Summer hoof care tips
If you’re worried about the condition of your horse’s hooves, have a look at our top tips below. All have been put together to help your horse’s hooves to maintain condition over the summer and beyond…
- Nutrition. Quality hoof growth comes from within, so before you spend your money on lotions and potions, make sure that’s the area really requiring attention. If your horse has poor quality horn, make sure his nutritional needs are being met and consider adding a hoof supplement to his daily ration if they aren’t. We have Biotin 15, Biotin Plus 25 and Hoof Mender 75, to cater for horses with a range of hoof issues.
- Pick. Picking out your horse’s hooves each day doesn’t just allow you to remove any dirt, manure and stones, it also gives you the chance to check that everything is OK. Bacteria on the hoof and around the frog can be kept in check easily if an issue is detected early, when applying Hoof Disinfectant may be all that’s required.
- Farrier. Regular visits from the farrier are important all year round, whether your horse is shod or barefoot.
- Moisturise. The modern horse’s hooves are barraged by mud and wet in the winter, and then dry fields and hard surfaces during the summer with the odd downpour, so it’s no surprise that they may require a little help! Using a product to help maintain the moisture level of the hoof, such as Hoof Moisturising Gel, Hoof Moisturising Cream, Hoof Moisturising Balm or Hoof Moisturising Lotion, can be a valuable addition to your horse’s hoof care regime. Keeping the correct moisture level in the hoof can help prevent drying, cracks and splits.
- Cracks. Luckily, many cracks and splits are superficial, so although they might look unpleasant, they’re not as bad as they seem. If your horse goes lame, further investigation will be required. Equally, if it becomes apparent that the crack is a symptom of something like an abscess, it will require further intervention.
For more information on hoof supplements, hoof oils and topical applications like hoof moisturisers, see our Hoof section online, or contact us for more information.