a horse owner should be prevention. If you do struggle with a cribber, know that behavioral and environmental modification can help to minimize the damage and protect your horse’s health. You may never fully stamp out the behavior, but you can help ensure that it stays as a personality quirk rather than a damaging addiction.