Comments on: How to Take Care of Your Horse's Hooves

on 5/20/2008 please contact me about my rubbershoe that can heal just about all lameness problems at www.crown-rubbershoe.com

on 5/20/2008 contact me, rubbershoe at www.crown-rubbershoe.com

on 9/24/2007 I have a problem and I am looking for anyone that has had a similar one and maybe has a cure. My horse's cornet bands are very crusty and I will scrap the crust off and then they will bleed a little. I have tried corona, vitamin E, even ointments from the vets and nothing is helping. It is starting to affect his hoof growth. HELP

on 8/22/2007 I have an old gelding that turns into a monster when it comes to his hooves. I have been working with him and am able to pick up his front hooves and pick them, though some days he refuses to cooperate, and we have had several problems when it comes to trimming his hooves. Like him ripping apart a truck, havign to be tranquilized by our last farrier, and he actually broke someones hand a few years ago. He luckly has not had any problems as of yet but I am concerned about his hooves since he is ridden on gravel roads and the occasional ditch. Is there a way I can calm him down, or something I can do to protect his hooves on the road? Also can anyone tell me what it looks like when the frog sheds? e-mail me at bottomlein@yahoo.com....thanks

on 1/7/2007 Black and White Hooves - I think that this must be an old wives tale that someone has picked up and passed on: Horses with white hooves need shoes and horses with black hooves do not. What a load of nonsense! I previously owned a Connemara pony who had 4 white hooves and he was never shod for the 10 yrs I rode him. He was ridden on soft and hard ground. He was ridden on roads weekly and he managed comfortably alongside his shod equine friends.
Each horse should be looked at as individuals and deciding whether to put shoes on your horse is a decision not to be made on an old wives tale such as this!

on 7/25/2006 Lucky for me, my horse lives in a grassy but fairly rocky paddock. I know this could be very unsafe for her, but on the good side the rocks keep her hooves down and so she has never needed a farrier! I definitely recommend any option other than shoeing. It is the worst thing you can do to a horse's feet. Besides ruining them through the process of nails being placed in the hoof to secure the shoe, if your horse has shoes and you want to keep him/her barefoot, this can be difficult as once removed permanently the foot becomes very soft and therefore needs them once again.

I highly recommend old mac boots, or variations. This means your horse can have the ability to work when being ridden like a shod horse would, but in the paddock there feet are perfectly free. I also recommend daily greasing with proper hoof greases. You should also check the temperature of the hoof daily. It should be slightly warm, but not to much, and not too cold either. I have also found that spraying your horses legs with sea water definitely improves them. I sprayed this on my horse's leg (that had gone lame) and her improvement rate is much faster.

on 7/12/2006 Thrush is a common problem. It is caused by an anaerobic bacterial flora that digests the hoof. Keep it under control!! Air kills anaerobic bacteria, so cleaning the hoof regularly should expose the thrush. If it is a serious infection, try hydrogen peroxide, the gas bubbles are pure oxygen, which will kill the thrush. If that doesn't work, soak the hooves in Trifectant solution for 45 minutes.

I am a firm believer in barefoot trimming. Shoes are good if you are planning a long trip on rocky trails, or a long parade on pavement, but a barefoot horse should be able to do these things anyway!

Lastly, there really shouldn't be a groove in the middle of the frog. It should be a nice, flat, triangular structure. If it has a little cleavage in the middle, that means that the frog is contracted. Keep those hooves trimmed!

on 12/20/2005 3 years ago my horse was completely lame from white line disease and couldn't be worked for 1 1/2 years. Now I have just started to use this miracle hoof saver, Keratex, about 6 months ago and I have already seen my horse's hooves getting tougher and stronger! My horse used to throw shoes all the time, but now he has been holding them longer and the quarter cracks have completely disappeared! This really is a miracle product!!

on 12/19/2005 Black and white hooves can go barefoot. We have many white hooves and they are all barefoot. I am not limited because because my horses are barefoot because we are doing the wild horse trim. This trim allows the horse to develop concavity which then keeps them sound on rocks. We have no problem cantering on rocks barefoot or going anywhere else for that matter!

on 12/20/2005 If you give a horse supplements in his daily feed it also will help the horses. 2/3 of horses that are on supplements have a better chance of having healthier hooves than a horse with out supplements.

on 11/22/2005 Even if the leg injury looks minor, take your horse to the veterinarian right!

on 11/22/2005 I am a Natural Balance farrier, and if you enjoy having a barefoot horse you and your horses may benefit from Natural Balance shoes or trims. This consist of looking at each hoof as an individual and trimming or shoeing accordingly. There are many web sites available for more information. Simply type in 'Natural Balance' for searches.

on 1/15/2008 When picking on a hoof, try not to get kicked or to pick too deep, you can damage the frog in the horse's foot.

on 11/22/2005 I know a lot about horses, so I'll share some of what I know about their hooves. My best recommendation is: No shoes if your horse has black feet. If your horse has white feet, put shoes on the front feet. For riding I suggest easy boots, if you can not afford shoes.

on 11/22/2005 Horses are actually better off without shoes! In fact, many horses will benefit from having their shoes pulled. This is because the shoe constricts the hoof wall and does not allow it to expand under pressure, which it has developed to do naturally.

Check this out: http://www.barefoothorse.com