We love that winter came late... But now the rain and mud are here, it's essential to give your horse's hooves some protection against winter thrush and hoof bacteria.
Not only is bacteria really painful for horses, it can eat away at their frog, heel and creep up the white line inside the hoof wall, leading to extremely painful hoof abscesses and structural hoof damage when the hoof abscess bursts out damaging the cornet band and leaving a hole that must grow down and out over the next 8-10 months - or is dug out, leaving a gaping hole prone to re-infection under the hoof.
Here's a short explanation of which hoof care product and why it works.
Choose your hoof care product
Hoof Gloss and Conditioning Balm is not only perfect for show day shine but contains an all natural formula with antibacterial eucalyptus and lavender, plus moisture barrier lanolin - many of our clients use an old toothbrush to apply it in the grooves of the frog, and across the frog and bars to protect the hoof daily in winter.
In summer, the lanolin provides a moisture barrier to help stop the hoof from excessively drying, and applying the balm on the hoof wall and even sole is a perfect daily hoof care routine to help prevent brittle hooves and chipping or breaking hoof walls.
Plug It Hoof Wax is perfect for pressing into any cavities to stop hoof bacteria festering in the deep spots they love. If your horse has had an abscess, this hoof wax is the ideal way to plug the hole and help protect against reinfection.
Likewise, the wax is perfect for pressing into any areas of white line separation. There is a leverage aspect to white line separation as well as a bacterial aspect, so it is important to look at your hoof angles, and see if you can eliminate this with more frequent trims or a more correct trim. In the meantime the wax can help stop small rocks getting wedged in the gap and adding to the leverage on the hoof wall.
The hoof wax contains copper sulphate.
Hoof Gremlin Spray is a natural hoof disinfectant that is gentle enough for daily use - and is non toxic... unlike most hoof sprays. This hoof spray offers the disinfectant effect of key essential oils to stop hoof bacteria and thrush in their tracks.
Hoof Helper Clay is ideal for hooves that get choc-full of solid mud every day as the clay forms a hygienic layer in the grooves of the frog and prevents bacteria growing with its beautiful mix of tea tree, zinc and eucalyptus.
The hoof clay is also ideal in summer when bacteria can get stuck into the frog grooves. In super wet ground we recommend the Hoof Wax for cavities and the Hoof Gremlin Spray for disinfecting hooves.
Our Eco Horse Hoof Pick is the deluxe hoof pick you have been dreaming of. No super sharp points, natural wood handle, and an effective brush. Level up your hoof pick game.
If you have any questions do reach out, or you can shop hoof care here!
