Thoroughbred with minor cracking feet?

Girlracer

Girlracer

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My lickle ex-racehorse has recently (as in within the last two weeks) gotten really dry feet that have started cracking. His fronts are fine, in fact look good but the back (particularly, in fact mostly the white foot) has developed a lot of cracks around the nail holes.

I've started applying Effol hoof moist twice daily, in the hope this will help. They aren't dreadful by any stretch of the imagination, and the farrier says not to be overly worried however to get some Kevin bacons hoof dressing. I'm yet to actually find any, so not sure where to get it from. Anyone have any experience of it?
 
Before you buy the expensive stuff, try aqueous cream both under and outside the hoof, it seems to help a lot. You could also try Formula4Feet, horse should just eat it out of your hand if not on any other feed, which should also improve the quality.
 
Maesfen said:
Before you buy the expensive stuff, try aqueous cream both under and outside the hoof, it seems to help a lot. You could also try Formula4Feet, horse should just eat it out of your hand if not on any other feed, which should also improve the quality.
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Well he was taken off feed around 3 weeks ago, but is still getting a bit of chaff with oil once a day.

I will try that thanks.
 
Start feeding him magnesium oxide, it won't help the current cracks but will lay down some lovely new strong hoof. I use NAF Hoof moist on mine but might try the Aquareous cream idea, sounds far cheaper :D
 
for horses with bad feet a sugar and cereal free diet helps to harden feet up, it takes months for the diet to start showing an effect in the hooves though so in the mean time you can use a hoof moist (or aqueous cream). If you are very worried I would advise a fantastic product, keratex hoof hardener. You apply it to the hoof and the sole, avoiding the coronary band and the frog, every day for a week after which you apply it twice a week. It is a fantastic product and is brilliant for improving hoof quality in a relatively short amount of time.
 
I have used F4F with great results! I agree with the magnesium supplement too and that is what I am currently using.

With F4F, use sparingly, less is more.
 
I've just started using Kevin bacon on my tb's dry feet and they are already looking much better! I also had him on farriers formula which also helped so now I just have him on a complete vitamin.
 
Hiya, hope you don't mind me crashing a bit of old thread, in my honest opinion applying moisturiser twice a day is a LOT of moisture for hooves to accommodate, esp the white foot, you might be doing something which is quite counterproductive, because hooves aren't meant to be all soft and sheeny, they might look better to 'us' but inside the hooves too much moisture from products or from wet grass can really not be helpful because the hooves stretch to accommodate more moisture and then crack. Just like in wet weather.
My farrier says even moisturising once a day is too much for most horses, he says a lot of the problems he sees with cracking nowadays is either from too much wet weather or too much moisturiser. We are too kind for our own good!!
Good diet like a F4F or hoof supplement will help but you will only see results in a few months' time.
My friend's appaloosa has 2 white feet and they start falling to bits if they are too wet or too moisturised.
 
This is a bit of a late reply but i had the same problem a few years back with my thoroughbred but treated this with cornucrescine which worked a treat! :D I've had a similar problem recently with my cob which i have treated with flexalan sablene hoof cream which was also successful although his hoofs are very strong to start with :)
 
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