1966-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1966 September Voice RS | Page 22

The point of both grooming and shampooing is that
they should be made into habits—not something that is
done to get a horse ready for a show or special weekend.
It’s easier to keep a mane or tail from getting tangled,
rather than to comb out a large snarl after it's reached
the hopeless. Likewise, it’s better to keep a horse’s coat
shiny and lustrous rather than try to bring a dull coat
back to life.
CARING FOR YOUR HORSE’S HOOVES
The importance of keeping your horse’s hooves in
good condition cannot be overemphasized. Nature made
them tough, to withstand the terrific punishment they
must take. To prevent serious trouble from devloping,
it’s up to you, the horse owner, to pay close attention to
them, maintain them properly, and take preventative
action where necessary. Among steps to take are:
(1) Inspect your horse’s feet daily for embedded
stones, loose shoes, dryness, cracks, and such ailments
as thrush.
(2) Clean the hooves every day. Use a hoof pick,
working from the heel to the toe. Take pains to clean
out the depressions between frogs and bars.
Re-shoe, your horse at regular intervals—each 4 to 6
weeks. Since hooves are constantly growing, leaving shoes
unchanged too long may lead to defects in stance or
gait, or cause strain on tendons.
(4) Trim your horse’s hooves about once a month.
Trim sparingly, but make sure that your horse stands
level and square.
(5) Use hoof dressing about once a week. Horses’
hooves are prone to become dry, especially in stabled
conditions. Dry, brittle hooves can split or crack, caus­
ing lameness. Head off this condition before it starts by
applying a reliable hoof dressing.
TREAT WOUNDS PROMPTLY
Serious injurie