brittle hooves

[lamprellsarah]

My horse’s hooves are so crumbly and brittle on her front feet there are a couple of chunks missing and this is after 4/5 weeks of being shod. She is on the forehand which makes it worse so I am trying to get her to put her weight back, the farrier is good all the other horses feet are fine it’s just her. So does anyone know a low price products either to feed or put on her hooves that will strengthens them? I can’t afford a expensive product, I am using effol at the moment, I have heard baby oils better

[Wally]

Lay off all oils and potions this will make the feet worse, my farrier would hang me from the highest yard arm if she caught me using oils and rubbish like that. Plain, cheap water will improve them, just make sure she gets a good half hour a day standing in a damp environment. If you put oil on the feet it stops nature naturally moistrising the feet.ie wet grass, and boggy land. Water cannot penetrate and the feet dry out. Oil can only keep water in or out. Once you have stopped it getting in, the foot looses all water and is saturated in oil which is no good for the horn.

[fionahogg]

Keretex Hoof hardener may help to strengthen the horn but I think the best thing to use is some form of biotin supplement such as Farrier's Formula. You have to feed it for a long time to see any result (it may be several months before any improvement is seen so don't give up on it after a few weeks) but it works by improving the horn quality as it grows so you only see a difference in the new horn. It is expensive but from the results I've seen its worth it. There are other biotin and hoof supplements around but I've not used them. Also like Wally said, standing the horse in water helps.

Fiona.

[Wally]

Forgot to mention Keratex, it's good stuff and isn't an oil.

you get it from EPC, I thnk they are in Somerset.

[jessica]

Hey i was just wondering, My horse also has pretty dry hoofs, So by standing them in water, should i put his feet in a buck full of caold water???? for how long should i leave them in for??? couldn't i just get the hose, and just spray then for like 10 min????/ Please respond, thank you.

[Maria]

If you're horse doesn't live out and can't benefit from standing in dewy grass, then try soaking a towel in water and wetting the hooves that way. He then recommends using Effax ointment on top.

My horse is quite happy to have her hooves hosed but refuses to stand in a bucket/feed skip of water. She's so good about everything else that I don't press the point on this one.

Maria

[lamprellsarah]

My horse lives out and she is only taken on to the yard 3 times a week because the yard is a long walk from our summer field she is fed every day so she can have her supplemments but hosing her feet can't be done ever day only when i go up to the yard (3 times a week). it hasn't rained in ages and the field does not get boggy or that wet it soaks up the water very quickly.

[Dizzy]

I,ve just bought something called 'Hoof Moist' by NAF its a water based moisturising solution you paint on which says used regularly it will be absorbed into the hoof and help retain flexibility and strength, I've only used it today so can't say how well it works, so will have to wait and see.

One thing I will say, unbeknown to me it comes in black and natural, I bought black, Breeze looked very gothic after I used it, she's chestnut with three white socks!! black feet looked pretty weird, so if I'm impressed needless to say I'll buy natural next time.

Lesley

[Cathy Reynolds]

Have you been using Vircon on them? A couple of the horses in the yard we are on have very brittle hooves and we think it may be due to remnants of the anti-FMV disinfectant.

[horselover]

I have used Keratex too and have gotten good results. Also Hoof Heal and regular use of Hoof Flex to prevent the problem once it is fixed.

[fionahogg]

Hi. You're only supposed to apply Keretex about once a week. Yes I forgot to mention Hoof Moist we use it on Monty - his feet aren't that bad but they do get cracked when we have a really wet winter and suddenly in Spring the ground turns rock hard. You could also try Hoof and Hide

Fiona.

[lamprellsarah]

thanx for all the replys, i am just going to stand her in water every day she is taking to it really well and will stand as good as gold, i am going to see how this goes i have bought biotin i really can't afford Farriers Formula as she is already on codlivine supple joint, i only got her 6 months ago and she only lived on hay, on her hoof half way down is a indent the yard owner things because of her lack in feeding+ vitamins and minerals when i bought her has meant that her horn growth is bad. she things that when this indent had gone in about 6 months time, the horn should be a lot stronger from there on,
does this sound right?:) i hope she's right

[Mossy]

I use Effol on Connie's feet every so often and it seems to work. I did not think it was an oil. It is tar based I think and very thick and gloopy. If I am doing more harm than good I will stop forthwith.
One thing I swear by and use on a regular basis for both of them is Clop supplement. It is cheap, cheerful, and very effective. It's got the lot - Codliver oil Vits and mins and Biotin. No behaviour upsets and £17 for six weeks supply for 2 Good coats, good feet. I've tried equilibra etc and am mega non impressed.

[fionahogg]

Well I guess that if you mixed a bit of Effol with water and they didn't mix, then it's an oil based application...

[Dizzy]

Hi Lamprellsarah, I think your yard owner is right, introducing feed supplements will encourage new hoof growth to be of a better quality, adding moisture to the existing hoof will probably be the only way you can help it to be more elastic and less likely to break up.

My friend has a TB with poor feet, and biotin has helped him, as you've said you can see the difference as the new hoof grows down, so hopefully when the new hoof has replaced the poor hoof the problem should be resolved. Water is the best moisturiser, but quite time consuming, as it takes time for the water to penetrate the hoof. You could look into using luke warm water as that might help open the hoof straws/pores quicker, though ask you blacksmith first.

Hope her feet improve soon

Lesley