Jack, the spotted horse with special needs, seen in the video below, has no problem allowing his farrier, Al, to work on his hooves. “I love you, Al, for fixing my feet!” Jack’s owner narrates behind the camera, while the farrier jokes about marrying the loving horse. Every responsible horse owner knows that taking care of his animal’s paws is essential to maintaining good health.
The reality show that hooves that grow too long or unevenly will eventually crack or break, injuring muscles and tendons in the legs and eventually compromising the alignment of the horse’s spine. To avoid these problems, hooves should be trimmed, and the farrier need to bring them to the right level about every six weeks. A professional farrier knows how to trim and balance a horse’s hooves and how to create irons that best suit an animal’s needs.
The condition and shape of each hoof as well as the activities of the horse play an important role in the choice of the material to be used for the shoe, its size and shape. Trimming the hooves is not painful for a healthy horse; it is very similar to cutting the fingernails of a human. Jack certainly doesn’t seem to care about Al filing and polishing his hooves – he seems to be grateful for the pedicure!