Sound horse or horse soundness does not refer to the whinny made by the horse. Horse soundness is the overall health status of a horse. The sound horse should not have any lameness or abnormalities. When you are going to purchase any horse, a thorough soundness examination should be done by an experienced veterinarian.
What is a Sound Horse?
A sound horse is a perfect horse. The horse is fit for work. The horse attains its perfect age for specific purposes. The horse takes a little more time to attain soundness and is also suitable for investment. The excellent horse fit for work may also have some health issues that are curable or treatable. You must understand the class of horse before going to the soundness examination.
Soundness Examination of Horse
An experienced veterinarian does the soundness examination of a horse. As an experienced horse owner, you may notice some health or conformation issues in horses. The soundness examination of the horse includes:
1. Head.
You must check the horse’s head for symmetry, smoothness, and keeping an upright position. The presence of asymmetry in facial muscle indicates dental problems, tooth grinding, and paralysis of facial muscle. The eyes of the horse should be bright, active, and have a clear vision. The nose should be evenly open, and there is no abnormal sound during the breath.
2. Neck and Back
You must check the neck and back of the horse by gently moving your hand over the skin. There will be no inflammation or injury over the skin, back, and spines. While examining soundness, the horse moves its neck slightly, keeps its head upright, and helps the veterinarian.
3. Body of Horse
The body of the horse should be checked for any inflammation or injury. You must check the horse’s skin, muscle, mucous membrane, external opening, and tail. There should not be any visible injury, braces, and chronic abnormalities.
4. Equine Legs
The horse should stand on four legs evenly on the ground. You must run your hand over the legs and inspect for any injury, heat, or inflammation. These are the ideal signs of lameness in the legs. You must compare with the opposite legs.
5. Horse Hooves
The horse’s hooves should land evenly on the ground. There should not be any hoof crack, abnormalities, or abscess. You can use a hoof tester. Horseshoes should be fitted carefully and worn downley.
6. Conformation and Gait
The horse’s conformation and gait are the most critical aspects of the sound horse. You must check the confirmation and gait by walking or other gait modes. You must carefully check the gait of the horse.
How To Keep Your Horse Sound
The sound horse is fit for all works. Keeping a horse sound and fit for work requires a lot of work. The methods by which the horses can keep sound are as follows:
1. Regular Check-up. You must check your horse’s body regularly. The temperature, pulse, respiration, confirmation, and food habit. You can take the help of a veterinarian if any abnormalities are found.
2. Timely Hoofcare. You must keep your horse’s hooves clean and trimmed. The horse’s hoof should be trimmed at regular intervals. You can take help from an experienced farrier. You must shoe your horse before any work on a hard surface.
3. Maintain a Healthy Body Weight. A healthy horse should have optimum body weight. The horse should be fed on a balanced ration having all essential nutrients. The sound horse should not be overweight or underweight.
4. Warming Up of Horse. A healthy horse daily exercises or warms up to maintain muscle strength. The horse must exercise daily for at least an hour and maintain regularity.
5. Turnout of Horse. The horse should be kept in a healthy stable with plenty of fresh air and natural lights. The horse should be groomed daily for two times a day. The horse should be adequately dressed with well-fitted horse tack.
Horse Lameness Examination
To keep fit for work, horses must be free from any lameness or leg injuries. Lameness is the most common form of abnormality in horses. The lameness means the horse cannot walk or stand appropriately with its legs. There are numerous causes of lameness in horses. The lameness may cause ailments in other parts of the body.
Final Talk on Sound Horse
A healthy horse is also called a sound horse. The sound horse needs a thorough check-up. The horse soundness examination should be performed before the purchase of a horse or before any equestrian sports. A veterinarian can check horse soundness or health. In my article, I have discussed the soundness parameters, examination procedures, and how you keep your horse sound.
Thank you for your happy reading. You can share my article with your friends who have horses.
