Waiting for your horse’s hooves to adapt and strengthen is stressful. It doesn’t matter how long transition takes. The slightest of flares, cracks and bulges have kept barefoot horse owners awake at night.
This is undoubtedly because a simple flare, left to its own devices, can become mechanical founder.
But these issues are easily resolved if caught early. You must help your horse grow the problem out. Take action by regularly trimming the walls, quarters, and applying the mustang roll. This alone can deal with most flares, cracks and bulges.
Flaring and bulging points to a stretched white line. Unusual mechanical forces have pushed the hoof out, away from the coffin bone.
Horses with neglected, overgrown hoof walls are especially at risk. The hoof wall takes on too much weight forcing the growth outwards.
Horses without a mustang roll are at risk. The leverage on the ground prises the hoof wall away from the coffin bone.
And of course, transitioning horses are also at particular risk. Their white line is already weak and stretchy.
You can take a great deal of strain off a weakened white line by bringing the mustang roll back to the edge of the sole. When your horse is ready, move the mustang roll forwards again to the usual water line.
With more pressure on the soles, this can be uncomfortable for your horse. But as barefoot expert, Margaret Smith says…
“We see repeatedly, that white line pain bothers horses more than sole pain.”
Whether you follow this ‘White Line Strategy’ or not, the mustang roll is always the most important part of your trim. Not just for dealing with flares, but splits and bulges too. Renew this weekly, keeping flared sections off the ground at the point of break-over. It’s the only way you can contain the problem as new hoof material grows out.
Please remember to trim no higher than the bottom third of the hoof. It may be tempting to rasp down that bulge that runs further up, but you must restrain yourself. Your horse’s hoof wall is still a vital protector of the internal structures. Besides, it cannot reconnect to the coffin bone once separated. The only way to tighten up your horse’s white line is to encourage growth of new hoof material.
Keep that mustang roll renewed. And keep your horse turned out and moving as much as possible.
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Al & Claire