Using Kevin Bacon with Keratex?

sidesaddlegirl

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Three of my TB's feet are excellent and can go for about 8 weeks being shoeings but her right fore is a typical TB rubbish hoof. I use Kevin Bacon (the black tar one) and that does help but after reading about Keratex (and my farrier said that it was good), I bought some and have been using it daily for the past two days on all 4 hooves.

I put the Keratex on at night but was wondering if I can use Kevin Bacon in the mornings? Or will that just defeat the purpose of Keratex since it's a hardener and KN tar is a conditioner?
 
I've always been put off keratex by the fact that it contains formaldehyde (used for preserving corpses). And I've heard it can damage the feet...

Have no idea of the effects of combining KB and Keratex though, sorry!
 
No idea about using the 2 together - would have throught one would counteract the other personally.

I have used Keratex hoof hardener on a TB who had the most appalling feet & within 6 months he was able to keep a set of shoes on for 6 weeks no problem. Prior to that he would through one every week or so & take chunks out of his hooves with it.

Love the stuff and would use it again without a doubt.
 
Hi, my farrier has told me never to use Keratex, says it does so much harm and I've also heard this from other people. My farrier doesn't worry about me using Kevin Bacon so I use the hoof dressing in conjunction with LifeData disinfectant.

I don't use them both at the same time though so I'm not sure how that would work, I tend to alternate days when the LifeData is needed and when all the feet are good I use LifeData once or twice a week and Kevin Bacon about 3 times a week.
 
I use keratex hoof hardener twice per week & on the other nights i use kevin bacon.. no damage has been done, my farrier didn't seem to think it wou;d cause any issues.
 
I wouldnt use Keratex, I know a few farriers that recommend Kevin Bacon, if your horse has a problem foot I wouldnt leave shoes on for 8 weeks, one of mine has a small boxy foot which if left too long gets a flare on the inside which can cause problems to the balance of the foot', I would only leave my horses 6 weeks max, they are being done every 5 weeks at present.
 
That foot never makes it to 8 weeks anyways as the farrier always has to come in between showings to put it back on. Last month, it was one day short of 4 weeks before Hattie ripped off her show and took a chunk off. :(

I gave in and put Kevin Bacon on tonight as all her feet were looking dry with just the Keratex.
 
I've just been using both - horse with bruised sole, so Keratex on sole as he's had to have poultices incase is was an abscess and usual Kevin Bacon on hoof wall.
 
OP you say your horses one foot is rubbish - but is it dry and crumbly, or is the foot soft?

My mares feet tend to get dry at this time of year and I used to use Kevin bacon but have now switched to Hoof Heal. I've had much better results using this than Kevin bacon. But that's because my mares feet get dry and crumbly

If your horses feet are soft then use the hoof hardener. I seem to think that keratex always used to have on it's instructions not to use it with anything else for the best effects, but it doesn't seem to have this on the instructions anymore. I had to use the hoof hardener on the pony earlier in the year, and just used that and nothing else. IMO if you put a moisturiser on as well as the hardener you are defeating the point.

Maybe chat with your farrier for the best thing to use, but I think you need to identify why the foot is rubbish not just that it's rubbish :)
 
It's crumbly and then soon after shoeing, it starts to crack which then leads to cracks turning into chunks coming off with the shoe even with twice daily applications of KB. Thinking about it, I don't get this problem so much when it's winter or when it's muddy, just spring to late autumn so I guess Keratex isn't going to do anything as she doesn't have soft feet. I feed HappyHoof, Biotin and have now started feeding limestone flour too.
 
the feet might crack at that time of year because the damage is being done over winter and then comes out in the feet later on, might be worth weatherproofing them over the winter this year (ie stopping water getting in but still letting moisture evaporate so the hoof can breathe) and i bet the hooves will be fine next time round.

btw about some of the earlier comments and i've said it before about keratex, it won't harm the feet, the Olympics farrier uses it on his clients and that's reaallly good enough for me :)

heard good things about disinfectants - wont stop cracks but a decent disinfectant is bound to stop infections getting in thru the cracks ;-)
 
Horses feet generally crack when they are dry, KB products help to balance the moisture content in the horses foot when used year round. Correct moisture content is what helps to keep the foot elastic, so helping to prevent cracks. In the winter KB stops them becoming sodden, in the summer it helps to moisturise. If it was my horse I probably wouldn't use the tar version in the summer, but swap to the original, tar is slightly more drying so better used in the winter. Also what may help if the feet are particularly dry is to run the hose over them before applying KB, it helps to lock a bit more moisture in............
 
Hmm, I didn't know that about the tar one but I do use KB year round and have always applied it twice a day every day. I have used both but always found I got better results with the tar. I just bought a tub of the tar KB too so may buy a normal to see again what happens.
 
I asked my vet on Wednesday if I should use Keratex to plug up an abscess hole once it'd drained ... his eyes nearly popped out and told me never to use :eek:
 
I have posted on here before about Keratex. It is one of the few products I actually recommend as it does seem to work everytime!! My farrier would have me injecting it into one of my horses if he thought it would help. I swear it is the only thing that keeps his feet on. You have to read the instructions and ask your farrier/experts the best way to use it for your horse's problem. But I swear by it. I have tried the imitations and I'm sorry they just don't work. Just wish it was cheaper...

Oh and remember, horse's feet grow out every 3 months, I think it is 3 months, I am sure some Know-it-all will correct me if I am worng (I say 'Know-it-all' affectionally as you peps have given me some great advice/knoweldge in the past). Anyway... products like Keratex are only on the dead/hard tissue of the hoof for a maximum of 3 months at a time, before it is rasped/cut off anyway. So long term use is fine (so my farrier informs me). So all that worry about formaldahyde (can't spell, sorry), is irrelivent.
 
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