Products to paint on feet????

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MissDeMeena

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Any recomendations...
TB with typical TB crap feet..
In the sumer they go dry and brittle and threaten to crack a bit.
Last summer i plastered them in Kevin Bacon, which i'm sure helped.. but was looking for some more suggestions for this summer.. anything a bit off the usual track.. not Effol, as i'm told that does F-all.
 
I know it's an old scratched record but crap feet are generally down to diet. My tb has improved dramatically with a low sugar forage based diet with good levels of minerals. She has hooves that will collapse and crack if she gets too much dietary sugars. You are what you eat applies I'm afraid, painting stuff on is purely cosmetic generally.
 
Kevin Bacon is amongst the best I think... however, there is a company called Oakwood products which does some hoof stuff which is similar to kevin bacon with tea tree etc in it..and it's cheaper! Great stuff in my opinion :) I also find feeding Alfa based products really helps feet too?!
 
Use a good mineral supplement such as Equimins Meta Balance Advance or Sarah Braithwaite's Forage Plus

Not a fan of oil based stuff - the hoof is breathable, the moisture gradient across the hoof wall is part of the shock absorbing mechanism, and water is really the best thing for them
 
Was told by a farrier best was to keep my tbs feet good in summer ( they crack up every summer) was to flood round the water trough. So he was stood in really wet mud every time he had a drink. I can't do this because I have to carry barrels of water to his field. But a friend of mine with mains water did it and it worked for her.
 
I can't flood the area near the water either so last summer I got my mares feet wet just by brushing on water, went round all her feet 3-4 times, it sounds a lot but only takes a minute or two then rubbed aqueous cream into the hoof, it helped keep the moisture in the hoof but still allowed it to breathe.
 
amandap said:
I know it's an old scratched record but crap feet are generally down to diet. My tb has improved dramatically with a low sugar forage based diet with good levels of minerals. She has hooves that will collapse and crack if she gets too much dietary sugars. You are what you eat applies I'm afraid, painting stuff on is purely cosmetic generally.
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This!!
 
Alyth said:
This!!
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amandap said:
I know it's an old scratched record but crap feet are generally down to diet. My tb has improved dramatically with a low sugar forage based diet with good levels of minerals. She has hooves that will collapse and crack if she gets too much dietary sugars. You are what you eat applies I'm afraid, painting stuff on is purely cosmetic generally.
Click to expand...

I know this applies in general but despite a very low sugar diet, no carrots or hard feed etc minimal grass, a small amount of hay and the balance of her forage being straw my ISH hooves were still really dry and needed additional water, my arabs however have fantastic feet in the dry weather, with the reverse true in the winter.
 
I agree that topical applications can't really do a great deal in comparison to what goes into the composition of the hoof. Apart from low sugar diet and minerals, a really good source of biotin is the main one - there are several available, including Vetvits Equihoof which I use and my farrier was impressed by. Rosehips also contain plenty of biotin.
 
Try some micronised linseed a mug a day. You can get 20kg sacks from Charnwood milling that last for ages. This combined with forage plus hoof health balancer has stopped my horses hoofs cracking.
 
LD&S said:
I know this applies in general but despite a very low sugar diet, no carrots or hard feed etc minimal grass, a small amount of hay and the balance of her forage being straw my ISH hooves were still really dry and needed additional water, my arabs however have fantastic feet in the dry weather, with the reverse true in the winter.
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I soak my mares hay and don't feed straw as we can't get decent oat straw here.
However, I have just learned on the coursea equine nutrition course about lignin. Hay made from mature grass and straw are high in lignin which is actually indigestible to horses and although helpful in weight loss etc. we also need to think about keeping an eye on the nutrition and energy horses are actually getting/able to use when on high lignin forage diets.

I think it might be worth looking at her diet again and including something like beet and perhaps more hay and a balancer that contains essential proteins (lysine for eg) as well as good levels of minerals.
Just an idea.
 
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I woudn't bother with products but do look at diet. I personally would highly reccomend adding a mugful of micronised linseed to her feed as soon as possible and look at feeding a decent supplement - pro balance, pro hoof or forage plus on top of a low sugar, low starch diet.

You don't say whether she is shod or not but if she is shod, I can highly reccomend you remove her shoes (even if it means her wearing boots) My friend did this with her TB who had THE most appauling feet I have ever seen just 6 months ago, and now you wouldn't believe his feet belonged to the same horse... he still has a way to go as he is still quite sore on stony / hard ground but he is fine with boots on. she has sworn never to shoe him again :)
 
My farrier told me that all the horsey products for hooves were a waste of money. He told me to just go and buy a bottle of moisturiser and use that. I bought a bottle for 99p and applied it to his hooves daily while it was dry ( didn't bother when it was wet obviously).
 
amandap said:
I soak my mares hay and don't feed straw as we can't get decent oat straw here.
However, I have just learned on the coursea equine nutrition course about lignin. Hay made from mature grass and straw are high in lignin which is actually indigestible to horses and although helpful in weight loss etc. we also need to think about keeping an eye on the nutrition and energy horses are actually getting/able to use when on high lignin forage diets.

I think it might be worth looking at her diet again and including something like beet and perhaps more hay and a balancer that contains essential proteins (lysine for eg) as well as good levels of minerals.
Just an idea.
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I don't doubt you have a point but as soon as we have a bit of rain her hooves are really great, they just seem to dry out easier than the other horse
 
A bit off the wall, I know, but have you thought of trying Megatek?

I use it as a hair product to help speed up the regrowth of a rubbed out mane, but have a friend who regularly rubs it into the coronets of her horse ( TB with awful feel) and its worked wonders to condition his feet.

Just for a laugh, I also tried rubbing it into my own nails and grew real, long nails for the first time in my life! Brilliant stuff .....

Available from www.tailgator.co.uk or google it ....
 
Thanks for all the replies everyone.. After posting, i sort of forgot that i'd posted, hence not coming back to read them till now...

Re. diet, it's as low in sugar as it can be already!!! with added supliments of biotin, pink-powder and sometimes garlic. I have fed linseed to her in the past, and didn't notice much of a difference, tho i can try it again.

She can't go without shoes, she's eventing at BE Int. level, (studs are pretty usefull, haha).

I've never used oil based products on her feet, as i know they do the exact opp. of what you want, pretty much locking the water out.

Maybe she's just after some Crabtree and Evelyn hand cream then, my hands love that!! haha.
 
You still haven't said what feed she is on... Please tell us as this may be the issue.

As for not being able to remove the shoes due to being an eventer. I would suggest that at the end of the season you give your mares feet a break, and remove her shoes. This has been done historically for donkeys years, it is only over recent years where horses have become everyday 'allrounders' that people have forgotten to do this. Much to their horse's detriment. That said, some people do event and hunt barefoot....

You can still ride your mare even without shoes but if you need them, hoofboots are a wonderful alternative that allow her feet to behave as they naturally would.

Do you have any photos of her feet?
 
victoria1980x said:
Try some micronised linseed a mug a day. You can get 20kg sacks from Charnwood milling that last for ages. This combined with forage plus hoof health balancer has stopped my horses hoofs cracking.
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This!
After six weeks you will find the coronet band changes to a nice plump and healthy condition, you may also see an event line, which will show you where your dietary changes have come in to effect.
I feed all the year round in order to make sure the horse has access to a balanced mineral and vitamin regime: in summer I use Fast Fibre and a bit of Dengie unmolassed chaff plus 50gms linseed and balanced minerals, just a small feed.
The coat retains its natural dark colour, the hooves are good and the skin is less itchy.
You don't need to feed biotin, the horse manufactures its own provided you feed the right diet.
Cost is minimal, but remember when it comes to hoof health, you have to allow for 3-4 months growth. My boy is now barefoot and looks very well.
Have the feet trimmed by the farrier every six weeks.
RE studs.......... well not absolutely sure that they are esssential, in fact they could possibly cause injury by asking the horse to "pivot"...... I know this will not persuade you, but other people might be influenced, and will think about it. In this country we are brought up to hand over the feet to the farrier, and he is trained to stick shoes on, though most will tell you they are "a necessary evil"......... well ......... I dont think they are necessary. Convenient, yes. I look at most ponies round here, the owners have new shoes fitted when necessary....... not when the horses need them, have seen them on feet that have overgrown, months overdue, but as long as they are nailed on the owner thinks that is acceptable.
If they rip off this can cause tramatic injury and I now think that it is much safer for the horse, the rider, and other horses in the field if they are unshod. On roads barefooted horses will not slip, and also not have concussion which can cause problems short or long term.
 
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MissDeMeena said:
She is currently eating, Allen and Page Calm and Condition, and Alfa A-Oil...
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A lot of people have had problems with C&C causing footiness / poor hoof quality and not many cope well on alfa-a.

For slow release energy and condition I can reccomend D&H ERS Pellets and then add some speedi-beet or fast fibre for bulk fibre and Micronised linseed for condition, feet, joints and coat. then I can reccomend you look into a good hoof supplement like pro-hoof, pro balance or forage plus balancer.
 
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