Category: White Line Disease

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Good for the Sole

Farrier Trimming Hoof Sole

No part of the horse “takes a beating” like the sole of the hoof. The horse’s sole and hoof share the responsibility in supporting the weight of the horse while withstanding the different terrains when running, jumping, trail riding, or performing. Rocks, concrete, mud, grass, and other surfaces take a toll on the bottom of the hoof. Therefore, a healthy sole is vital to the horse.

An unhealthy sole can limits a horse’s performance, lead to severe hoof related issues such as abscesses, thrush in horses, white line disease, or canker. Horse owners can take steps to build and manage a healthy sole by understanding its function, preventing factors that negatively impact its health, and promote sole quality through daily maintenance, diet, and nutrition.

The Function of the Horse’s Sole

The bottom of the hoof consists of the sole (the concave portion) and frog (the ”V” shaped tissue)  surrounded by the hoof capsule. The average sole should be concave measuring approximately 3/8 to 1/2 inches thick. The sole plays important functions in the horse’s mobility by helping to distribute weight and  protect the coffin bone.

The coffin bone is the main bone located within the hoof capsule. It is surrounded by laminae which attaches the coffin bone to the hoof wall. The sole lies beneath the coffin bone and helps support and protect the internal anatomy of the hoof capsule from the external environment.

Thin or compromised soles allow excess stress to be applied on to the coffin bone especially on hard or rocky surfaces. The excess stress encourages a multitude of hoof related issues to develop. Promoting sole quality is essential in developing hoof quality and prolonging the usefulness of your horse.

Factors that Affect the Horse’s Sole

There are three major factors that horse owners must manage:

  • Nutrition
  • The Environment
  • Hoof Care Maintenance

The mismanagement of any of these factors can weaken the sole and predispose the hoof to several issues.

  • Improper nutrition through an imbalanced diet can lead to nutritional excesses or deficiencies in the horse. This imbalance directly affects the hoof by developing poor hoof and sole quality that is less resilient to bacteria, cracks, and other issues.
  • The environment can be just as harmful by predisposing hooves to bacterial infections and fungal invasions. Overly wet environments also soften the hoof wall and sole, weakening the protection they provide.
  • Hooves that are not properly managed through farrier work and daily cleanings can become packed with debris. A sole packed with debris cannot properly “breathe.” Thus, building an environment perfect for anerobic bacteria.

You can learn more about the factors that affect hoof quality in our previous blog article.

There is an extensive list of hoof related problems associated with the sole. Managing these factors act as a preventive measure against this long list. The sole can be subjected to a multitude of conditions including:

  • Bruising
  • White line disease
  • Contracted soles
  • Corns
  • False soles
  • Founder/laminitis
  • Hoof abscesses
  • Prolapsed soles
  • Puncture wounds
  • Subsolar abscess
  • Thin soles
  • Thrush
  • Canker
  • and more…

Promoting Hoof Quality

Proper Nutrition for the Equine Sole

A balanced diet that provides the essential nutrients important for hoof growth nurture a sole that is thicker, stronger, and more resilient to bacteria and injury. Horse owners can achieve this by taking the horse back to its basic diet and strengthening the diet with a hoof supplements for horses. For example, Farrier’s Formula® can help rebuild and maintain sole strength. Feeding balanced nutrition along with Farrier’s Formula® can also help in the recovery of a sole related hoof problem or injury.

Nutrition is especially important to horses suffering from acute or chronic laminitis. So, Horse owners may want to consider adding a supplement specialized for horses with laminitis. Life Data® Lamina Formula was formulated as a complimentary supplement to be given with Farrier’s Formula® to help support the laminitic horse and assist in laminitis recovery.

Protecting External Hoof Health

The horse’s sole is the first line of defense between the horse and the ground. Its always be in contact with the environment against rain, sand, mud, urine, feces, bacteria, and countless other matter. As a result, constant exposure to the environment will wear down the sole’s defenses and allow unwanted debris, bacteria, and fungi to penetrate and invade the hoof.

Managing the horse’s exposure to the environment helps maintain the health of the sole. Reducing exposure to wet environments, maintaining clean stalls, and using non-caustic hoof topicals are all steps that can be used to protect not the entire hoof.

For example, if your horse is often exposed to wet and muddy environments, applying Farrier’s Finish® regularly will help maintain moisture balance. It can also help prevent hooves from becoming too soft from excess moisture.

Lastly, Using Life Data® Hoof Clay® around the frog and along the white line helps protect the sole from the bacterial invasions that cause Thrush and White Line Disease. Protecting your horse’s hooves externally protects new hoof growth that is developing internally.

Hoof Care

Proper hoof care is essential to managing sole health. Inspect and pick out each hoof daily to remove excess debris. Daily cleaning helps prevent Thrush, White Line Disease, and hoof abscesses. In addition, regular farrier appointments also help hoof quality by ensuring hooves remain balanced and not overgrown.

Strong soles are essential to maintain the health and usefulness of your horse. You can help your horse develop the best quality hoof genetics will allow through nutrition, environmental management, and proper hoof care. Consult with your farrier or veterinarian if you believe your horse has a hoof issue. If you have any questions on equine nutrition and supplementation feel free to contact us.

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White Line Disease: Nutrition’s Role in Prevention

Equine Nutrition and White Line Disease
Properly balanced nutrition and quality hoof supplements strengthen and increase the density of the hoof wall, reducing the likelihood or severity of White Line Disease.

Burney Chapman, a world-renowned farrier from Lubbock, Texas, became one of the foremost authorities on White Line Disease back in the late eighties and early nineties. At that time, he began to see an alarming increase in the numbers of cases he encountered in his shoeing practice both in the U.S. and U.K. Burney determined that it was not a disease of the white line, but rather the result of a fungal invasion of the middle hoof wall. Burney named the condition “Onychomycosis”, or ONC.

The disease is also known as Stall Rot, Seedy Toe, Hollow Foot and Wall Thrush. At first blush almost everyone, including Burney, thought White Line Disease was found in environments that were poorly maintained. However, the more he encountered it, he began to realize the disease occurred more often in clean, well-managed stables and barns. He also observed that there was no correlation to breed, color, or front versus back feet; and that the initial stages were non-painful and usually detected by the farrier during routine hoof care.

The Hoof Wall

Today, we know a bit more about White Line Disease and recognize that all horses are exposed. The medial (middle) hoof wall is the structure affected. The damage is caused by organisms commonly found in the environment, both bacterial and fungal. These organisms require a nutrient-rich environment that is lacking oxygen to flourish. The outer hoof wall is more resistant to invasion due to its higher density and exposure to environmental oxygen compared to the low density and lack of oxygen in the middle hoof wall. The third section of hoof wall, the inner hoof wall, is more resistant to invasion due to the proximity of live tissue in this area. The live tissue is not only oxygen rich, thereby inhibiting these opportunist anaerobic organisms, but also has infection fighting abilities.

The Importance of Internal Hoof Health

Due to this, many horse owners approach White Line Disease as an external battle, but prevention begins with internally healthy hooves. For example, picture a castle protected by a strong exterior wall. If the people inside are healthy and thriving, the outside wall can be maintained and kept strong from outside invaders. If the castle is unable to maintain the wall, over time the outside wall will begin to deteriorate, weaken, and crumble; making it easier for outside invaders to penetrate. We can take this same example and apply it to our horse’s hooves. If we are not properly providing for the hoof internally, the outside integrity of the hoof will reflect the same. As the external protection begins to deteriorate, the hoof becomes less resilient to infections. Maintaining a healthy hoof internally begins with proper nutrition.

Prevention with  Equine Nutrition

Proper nutrition and hoof quality are directly correlated. In fact, poor hoof quality is one of the first signs of poor nutrition. Developing a balanced diet and feeding a quality hoof supplement can provide the nutrients needed to support stronger and healthier hooves. It may also help promote regrowth and recovery for hooves suffering or damaged from white line disease.

Feeding your horse an unbalanced diet can have the reverse effect. For example, excessive selenium supplementation and excessive bran in the horse’s diet are nutritional factors that can increase the risk of White Line Disease or other hoof related issues.

Although proper nutrition alone may not resolve White Line Disease, it is a vital step in building more resilient, stronger and healthier hooves. Protecting hooves externally utilizing a non-caustic topical product while also providing a quality hoof supplement is the most effective way to prevent and treat the problem. Consult with your veterinarian and farrier if your horse is suffering from White Line Disease. If you have any questions, feel free to visit our website or contact us at 1-800-624-1873 or cservice@lifedatalabs.com.

Learn More About White Line Disease 

Learn More About Feeding for Hoof Health.

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Hoof Care Doesn’t Stop in the Winter.

Worse walking in snow

Winter is in full force and Jack Frost is blanketing many of our pastures with snow, freezing rain, and ice. Many of us are now concentrated on keeping our horses healthy, while maintaining body condition through this cold spell. We all have different routines we practice to keep our beloved horses as comfortable as possible during these months. We can debate all day between blankets VS a horse’s natural coat, or even more barn time VS more pasture time – but the one thing we cannot argue about is that proper hoof care doesn’t stop in the winter. Providing a balanced diet, staying on top of any hoof problems caused by the environment, and routine farrier work is a year-round effort.

Worse walking in snow

How Winter Affects the Hoof

It doesn’t take an expert to see that any amount of snow is going to leave our pastures wet and muddy, and as we have discussed in previous articles, wet and muddy conditions can create the perfect environment for “hoof eating” microbes to thrive. Prolonged exposure to water can soften the hoof capsule, leading to stretching and separation of the white line area. Regardless of how much pasture time you are allocating to your horse during the winter, ensure to properly clean and dry the hooves before moving your horse back into the barn.

Even if your horse is not spending a lot of time out in the cold environment, it is still important to regularly clean your horse’s hooves. Some horse owner’s may choose to restrict pasture time due to the freezing weather. Extended periods of time in a stall might keep your horse warmer, but this confinement can create hoof problems as well. While stalled, your horse will be standing in its own waste. This exposes the hooves to different bacteria that will affect the health of the hooves. Regularly cleaning your horse’s hooves and maintaining a clean environment for your horse can help prevent problems, but issues such as Thrush or White Line Disease can develop if left unchecked.

Hoof Maintenance in the Winter

Farrier Applying Hoof Topical for Thrush

Even with regular cleaning, sometimes you may need a little extra help maintaining the health of your horse’s hooves. Regularly feeding a quality hoof supplement, such as Farrier’s Formula®, will provide the nutrients your horse needs to promote stronger and healthier hooves. These stronger hooves will be more resilient to problems such as White Line Disease and will help prevent the softening of the hoof capsule. Using non-caustic antimicrobials, like Farrier’s Finish® and Life Data® Hoof Clay®, may be applied after cleanings to help fight and kill any “hoof-eating” microbes. These products will also help maintain hoof quality, and are non-caustic to you and your horse. We also recommended talking with your farrier and veterinarian to create a plan to properly care and maintain your horse’s hooves. Regular farrier and veterinarian visits are always recommended. Farrier visits should not be eliminated because of the winter season.

If you have any questions please feel free to call us at 1-800-624-1873 or e-mail us at cservice@lifedatalabs.com.