Soft Feet- Cracks- Should I apply hoof conditioner?

[Mallrat7777]

I have a 4 year old mare with four white socks and is barefoot. I just bought her about a month ago and she has good feet with the exception of small cracks at the bottom. Her feet are apparently very soft and do grow quickly. I have been giving her a hoof supplement (Platinum hoof support) and have been applying Hooflex everyday. I do generally give her a hose down after riding (6 days a week). What can I do to try and prevent those cracks? Is applying a hoof conditioner a good idea? Everyday or a few days a week? :confused:

[goeslikestink]

then you need a farrier might be worthwhile asking him if she needs shoes considering the amount of work you doing, the ground and the enviroment she lives in have a chat with him

[LMH]

I would look into learning about correct hoof form and see if you horse's feet are too long. When they grow long or are not finished with a roll, they can crack.

I have horses with white feet and they don't crack unless I go too long between trims. ANd they same for the black feet too actually ;-)

I personally am not a fan of hoof topicals (oils or conditioners).

[ChocoMare]

I would look into learning about correct hoof form and see if you horse's feet are too long. When they grow long or are not finished with a roll, they can crack.

I have horses with white feet and they don't crack unless I go too long between trims. ANd they same for the black feet too actually ;-)

I personally am not a fan of hoof topicals (oils or conditioners).


Ditto.

Hooves should be dry and hard. Adding any goo, ointment, salve, etc. just sets up an unhealthy environment. They don't do all that much anyway except make plenty of money for the manufacturer.

I trim 3 white-hooved paint geldings. During the warm months, I'm re-rolling the walls every 2 weeks.

BTW...both have seen improvement in their hoof walls since A) the owner stopped the goo and B) she put them on a loose mineral balanced for our area.

[BornToRide]

Perhaps she's simply due for another trim? Essentially what LMH said.

Hoof topicals can also potentially seal in pathogens that could cause more issues down the road.......

[deltawave]

You can't make hoofs or hair grow by smearing things on them. :)

Have your farrier take a look, maybe she just needs a trim and a good program of frequent checks/trimming.

[BornToRide]

You can't make hoofs or hair grow by smearing things on them. :)
I am surprised actually that we have not seen a product yet called "hoof in a can" :D

[LMH]

I am surprised actually that we have not seen a product yet called "hoof in a can" :D

Are you a FOOL? Delete you post before someone steals your idea!!!


Make it, market it, sell it and make millions!
:lol:

[Equilibrium]

My husband has a thing about cornucresine. Just loves the stuff. I don't use or want anything on my horses feet. If they are fed properly and trimmed properly, their feet should be fine.

When the ground is extremely hard in the summer, tipping some water out by the water trough does a better job at keeping the feet right than oils.

At any rate, after our farrier got done with one of the horses this evening, my husband rushed out for the cornucresine. Alex starts laughing and I said, "see told that crap is a waste of money". Now that the farrier finally told him it was a waste of money, maybe now we won't buy that crap anymore.

Terri

[Mara]

Are you a FOOL? Delete you post before someone steals your idea!!!


Make it, market it, sell it and make millions!
:lol:


Would this be something like Ron Popeil's "hair in a spray can"?:lol::lol:

[BornToRide]

Would this be something like Ron Popeil's "hair in a spray can"?:lol::lol: Yeah - if I can get the hair to accumulate in hoof form, I got it made :D

[JohnDeere]

Would this be something like Ron Popeil's "hair in a spray can"?:lol::lol:

Since my boy has little mane Id pay for that...:winkgrin:

[Mara]

Yeah - if I can get the hair to accumulate in hoof form, I got it made :D
Kewl! Will look out for the infomercials!:D

[Posting Trot]

Most hoof conditioners tend to make the hoof softer, not harder.

There are some topicals that help with hoof hardening; Keratex is one.

[Elsinore13]

I would use Keratex. If I'm correct the Gel version is for your problem feet and the solution is for maintainance. I've used the solution on my mare's barefeet for the last two years and I've been very happy with the results.

Keratex is a bit pricey, but I think it's definately worth it.

[Seven-up]

Not sure if you are talking about the same kind of cracks I'm dealing with. My mare is barefoot in back, and has little cracks that start at the toe and go up (an inch or 2) toward the coronary band.

Maybe one of COTH's farriers can confirm or unconfirm this, but my farrier wants to let the cracks grow out before he puts shoes on, something about bacteria in the cracks that would cause trouble if he just slapped shoes on. So what he's having me do (and this is the part I'd like to hear confirmation on) is squirt iodine on the cracks to kill all the little germies and I guess keep the cracks from progressing any further.

Very simple to do, I just use a syringe (without the needle, of course) and squirt it on her feet. I did have to warn people, because it looks like blood if you don't know what it is!

My farrier had me start doing this the last shoeing, and he's expecting to be able to put shoes on either this upcoming shoeing or the next.

[jaimebaker]

Maybe one of COTH's farriers can confirm or unconfirm this, but my farrier wants to let the cracks grow out before he puts shoes on, something about bacteria in the cracks that would cause trouble if he just slapped shoes on. So what he's having me do (and this is the part I'd like to hear confirmation on) is squirt iodine on the cracks to kill all the little germies and I guess keep the cracks from progressing any further.




Be careful doing that as iodine will dry the hoof out. I do iodine 1-2 times a week during wet environments or if I'm treating for thrush.

[Seven-up]

Be careful doing that as iodine will dry the hoof out. I do iodine 1-2 times a week during wet environments or if I'm treating for thrush.

I think maybe that's why he recommended it? He mentioned that moisture getting into the cracks was what caused the bacteria to grow. I live in Louisiana, and it's been pouring every afternoon lately.

I only do it once every few days. I don't have problems with thrush, but it's good to know iodine can be used for that.

[Rick Burten]

Maybe one of COTH's farriers can confirm or unconfirm this, but my farrier wants to let the cracks grow out before he puts shoes on, something about bacteria in the cracks that would cause trouble if he just slapped shoes on.
Makes no sense. The shoes go on the bottom of the hoof, the cracks are on the dorsal wall. How in the name of common sense could shoes cause any bacteria in the cracks to cause trouble. OTOH, if he's just 'slapping shoes on", I can well imagine that there would be problems of a different nature........
So what he's having me do (and this is the part I'd like to hear confirmation on) is squirt iodine on the cracks to kill all the little germies and I guess keep the cracks from progressing any further.
Pray tell why correctly trimming and applying shoes would inhibit you from performing this task. And, how is iodine going to keep the cracks from progressing any further????

[Seven-up]

If my farrier were the type to just "slap shoes on" then wouldn't he have already done that and made more money off of me? ;) My mistake in my choice of words; what I was saying is that he is not the type to just put shoes on anything for any reason. I said, "I'd like for her to be shod all around." He said, "Before we do that I'd like those cracks to be grown out some more." Then he went on to say that if I noticed the cracks growing, to apply the iodine to take care of the bacteria.

He did not say that shoes would cause bacteria growth. I agree, that doesn't make any sense.

The cracks do go up the wall, but they also curve around the toe onto the bottom of the foot.

Would you put shoes on anyway? I know you haven't seen my horse's feet, but just with the information given, what would you do? I respect your professional opinion, and I'd like to know how different farriers would handle it. That's why I originally asked if iodine was an appropriate treatment.

[jaimebaker]

If my farrier were the type to just "slap shoes on" then wouldn't he have already done that and made more money off of me? ;) My mistake in my choice of words; what I was saying is that he is not the type to just put shoes on anything for any reason. I said, "I'd like for her to be shod all around." He said, "Before we do that I'd like those cracks to be grown out some more." Then he went on to say that if I noticed the cracks growing, to apply the iodine to take care of the bacteria.

He did not say that shoes would cause bacteria growth. I agree, that doesn't make any sense.

The cracks do go up the wall, but they also curve around the toe onto the bottom of the foot.

Would you put shoes on anyway? I know you haven't seen my horse's feet, but just with the information given, what would you do? I respect your professional opinion, and I'd like to know how different farriers would handle it. That's why I originally asked if iodine was an appropriate treatment.

I'm not a farrier but iodine is drying. It's used or WAS used in many thrush treatments sold. Not sure what they have now outside of gentian violet and povidine iodine since the druggies have made it impossible to buy iodine anymore. Therefore, if you are putting it on the cracks of the wall, it's drying the wall further and making it more prone to cracks (it would seem to me anyway). A good roll to the hoof wall to take pressure off of the cracks themselves are the best way I've found to stop cracks from getting worse (what my farriers have taught me to do in between trims). Then they can grow out. But if you don't get weight off of the cracks, the wall will grow out and either the cracks will begin to move further up, or chip chunks of hoof wall off completely. At least, that's what my experiences have been.

I have also noticed that if I go through a spell of wet weather that suddenly goes very dry, the hooves will be more prone to cracking. I'm assuming going from water-logged to contracting back dry is stressful for the hoof. Again, not a farrier and not pretending to be. Just what I notice in my small herd of 6.