Hoof-Heat Detector

Here’s a handy little trick that’ll tell you whether inflammation’s at work within a horse’s hoof.

Credit: Jim Bortvedt

Spray his feed with water, then observe them as they dry. If one or more hooves dry out faster than the others (note the hoof on the left of our photo, compared to that on the right), you have reason to suspect inflammation—it’ll generate heat and that causes the faster drying.

What did you think of this article?

Thank you for your feedback!