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The mass of gleaming show hunters that step into the ring every year at top shows such as Devon (Pa.) don’t look that way by accident, and neither do the perfectly turned-out event horses in the jog at the Rolex Kentucky CCI****.
A lot of elbow grease and dedication goes into maintaining those gleaming coats and polished hooves under the rigors of the show circuit. Constant environmental changes can lead to a whole host of hoof, coat, mane and tail problems for the frequent competitor.
Take Care Of Those Hooves
Ever heard the old adage “no foot, no horse?”
Well, it’s true. With the demands placed upon a show horse these days, it’s crucial you do everything possible to keep your horse's hooves in tip-top shape.
As a past owner of dressage horses and a farrier for more than 30 years, James Gilchrist, owner of Wellington, Fla.-based Palm Beach Farrier Services, Inc., believes that the increased demands placed upon show horses contribute in large part to the hoof issues he frequently encounters.
“You take them to shows all over the world. They’re constantly in different environments, with chemicals on them, soap on them, two baths a day. The hooves constantly go from wet to dry,” said Gilchrist. “It’s tough with the never-ending horse show circuit. It’s not like it used to be—there’s never any time off.”
He continued, “Most of the problems we see are due to unnatural conditions. When horses are normally turned out in big paddocks, their feet are able to be more natural and have a natural biomechanical function.”
According to Gilchrist, the biggest cause of problems in show horse feet is going from wet to dry on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot that can be done to prevent the wet-dry cycle other than managing the frequency of baths. Gilchrist also added that packing hooves can help tremendously.
“Each horse is different,” he noted. “I don’t like to get caught up in overdoing supplements and chemicals on the hooves. You have to treat each horse as an individual. Nothing is set in stone in my mind. Some horses just genetically have great feet, and there’s no way you can do anything wrong.”
If The Shoe Fits…
Besides caring for the hoof itself, show horses also are subject to frequent changes in shoeing, whether it’s different shoes, different ways of shoeing, different farriers or using studs.
Fortunately, Gilchrist considers all of these issues minor, particularly changes in farriers while traveling.
“There are a lot of great horseshoers now, all over the world,” said Gilchrist. “It’s not like it was at one time when there were just a handful of qualified farriers.
