Essential Hoof Book: The Complete Modern Guide to Horse Feet

by Susan Kauffmann, Christina Cline, Gene Ovnicek (Foreword)

The equine hoof is a complex marvel of natural engineering, built to withstand tremendous forces and able to adapt to an astonishing range of environmental conditions. It also changes daily—for better or for worse—in response to external and internal factors. Few horse owners have the opportunity to acquire a deep understanding of the hoof, which limits their ability to advocate on their horses’ behalf and make informed decisions about hoof care and management. This book is the first resource of its kind to combine the most current and useful information available, gleaned from the research and wisdom of top hoof experts around the world, with a unique “hands-on” approach. The authors provide basic terms and anatomy, clearly illustrate the differences between healthy and unhealthy feet, discuss biomechanics and management concerns, and cover the causes, treatments, and prevention of commonly encountered problems, including laminitis, white line disease, and thrush. Along the way, readers are given activities to help them better analyze and understand the most important aspects of equine hoof health, such as hoof balance, depth of sole, and point of breakover. Easy–to–follow language, over 400 full–color photographs, and do–it–yourself exercises promise to empower horse owners and caretakers of all experience levels with the tools they need to accurately assess hoof health and keep their horses as sound and happy as possible.

Genres: Horses, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2017

Reviews

[QuietIdea]

Absolute must read for horse owners. The writing is simple enough for non-geniuses to read (myself included), with plenty of detailed photographs for visual aids. I have a new awareness for the hooves I see around me, I always knew a healthy hoof was a vital piece of horse anatomy, but I never knew how complex it was.

[Marjorie]

Two hundred and eighty three pages with more pages of sites on everything to do with an equine's foot. This is a large book on anatomy, care, disease diagnosis and treatment of the hoof. There are very few pages without detailed pictures and most of the pages have two or more pictures. In fact there are 400 full colour photographs in this book. This is a must read for the serious student of the horse. In a perfect world all farriers would read this book as well as anyone who works with horses.

[Billie Hinton]

If you have horses, you need this book. Wonderful photos and explanations of hoof anatomy and physiology as well as hoof care and maintenance. Excellent resource. Highly recommend.

[Melony Breeze]

Took me forever to get through this because I’m an avid fiction reader but nonfiction takes more effort. But this was worth the effort! Very informative and easy to understand as a layperson, with tons of full color photos of examples and explanations. Great overview of common hoof problems/diseases and what signs to look for. Sidebars with hands-on activities. An excellent resource for horse people! I expect I will reference this frequently in the future!

[Wayne Redmond]

Eye Opening

Dr Bowker brings a well investigated point of view to horse owners and Farriers that less is better. For too long many Farriers have cut away too much of the hoof believing that they must get down to new clean growth. How each part of the hoof works together to protect the bones is made very clear.

[Caroline Johnson]

Really great book that's easy to pick up and set down. The authors assume nothing and teach you about the hoof from the ground up. There are so many pictures and diagrams to help support text. It makes this a great reference tool to anyone wanting to learning more about the horse's hooves and how to care for them.

[Jennifer Doddridge]

Great book for the horse owner

Great book. Goes into enough detail for the horse owner to become more aware of the hoof. Teaches you what should be there and shouldn’t be. Also how to ask the right questions to your hoof care professional.

[Jaime MC]

Very informative, yet easy to read. I honestly feel like everyone should read this book before buying a horse. And especially if you already have one.

[Sam]

Super informative! Wish everyone horse owner had a copy and I may even gift a copy to the owner of the stables I work at.

[Kino McFarland]

This book is the most informative for hoof care for the average horse person. I highly recommend it if you have horses in your life.

[Connie Brydl]

Very informative!