Because of the interesting nature that horse’s have,
they don’t get sick as often as other animals. However, because of the
way that their bodies work, and the fact that they spend most, if not
all of their lives standing, and aren’t able to lie down for lengths of
time without getting sick, the fact remains clear that their hooves are
very important, and most of the common horse diseases have to do with
the horses hooves. This is why your horse’s shoes are very important,
and why the most important part of horse care is making sure their
hooves are able to withstand the normal wear and tear of life.
One of the most common ailments in a horse’s hooves is called white line
disease. It attacks the part of the foot where the hoof actually meets
the foot, and starts as a simple white line that might not look very
serious. However, this white line is actually a deterioration of the
hoof itself, and you are going to find that if you don’t notice this in
time, it will start to eat away at the hoof of your horse, and will
cause him great pain. If you still don’t catch it and fix the problem,
your horse will go lame, and you might be forced to put him down.
The actual disease is bacteria that is slowly eating away at your
horse’s hoofs. The only way to stop it is to apply medicine and make
sure that your horse’s hooves are filed down to the point where they are
no longer affected. If the disease has progressed, you will find that
this is even harder to do.
One of the best ways to prevent this is the same way that is used to
prevent the other common horse diseases, and that is to always make sure
your horse is living in a safe, warm, dry and clean area, where they
don’t have to worry about bacteria.
Of course, there are other diseases that are also common in horses, such
as colic and other colds and flu that you might find your horse getting.
As usual, the best way to care for your horse is to prevent your horse
from getting sick in the first place, and the best way that you can do
this is to make sure that they are living somewhere that is clean and
comfortable, and that you are a diligent owner who takes the time to
make sure there are no places bacteria can grow.
