If you're a horse owner, then you know the importance of taking good care of your horse. You have to groom them in order to maintain their appearance and aesthetic beauty. You have to feed them properly, in order to maintain their stamina, growth and well-being. You have to house them properly, to ensure their resistance of the harsher elements. You have to exercise them, in order to keep them in good physical shape for whatever tasks they perform. And, finally, you have to take care of their internal health, by determining whether they suffer from any diseases that might impair their health. Luckily, most of these diseases are relatively easy to spot.
One of the most common parts of a horse's anatomy that succumbs to sickness is the hoof. There are certain conditions which can be easily ascertained by a simple examination of the hoof. One of these conditions is known as brittle hoof. This can easily be confirmed or refuted by checking out the hoof. When shaved, the horn of the hoof appears stiff and stone-like or lacking in sheen. If searching for a spongy hoof, then the test would be to see how soft the hoof is to the touch.
Horses can also suffer from diseases of the bones, which can culminate in quite serious events and consequences. One of the most serious of these is periostitis. Periostitis is an inflammation of the connecting tissue surrounding the bone. This inflammation is extremely discomfiting to the horse – thus impairing its performance – and can leave the horse with permanent damage to the affected area if not caught early. The disease can be detected by a certain soreness or rawness around the affected area, which can be determined by the regular exercise necessary for the upkeep of the horse's good physical condition.