Caring for hooves in winter?

[bellacharliejane]

Hiya!
When we bought my boy in August, his previous owner told us that he'd had a hoof abscess as a 5 year old, and she had used Silverfeet Hoof Balm on his feet after that.
I've heard many people saying they don't use hoof oils and balms as they believe they can do more harm than good, and others saying they swear by them to help prevent infections and to generally maintain hooves.
I carried on using Silverfeet all through the summer, but now it's winter time and the fields are getting muddy I'm unsure what to do. Part of me thinks it's good to continue using the hoof balm in the winter to protect against infection and such, but I also wonder about it rubbing mud and bacteria in to his hooves...

What do you reckon? Use anything to protect your horses hooves? What's your routine in the winter?
Thanks for your help! x

 

[Casey76]

Abscesses usually form from either bruising to the sole or from penetrating injuries, nothing you paint on their feet will prevent an abscess.

The only thing I use on my horses feet (apart from a hoof pick and wire brush) is sole cleanse from Red Horse if the frogs or sulci are looking a bit thrushy. Apart from that nothing at all.