Showerthought: I just read a study on hoof wall growth rates and it's way slower than I guessed

Found a paper from a vet school that showed the average hoof only grows about a quarter inch per month. I always thought it was closer to half an inch. How much do you guys adjust your trim cycles for slow growers?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakota1601mo ago

Honestly that quarter inch average seems high to me. My mare's hooves grow so slow I could probably go six months between trims. I just watch the individual horse instead of the calendar.

laurar381mo ago

Wow, that's crazy slow. I just check my gelding's feet every few weeks and go from there (way easier than a strict schedule).

hill.barbara7d ago

Are you really getting six months out of trims without issues? @dakota160 i gotta say that sounds risky to me. Letting hooves go that long can cause cracks, flares, and even deep thrush in the frog. I trim every 5-6 weeks like clockwork and have seen way fewer problems since I stuck to it. Checking every few weeks is fine for maintenance but hooves rot and chip faster than people realize. A quarter inch a month is average but some horses grow slower, sure. Still, waiting that long between trims is asking for corrective work later.