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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?
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harper_thompson136mo 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.
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patjones6mo 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.
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elliotadams6mo 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.
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