Hoof Care

Horse hoof care is as important as regular brushing is for your horse.

Hoof picks are inexpensive and are necessary for the horse owner. They are used to clean out the underside of the foot.

Regular iron picks are great, and will fit in small spaces, such as hoof pick holders on a saddle. There are some pocket knives that come with hoof picks attached, and these are very good for the horse owner to keep in their saddlebag.

Hoof moisturizers are popular products for hoof care. If your horse has dry, cracked, or flaky feet applying moisturizers every day can help.

Hoof supplements are a good addition to your horse's diet if he/she has very poor feet and loses shoes often. Talk to your vet about what brand to use.

Equipment - Hoof wire brush with pick attached is my preference. The hoof pick below is small enough to go in a saddlebag or pocket when you are out on the trail. You never know what can happen.

Products

There are a growing number of hoof care products on the market. From the lowly hoof brush to impossibly expensive horse boots. Creams, lotions, potions, half boots, rubber boots, bandages...the list goes on and on... The prices go up and up.

Having your horse's hooves trimmed every six to eight weeks by a competent blacksmith will almost ensure that your horse maintains healthy feet throughout his life.

Below are some therapeutic products for problem hooves.

Boots offer protection to the heels and foot. These 'anti-spin' boots have a reinforced striking pad, cushioned pastern roll, and they don't absorb water.

Originally called Vitamin H, (from Haut, the German word for skin) biotin is a B vitamin so essential that it is manufactured in the gut naturally. But also used as a supplement to improve hoof strength. It is known to improve and lessen cracking and splitting of the horn, especially at the weight-bearing border,improve condition of the white line area. In trial studies the first improvements were evident within six months of biotin treatment, but the improved hoof condition continued over the next two years, as long as supplementation was continued.

Feed supplements to strengthen hooves are available through your vetrinarian or tack shop. One of the horses at our barn has half of a cup of biotin added to her feed each day because she has slightly soft hooves and loses her shoes from time to time.