this weather!! angel's hooves are now brittle

[notpoodle]

:o

well, the front (shod) ones are. farrier came today (just as well as today she had a loose shoe!!). lots of cracks and stuff :( she's never had any problems with her hooves, they were always strong and didnt really crack much at all.

but, thanks to the weather this summer, they're pretty bad! was advised to use keratex hoof hardener (credit card taking another bashing ...) for a while.

he also suggested to maybe take her fronts off altogether (she's barefoot at the back anyway and the back hooves are in splendid condition). i declined for now, since there's still a bit of summer left and i want to ride (she gets VERY footsore without font shoes), because i hardly got a chance to this year and i got to keep weight off her and get her fitter (due to lami earlier in the summer and her asthma ... gosh! this pony is falling apart at the seams, isnt she?), but im contemplating taking fronts off in the winter because i rarely ride during the winter anyway ...

what is a girl to do?

Julia
x

ps: growth-wise, hooves are fine! they grow at antilope-speed!

[Joyscarer]

I'm starting to find the same with JOy. We have gone from being under mud to rock hard ground within about 10 days :eek: That's what clay does for you :mad:

I have been using naf hoof moist on Joy's. I do worry about her, especially her feet. I wonder if I'll ever stop being so flappy about her welfare. I'm not that bad with my own daughter even :rolleyes:

[notpoodle]

i was using naaf hoofmois also, but i think because it was mostly wet (i use the hoofmoist when its dry), it probably didnt work, they got too soggy and then dried up again, got soggy, dried up again etc. :o

[Stormin]

Saw some cornuscescine "hoof oil" for dry/brittle hooves and another pot for soft hooves in a tack shop the other day.
Don't know what it's worth and if it works ?

[martini55]

What do you feed her? I've found that since getting the nutrition right I don't have to bother with any lotions or potions :) Just because you take the shoes off doesn't mean you won't be able to ride. You could invest in a pair of hoof boots (not as much of a faff around as you may think) to ride in. If the farrier was suggesting that then I'd be listening if it were me :) Plus it makes looking out for laminitis much easier as nothing will be masked by shoes.

[notpoodle]

she gets topspec leisure (hooves have been growing a treat since i put her on it last summer!), 2 breathing supplement, magox and a sweet itch supplement. hoof growth is fine, its just the front ones that have turned brittle with this sh*ty weather.

Julia
x

[satans-oscar]

since the farrier last came my horses hooves have been pretty bad, theyre cracked and his sharer took him out on ah ack and his shoe has twisted and a chunk of his hoof has came off, i was told to ue vaseline or hand cream on his hooves, maybe that would help? the owner of the yard told me that