Answer

By Your Horse

Farrier Glyn Trundle advises…..

A healthy hoof is one that has good conformation to enable it to serve its main functions well, i.e. to provide weight bearing and protect the sensitive structure within.
The main factors involved in achieving and maintaining a healthy hoof include natural hoof quality and conformation; some horses have poor foot shape and hoof quality in their genes or acquire it due to a poor start to life, for example, an insufficient diet or mineral intake as a foal. Poor hoof quality can be improved considerably with good management; working with your farrier to improve the shape and balance of the foot can also make a huge difference.
In order to assess the hoof your farrier will ask to see the horse move (walked and trotted up in-hand) and hold the lower limb in a series of ways to assess the horse’s conformation and the balance of not only the hoof, but the lower limb too. Hoof testers are useful to see how tender horses are on their feet. A set of foot x-rays taken at the purchase vetting will add to the cost but may well be worth it, as they will help your farrier to trim the feet in a way that supports and complements the internal structures, the position of which is not always obvious in misshapen or overgrown feet.