Hardening Hooves

chickeninabun

chickeninabun

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My little OAP currently doesn't have any shoes on. She used to just have fronts on, but hasn't really been ridden over the winter, so I've taken them on, mainly as a cost cutting measure but at her last trim my farrier said she's best without now as her knees aren't really up to hammering the nails in anymore :(.
She has to cross a relatively stoney patch of yard to get to the field and both my farrier and I argeed that we would rather see her hobble for 2 or 3 steps across the stones than hammer her knees every 6 weeks.
Is there something I can get to harden up her hooves in the meantime until they get more accustomed to the stones? :confused: A friend mentioned a tar of some sort.
 
Keratex hoof hardener is good for this purpose. Its used on horses without shoes and comes with a good info leaflet in the box. I use it on my mares soles which are quite thin and it helps her with walking on stones.
 
Ih her feet are quite good then hopefully they will adjust accordingly - As any supplement you get will take around possibly 12weeks to start kicking in anway I would of thought, by this time she could become more accustomed to the stones. Maybe lay some old carpet over them.. lol

I dont know about that tar you are after, maybe someone else does, or have a google of it. I am using rock hard by naf, as I have noticed my mares feet are not all that hard at the moment I think due to being out in so much wet, though she did come in at night but maybe give them a ring and see what they say.

x
 
keratex hoof hardener is probably the best - recommended to me by a farrier and he said it was the only thing he ever suggests, BUT the main thing is diet. Try feeding Dengie Healthy Hooves (or Happy hoof ?) and forage only, and follow the barefoot dietary advice. I got so much info from the book Feet First, and it's made me realise how essential diet is for hooves. The changes can be rapid too.

Hope that helps ! sm x
 
I had the exact same conversation with the remedial farrier at Rossdales a week ago because my TBs feet are like paper at the moment after wintering out.

He suggested painting on iodine and ethanol mix with a bit of water as a easy, homemade alternative, to harden up soft hooves/soles.

Certainly cheaper than Keratex, might be worth a try as I should imagine working where he does he should know his stuff!!
 
If its just 2-3 steps across a stoney area, can you not lay down some rubber matting for her to cross with?

What about a pair of equiboots (or similar) to cushion her soles until they get a bit harder.

Just a few random ideas :D
 
This is something that is a real issue for me too at the mo. I am having to keep my boy in 24/7 at the mo because his soles are so soft from all the wet ground that he's feeling everything and is slightly lame after losing yet another shoe. My Farrier recommended Stockholm Tar to paint onto soles to toughen them up. Not the spray though, the real messy sticky stuff. This is probably what your Farrier meant. I'm thinking of trying NAF Pro feet Rock hard to help my lad though. Sorry to hijack, but has anyone had any success with Naf rock hard?? I'm keeping everything crossed that the fields dry out some and his feet recover a bit so that I can turn out again. I hate leaving him in when the weather is so lovely.
 
Nickles1973 said:
This is something that is a real issue for me too at the mo. I am having to keep my boy in 24/7 at the mo because his soles are so soft from all the wet ground that he's feeling everything and is slightly lame after losing yet another shoe. My Farrier recommended Stockholm Tar to paint onto soles to toughen them up. Not the spray though, the real messy sticky stuff. This is probably what your Farrier meant. I'm thinking of trying NAF Pro feet Rock hard to help my lad though. Sorry to hijack, but has anyone had any success with Naf rock hard?? I'm keeping everything crossed that the fields dry out some and his feet recover a bit so that I can turn out again. I hate leaving him in when the weather is so lovely.
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I can tell you that the NAF purple hoof and sole liquid is really good - my friend's dad uses it on his driving horses, because they do a lot of road work. They apply it around 3 times a week after picking out feet and cleaning them. They swear by all of the NAF hoof products though, but I know especially the purple liquid because I've sprayed it on his Fresian's feet myself! xx
 
I asked my farrier about hardeners he said they are okay but you have to be careful not to make the hoof brittle and told me to just use kevin bacon hoof ointment because its a moisture balancer, my TBx only has fronts.
 
Diet is the only thing that really works long term. Cut out the sugars/starch (as a guideline feed as if she was a laminitic), watch her grass in take like a hawk, and exercise as much as possible - feet get stronger and soles get thicker by being worked on different surfaces. Smooth tarmac to start with then once she's progressed and is more comfortable plenty of work over stones - walk in hand to start with if necessary. One thing is for sure you can't paint on hard feet - it's all down to correct diet and environment.
 
mrdarcy said:
Diet is the only thing that really works long term. Cut out the sugars/starch (as a guideline feed as if she was a laminitic), watch her grass in take like a hawk, and exercise as much as possible - feet get stronger and soles get thicker by being worked on different surfaces. Smooth tarmac to start with then once she's progressed and is more comfortable plenty of work over stones - walk in hand to start with if necessary. One thing is for sure you can't paint on hard feet - it's all down to correct diet and environment.
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I agree all down to the diet, as above and can add linseed, seaweed and calmag to help too.....
 
My TB had terrible feet and Keratex really did the trick, maybe it will help in the meantime as changing diet will take a while to take effect. I also used to use Farriers Formula which was really good although if I remember rightly the active ingredient that makes a difference (according to my farrier) is the biotin which you can by as a supplement on its own - I think it might be cheaper that way too.

Do you mean Stockholm Tar? I always thought it was more of a disinfectant and for general health of the hoof rather than hoof hardener.
 
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