Keratex hoof hardner

[clairelou91]

Hello
ive had my pony for about 3 years now hes 27 years old. Every winter he goes lame because of the stones as he s very flat footed the farrier as told me to use keratex hoof hardner. i was just woundering if anyone else uses it and to tell me there points on it and weather anyone thinks it will help.
claire

[H & Bailey]

I used to use kerratex on my TBs feet as they used to split and shoes fell off practically straight away,i did find that shoes stayed on for alot longer allowing her feet to recover a bit between shoeing.
I have started using it on my fat cobs soles as he is recovering LGL and his feet are so flat,not sure if it will help so have bought some old macs off ebay for hacking out..
feeding seaweed helps hoof health but for flat soles i dont know if there is much you can do apart from correct trimming

[CL66]

Hiya. My horse has the same problem, very splayed flat feet. keratex didn't seem to make much difference. I use cornucrescene (sp?) on coronary band daily in winter to try and improve the feet for summer as they can be a bit crumbly. Use special shoes with side clips on the front feet to keep the spreading in check. Luke did go lame for a bit with bruised sole at the beginning of theyear but no abscess so i had to put pads on him for 5 weeks and it totally cleared up so that's always an option if it gets really bad!? hope this helps!

[coss]

i use keretex sometimes. it helps to strenghten the hoof a bit and my mare's feet are "hard" according to previous farrier and current farrier. she still feels the stones sometimes but my previous farrier did say, a horse needs hard hooves so as not to bruise the sole but they need to have some give in them to flex round stones too.
with age (she's 30 now) my mare's feet have worsened but that is because she is less able to take the nutrients and put them to her hooves.
i keretex the sole and white line and the outside or just the outside, if i've done any roadwork they get keretexed as it is taken into the hooves better when the surface has been roughened. previous farrier said the best time to put it on is straight after the visit.

[Bay Mare]

Can't stand the stuff.

It's *ok* in the short term but shouldn't be used long term because it can degrade the hoof quality. It contains formaldehyde (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formaldehyde) which is used in embalming!

If you've ever used one of those nail hardeners that's is what is in those too. You'll find that it works at first and your nails are beautiful. Then they go crappy again. It's the same thing with keratex. I know some vets who won't touch it with a very long bargepole.

[Yann]

It has its uses making an uncomfortable horse more comfortable, so I don't give a monkey's what it's got in it. I'm personally cautious about using it anywhere else other than the sole though as it does make the horn stiffer and less elastic, combined with reduced wear that can lead to chipping and cracking.

Splayed feet and flat soles can be connected to diet, Tess has this type of foot and whilst they improved over winter they have deteriorated again this summer with all the lush wet grazing we've had. Same goes for another Tb in her field. At least out of shoes I can keep on top of the flare even if it means boots are a must for most riding.

[puzzles]

I love it!

:-D

xxxxx

[jUmPingIsLifE]

Great stuff, you do want to make sure you follow the directions though on the package. Its quite clear and easy to use though and works wonders. I got it for Tahoe who was getting hoof abcesses (from stone bruises) and since starting we havn't had any more foot issues at all.

[Boffin]

This question has been asked many times before, try putting Keratex in the search box or perhaps this link will make it easier

http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=113921&highlight=keratex

[laceyfreckle]

i use it and think its great