Sunday, December 6, 2009

Horsey Snowballs

On our "Wintering Wisely" web page, we talk about Snowballs in horses' feet.  Here ya go:

These snow/ice balls are everywhere this morning!




You can see how this might make walking difficult, if not downright dangerous, if not removed.


In our experience, healthy bare feet, able to flex and function naturally, usually pop the snowballs out as the horse moves about, with no human intervention.  In some cases, however, we do need to assist with a hoof pick. 

Remember to check feet often when weather conditions favor snowball formation and keep in mind that shod horses have less ability to shed snowballs on their own.

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