Mobile Veterinary Services, LLC

Farriers are invaluable partners in equine veterinary medicine. When veterinarians and farriers work together, great things happen!

This mare first presented with a hoof concern about four months ago. Interestingly, she wasn't lame, and radiographs at that time were unremarkable.

At her routine trim just 10 days ago, her farrier, Ingrid, discovered significant separation at the white line. Today, Dr. Baird and Dr. Hartman met with Ingrid for a more extensive diagnostic workup.

New radiographs revealed a significant gas pocket and separation within the hoof wall, but still didn't provide a definitive diagnosis. The leading possibilities were severe white line disease or a keratoma. Together, the team decided a hoof wall resection was the best next step.

During the procedure, it became clear that the hoof wall had completely separated from the underlying laminae, and the outer layer of what should have been healthy, sensitive laminae was no longer viable. As the resection progressed, the evidence increasingly pointed toward severe white line disease rather than a keratoma.

Removing the diseased hoof wall allows the affected area to be exposed to oxygen and air, an important part of treatment since many white line infections involve anaerobic bacteria. It also provides direct access for ongoing treatment while allowing healthy hoof to begin growing back.

Once the resection was complete, Ingrid custom-built and applied a bar shoe with clips to provide stability to the hoof capsule. When this much hoof wall is removed, maintaining structural support is essential for a successful recovery.

Over the next nine months, this mare's hoof will gradually regrow. Her prognosis is good, and she should be able to continue in light work throughout the healing process.

Cases like this are a perfect reminder that the best outcomes happen when veterinarians and farriers combine their knowledge and expertise. It truly is a team effort, and our patients are the ones who benefit most.

It is National Farrier week!
Farriers are an integral part of your horse care team!

Drop a photo of your favorite farrier with your horse in the comments. We will randomly draw a farrier name and MVS will send you a gift card to treat your farrier to lunch!

No hoof, no horse!

💧 How Much Water Does Your Horse Need to Stay Hydrated? 💧

The answer depends on several factors:

🐴 How much does your horse weigh?
🌡️ What is the outdoor temperature?
🌾 Is your horse on pasture or eating primarily hay and dry forage?
🏇 How much exercise or work are they doing?

On an average day (60–70°F), most horses will drink 8–12 gallons of water per day. Once temperatures climb above 70°F or drop below 40°F their water needs can increase by 50–200%.

Horses grazing lush pasture often drink less than horses consuming mostly hay and other dry forage because they get additional moisture from the grass. Horses in moderate to heavy work will also require significantly more water than those spending the day relaxing in the pasture.

A horse in the Colorado mountains, trail riding under heavy stress and sweat will consume 8-10 gallons of water in a single draw.

If your horse is metabolic, PPID or has other comorbidities, these issues can also increase the water consumption needs.

One of the best things you can do is learn what is normal for your horse. Mark your water tank, count the buckets you refill, and track your horse's daily water consumption for a week. Knowing their baseline can help you recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.

💙 Fun Fact: Little Miss Buttercup weighs just 96 pounds and drinks an average of 2 gallons of water every day!

With Colorado's summer heat, keeping fresh, clean water available at all times is one of the simplest—and most important—ways to keep your horse healthy.