kim733•22d ago

Heard a trainer in Lexington say 'no foot, no horse' and it clicked for me

I was at a clinic in Kentucky last weekend and the main speaker kept repeating that old saying. He showed us how a tiny quarter crack he missed on a show jumper turned into a full blown lameness in under a month. It made me realize I need to be even more picky during my pre-shoe inspections. How do you guys balance a thorough check with keeping a tight schedule on busy farm calls?

3 comments

3 Comments

harper_thompson1322d ago

Ever feel like you spend half your day just picking feet? I missed a small abscess brewing once because I was rushing. Now I just block out the extra five minutes per horse in my head.

patjones21d ago

Yeah, "block out the extra five minutes" is the key thing like harper_thompson13 said. I used to think a quick pick was good enough, just get the rocks out and move on. Then my old gelding got super lame out of nowhere, and it turned out he had a deep bruise I'd missed because I never really looked at the sole. Now I make myself actually see each foot, not just clean it. That slow check is part of the job, not extra work.

elliotadams21d ago

Tell me about it. I used to blow through hoof checks like it was a race. Then I found a nasty crack hiding under some mud that could have been a disaster. Now I treat it like a mandatory inspection, not a chore. That extra minute of poking around each foot is cheaper than any vet bill.