Five ways to ensure your horse puts his best hoof forward

Farrier Sam Dracott has some top tips to prepare your horse’s feet for the eventing season

Registered farrier Sam Dracott shot to fame last year following his TikTok video that showed him shoeing a horse. In the UK, the video proved the social media channel’s most popular of 2022 with an incredible 300m views and counting. He’s here to share his top tips for preparing your horses hooves for a great run this season.

1. Pedicure – some of you may have had your horses’ shoes removed because of a decrease in work or having the winter off. Having the shoes back on ahead of the busy season will ensure your horse has enough time to readjust to them before competing begins, as well as preventing him suffering from sore hooves.
2. Studs – adding studs to your horse’s shoes will help improve his confidence, especially with all the rain we’ve been having that has made the ground extra slippery. Although the stud holes are a pain when small stones become stuck in them, having studs will help when it comes to popping fences or riding tighter lines when the ground is very wet.
3. Wear and tear – as your horse’s fitness and strength increases, foot flight and horseshoe wear can indicate issues that need to be taken care of. Quite often when there’s pain in the hocks, stifle, knees or joints, shoe wear is affected If shoe wear changes while everything else stays the same, it’s an indication of soreness.
4. Soggy hooves – when very wet fields become dry ones with sudden changes in weather, weakness and softness in the hoof structure can result and that can increase the chance of bruising. Try to keep a consistent environment for your horse’s hooves and maintain a regular farrier schedule.
5. Polish up – maintaining your horse’s hooves between farrier visits is a great way to ensure they are performing to the best of their ability. Use hoof oil or grease regularly to improve moisture content in the hoof and prevent weak and brittle hooves developing when conditions are dry.