There is an old saying among horsemen, “No foot, no horse.” Despite their size and strength, horses are pretty fragile animals. Think about it: Four slim legs and four undersized hooves—smaller, in most cases, than your morning bowl of Cheerios—holding up a horse’s full weight, which, for most Thoroughbreds, is in the ballpark of 1,200 pounds!

So when a horse has a hoof problem, well, you might as well give him a magazine rack ‘cause he’s got issues—from short-term problems like quarter cracks, sore heels, stone bruises, and abscesses, to chronic concerns like arthritis, complications stemming from Cushing’s Disease, bigger abscesses, thrush (a fungus among us)…did we say abcesses?...and, in worst cases, a very serious disease known as laminitis.

You can see, without healthy hooves, a horse is, well, not exactly walkin’ on sunshine.

Introducing “The Hoof Patrol,” a membership opportunity for those that would like to help foot the bill for on-going medical care for horses whose feet are failing them now.

Take it from our spokeshorse, Hobble:
Let me tell you, there’s nothing worse than throbbing tootsies. Every step you take, every move you make…agony. I can barely hoof it to my feed bucket. I couldn’t shuffle off to the barn, let alone to Buffalo. But more importantly, I can’t petulantly stomp my hoof when no one is giving me carrots.  #shuffleofftonowhere  #putmybesthoofforward

This  new program supports the 800+ hooves belonging to the residents of Old Friends. The Hoof Patrol supports Old Friends retirees who have short and long-term hoof issues by providing a funding stream for hoof and podiatry-related medical care. Supporters can choose from among three levels of support and receive a program gift and regular updates on Old Friends Hoof Patrol horses.    USE THIS FORM TO SIGN UP - CLICK HERE