sole

Question
Hi, is it normal for sole of horse foot to start to shed or chip away...we've had lots of rain and horses are in pasture...also, is 3 sided walled shelter adequate (no roof) for rainstorm weather? My horse has a buddy and he's 25 yrs old, very healthy though. thanks Lori

Answer
Hello Lori,
thank you for your questions. Yes, it is normal for the sole to look flaky and chip away. This happens several times a year and also depend a bit on the weather and with really wet weather you can see that. The sole of the hoof is constantly being renewed and grows just like the rest of the hoof does. Your farrier should be able to help the sole come off a bit easier by cutting away those bits that want to come off and also get rid of the layers of sole that are old. This is usually done first thing when a horse is trimmed. Often, though, when the weather is really dry, the sole of the hoof is so hard that you cannot do that. Then, the next time it rains or you have moisture on the hoof for a while, you see these flakes and chips coming off. You can also try to pry some of the bigger ones off with your hoof pick and there is no need to really dig. Just watch your farrier next time he/she trims your horse and see what is done to the sole and ask him/her to show you what "dead sole" versus "live sole" looks like.

Hope this answered your question.

Take care,
Christine