These last few weeks, I have been working in the tractor in the field to make hay. Cutting fields and baling hay can be fun…when everything works properly. However, there is a lot of time devoted to dealing with “breakdowns.” A part on the baler fails, a cutter bar wears out on the swather, a coil spring breaks and so on. Breakdowns are frustrating. They take a lot of time away from the day when you could be spending that time doing the work you intended to do at the start of the day.

To avoid major breakdowns, it really pays to spend time observing every small detail about the machine. Is it properly greased and oiled? Is the timing right? Is the crop being cut evenly? It takes a lot of effort, to pay attention to the small stuff, but when I notice a small problem and fix it, it saves me time (and frustration) because it usually doesn’t turn into a major problem later.

I have always loved this poem. Many of you are familiar with it. It has a great message, but it holds an even greater meaning considering our job as farriers.

“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”

Benjamin Franklin quoted this old proverb in an edition of Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1758 to illustrate to the colonists the importance of being vigilant towards seemingly small things that can lead to much bigger problems. He titled it, “A Little Neglect May Breed Great Mischief.” Ignoring seemingly small things may cause a lot of heartache later.

A horse that is overweight because of a diet that is too rich in carbohydrates and fructans is at risk for laminitis and founder. Once founder sets in, the healing process can take up to a year to get the horse back to normal. Some horses never do get back to normal. It is better to change a horse’s lifestyle habits early, rather than to deal with a painful disease later. Learning what an ideal body condition is, and what a healthy horse should look like, will make you aware of when your horse needs to go on a diet or be exercised!

A horse that is not regularly trimmed or balanced, can develop much more devastating conditions such as arthritis, low ringbone and navicular syndrome. Keeping the horse balanced by making sure the dorsal (front) hoof wall is at the same angle as the pastern will keep the horse’s lower joints in alignment and create less stress. The angles change as the hoof grows unevenly, depending on the horse’s conformation.

A horse with underrun heels will typically grow more toe. As the external hoof grows longer in the toe, it can push the internal coffin bone (P3) upward, resulting in an uneven joint space and pressure in the coffin joint. If neglected this way for too long, mineral deposits (low ringbone) can develop on the extensor process of the coffin bone because of the constant uneven pressure. Once ringbone sets in, it is nearly impossible to clear up. A horse that was once sound will now have to deal with lameness issues for the rest of its life, simply because of inconsistent hoof care.

Every horse must be assessed on an individual basis. Some horses require more attention and care than others but all benefit from consistent hoof care. Pay attention to the seemingly small warning signs that the horse is uncomfortable or out of balance, and get it maintained before it becomes a bigger problem.

I have a horse that I work on that grows out of balance so fast, I must trim and shoe him every 4 weeks. Because the interval is so short, it is tempting to let it go a little longer. However, once this horse is out of balance his whole gait is thrown off and his feet crash into each other. The overreaching and scalping is so severe that he wounds himself. The wounds then cause further lameness.

This horse grows his foot (left front) unevenly due to his toed out (fetlock valgus) condition. More weight is borne on the inside of the foot (red arrow). Over time the shoe shifts to the outside. When he gets out of balance, he overreaches and scalps his feet so severely that he can draw blood. Maintaining the horse’s balance on a shorter interval prevents him from hitting himself.

Pay attention to the small things. Learn what is ideal and compare your horse against it. Few horses have perfect conformation. All horses benefit from regular balancing. Learn as much as you can about anatomy, conformation, nutrition and balance so you can be more observant and more helpful to the horse.

Though he was talking about life in general, Benjamin Franklin understood the importance of sweating the small stuff in order to avoid larger problems later. Perhaps that is why he is also famous for saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”