With the cold, often wet weather that comes with winter, hoof care is vital to ensuring your horse maintains good hoof health throughout the season.
Here are a few tips to help keep your horse’s feet in great shape over the next few months.
1) Consider Going Barefoot!
If your horse does not require the support of shoes for structural support or to rectify an imbalance, consider discussing with your farrier about giving them a break from their shoes. This break from shoes, if done correctly, can greatly improve your horse’s hoof wall, balance, and overall condition.
2) Keep your horse’s hooves clean!
With changes of weather, frozen ground, and the mud that often follows, your horse’s hooves are at a great risk of hoof bruises, abscesses, and thrush. Be sure to regularly check your horses hooves, keep them clean with a hoof pick, and ensure your horse’s stall and turnout area is as clean as possible.
3) Supplements!
Although supplements can help with winter hoof health this step has to be considered well in advance as new growth starts up by the coronary band and not at the toe. It can take a full 6-9 months for the new growth to reach the toe which means supplements must become part of a daily routine to ensure the best results.
4) Prevent Icy Build Ups
If your horse is turned out in snowy weather consider coating the underside of your horses feet with Vaseline to prevent clumps of snow and ice clotting in their hooves.