Riding in Snow

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jackobear

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Hey all

I have decided that if I can't go hunting on boxing day I am at least going to have a pootle arround the fields at my yard!

I have read about putting vaseline on hooves- can someone explain reasons/method to me? Or any other tips for riding in the snow?

Thanks
 
I tried putting hoof oil inside the hoof and it didn't work ended up with horsey on snow stilts! So for me, I will not be trying it again!
 
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I have read about putting vaseline on hooves- can someone explain reasons/method to me? Or any other tips for riding in the snow?

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It's to stop snow balling up in their hooves which can make them slip and bruise their soles. Just dig your hands in the tub and put loads onto their sole. If you are only going for a pootle then check the feet every 20-30 minutes just to check there's no snow compacting. Don't go much faster than a trot if its new snow, if it's hardened I still wouldn't go faster than canter.
 
If you go into Stable Yard section there is a post on there with various ways to help prevent the snow building up, everthing from baby oil, vasaline with salt to WD40
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Does it ball up in barefooted horses??

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Not in mine. I never put anything in their feet.

It all depends on the type of snow, dry is less likely to ball than the wet slush which turns to ice.
 
I think it also depends on the foot, Mr M's doesnt really ball up, he's got quite flat feet and no shoes, it tends to fall out before it packs up if you get what I mean.
 
I agree krismaskenzo, my wooly mamouth has round open feet and doesn't seem to have had a problem but my mare has typical warmblood hooves which are quite upright and boxy and has been coming in on stilts every day. I've tried a range of products and nothing seems to help, so gave up. She's quite sensible in the snow anyway so I'm not worried. Unshod horses don't seem to have a problem at all as they have nothing on their feet for it to ball up into.
 
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I don't think it balls up in shoeless hooves -- Frodo is only shod in front and he does get balls in front, but never in the hinds!!

It really must be connected to the shoes.

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I think front feet are more of a problem.
I thought the same as Frankie didn´t have a problem with his back (shoeless) feet however my friend found the same, hers is shod all round and snow didn´t ball up at all in the back.

I put loads of vaseline in and went for a hack on fresh snow and found the snow dropped out almost immediately.
We actually stayed on the untouched snow as they found that easier that the packed snow where the tractors had been which was more slippy.
 
I tried the vaseline today after a previous epic failure with lashings of hoof oil. Glad i decided to give the lad a run in the school first, he got snow stilts within 10 mins and fell over (granted not helped by him being a prat and hooning around) So i didn't ride in the end
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Luckily he's ok, was just shocked lol
 
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