I was reading an old farrier journal from the 80s and found out they used to think a horse's hoof wall grew at a rate of 1/4 inch per month, but newer studies show it's more like 3/8 to 1/2 inch. That's a huge difference for trimming schedules.

3 comments

3 Comments

barbaraw1621d ago

Guess a lot of horses in the 80s were walking around with some seriously overdue pedicures.

gavin_reed5d ago

Actually, wasn't the growth rate thing from the 90s? I remember reading the old study was in '96. So more like a 90s problem.

janab8221d ago

Wow, that old measurement actually makes me wonder about all the old shoeing methods. If they thought growth was slower, they might have left more hoof wall for nail grip, which could have caused long-term problems. Some of those "corrective" shoeing techniques from back then look pretty extreme now. It's not just about trim timing, it's about how the whole approach to hoof care was built on wrong info. Makes you question what we're getting wrong today that vets will laugh at in 30 years.