Hoof Flares

We've all seen a hoof flare--that unnatural outward bending of the hoof wall, usually on the bottom part of the hoof.  It's the result of many things, but commonly occurs when hooves are trimmed infrequently or incorrectly.   Flares have become increasingly common on domestic horses today, but a flared hoof is not natural and is definitely not healthy for the horse. 

While visiting a stable with a friend this past weekend, I was reminded of just how bad hoof flares can get.  The picture above is a horse that was supposedly trimmed by a traditional farrier just a few days prior.  Aside from having bad flares, the horse had two extremely unbalanced front feet.  For a natural trimmer like myself, it was a sad sight. 

A flare is simply a separation of the hoof wall and coffin bone.  It is also known as a stretched white line.  You can easily see a severe flare (like the one above), and many times, you can feel a slight flare if you run your fingers down the hoof.  They can occur on the toe or the quarters (sides) of the hoof. 

Flares are not comfortable for the horse.  You could compare them to your fingernail being pried away from the skin on your finger.  Every time the horse's flared hoof wall comes in contact with the ground, it's prying the wall away from the coffin bone.  This is why overgrown and flared hooves tend to crack and break away in chunks.  It's the hoof's natural defense mechanism for getting rid of the flare and the pain. 

So what can be done about flares?  They need to go!  You won't be able to get rid of a bad flare in one or two trimmings, but if you keep up with correct, frequent trimmings, you can get them under control.  Horses in wet climates are especially prone to flares and may need to be trimmed as frequently as every 2-3 weeks.  If you don't trim your own horses, which many of you probably don't, find a trimmer/ farrier who knows what the heck they're doing!  Even a traditional farrier should know that flares aren't a good thing. 

Pete Ramey suggests the flared hoof wall should be taken out of ground contact and beveled all the way to the sole.  This will put the sole in contact with the ground, but that is far more comfortable than a stretched white line.  The sole was actually meant to help bear the weight of the horse.  You can also rasp the outer, bottom 1/3 of the hoof wall to help eliminate flares.  You don't want to do too much at once, but this will help get them under control more quickly.  The goal is to get the entire hoof at the same angle as the wall that is growing down from the coronary band at the top of the hoof. 

Hopefully, this post sheds some light on flares for you.  They are a nasty nuisance to our horses, but they CAN be corrected and eliminated!

Ta-ta!