Horse hoof care myths are very common in the horse industry. Horses that are not given proper hoof care are not going to be very useful to you. Keeping your horses hooves in good shape is critical. There has been debates over the years on what is best for horses hooves. There are some common myths that you need to watch out for.

8 Horse hoof care myths:
1. White hooves are softer and have more problems than black hooves
   -The color of the horses hoof depends on the color of the horses skin above the hoof
   -There is no quality difference between white and black hooves
   -Genetics play a large factor in determining the strength of the hoof
   -Genetics seems to be a larger role than the color of the hoof
2. All horses need hoof supplements added to their feed
   -It depends on what you are already feeding your horses if you need to add supplements
   -Some complete feeds already contain supplements for hooves and other health supplements
   -If your horse has good hooves and you are feeding a complete feed then you should not have to supplement  them with anything else
3. Horses get thrush from standing on wet ground
   -Wet environments alone will not cause thrush
   -Bacteria and fungi need to be present also
   -Dirty environments will cause thrush
   -Proper cleaning and routine trimming are a must to prevent thrush on any horse
4. Hot fitting shoes hurts the horse
   -There are no nerve endings in this part of the hoof so it does not hurt the horse
5. Oil products help seal in moisture
   -They can keep moisture in but they also lock out moisture
   -Apply to the coronary band only to aid in hoof growth
   -Always follow the instructions of each product that you decide to use
6. A piece of gravel can work its way up from the bottom of the hoof through the coronary band
   -This is when a abscess comes out the top of the hoof instead of going out the bottom
   -This is not actually a piece of gravel that causes this or that comes out of the abscess
   -It is just being pushed out the top of the hoof instead of the bottom due to gravitational force
7. Factory shoes have four nail holes on each side so each hole should be utilized
   -Shoes can be nailed of as many holes that they need to be
   -If all the holes are not needed then you don't have to use them all
   -It just depends on the hoof to how many holes you need to use
8. Barefoot horses need farrier attention less often than shod horses
   -All horses need regular hoof care, usually 6-8 weeks a trimming is needed
   -If your horse does not receive trimming on a regular basis then it can cause uneven wear on the hooves and  that will affect the horses body and performance

Every horse is different and wears their hooves down differently. Even if you are not currently riding your horse you need to have regular trimmings done every 6-8 weeks. There are a lot of myths out there about horses hooves and these are just a few. Horse hoof care myths are a great thing to keep in mind so you don't fall to them.