HOOF-it II Pads have worked wonders for United Steele. After an early retirement, he is back in competition. His hooves look great - even with training and 50 mile rides. After the farrier finishes putting on new shoes, we apply HOOF-it II Pads to all four hooves. The pads fill in where quarters are weak and prevent them from breaking out. I fill in the nail holes to keep his hooves moist, and also use the HOOF-it to fill in around the heels on the outside of the hoof to give more support to the heels on the shoes. We fill in all around the inside of the shoe and the sole area. If it's winter and the horse isn’t being used, I can take the pads off myself without worry of thrush due to the wet weather. When I want to ride, I can easily put the Hoof-it on, regardless of my shoeing schedule. My farrier is amazed with how well US’s hooves look now. He is no longer flat soled, his heels grow and are no longer contracted, and his quarters hold up to the workload. US hated his early retirement, and thanks to HOOF-it II Pads, US and I are quite happy and back in competition. -Cyndee Pryor

80% of horses will go lame each year!

According to the US government servey, 80% of horses will go lame each year. The average “downtime” is 23 days.

Temp-A-Sure is the only Equine lameness indicator on the planet. Don’t worry and wonder, get answers easily and fast.

Old Way: Feel horse’s hooves with your hand to see whether there is any heat present.

NEW Way: Apply temp-a-sure strips and easily read the temp of 4 locations on each hoof. Temp-A-Sure is accurate to within ½ degree.

Why would I want to know the temp of a horses hoof? Horse’s hooves change temp in response to many of the common causes of lameness. Monitoring the temp changes and differences between hooves and even differences in different areas of the horse’s owner located and monitor problems and will help a vet or farrier treat the horse more effectively.

Monitor hoof temperature to monitor equine lameness. Temp-A-Sure is a revolutionary new product that provides a very quick and easy way to continually monitor changes in hoof temperature. Abscesses, stone bruises, founder, laminitis and injury are the most common reason for equine lameness. All of these conditions cause changes in the hoof temperature that can be quickly and accurately monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with Temp-A-Sure, accurate to within ½ degree.

Driving Horses & Plastic Horseshoes

As a trainer and driver of carriage and draft horses I felt very fortunate to find and use the composite horseshoes put out by HOOF-it Technologies. We train approximately twenty driving horses a year here at Winter Hill Driving Center in the mountains of Florida with the biggest demand being for CDE horses and ponies. As you can imagine there is a great deal of twisting and turning and a lot of road miles (up to 15 miles per day) to get in condition for these events. We have one set (four shoes) which is on it's fourth reset and that's on my Purcheron, Lexie, who trains every horse that comes in. We go eight weeks on reset for her and outside of replacing a nail or two we've never lost a shoe. As a hitch driver from 1971 on, I was probably the most skeptical of these products then anyone until a client's horse, another Pucheron, Ben, came in for training. After that it was love! So if you have any questions feel free to stop by our training center in sunny Florida if you want to see some great driving horses and HOOF-it Natural Flex plastic horseshoes.

Bob Giles Winter Hill Driving Center, Morriston, Florida http://winterhilldrivingcenter.com/

 

Winter Hoof Care

Winter is the time when a lot of horse owners choose to pull their horse’s shoes and let the hoof regenerate. Pulling the shoes and leaving your horse barefoot enhances the overall health of the feet. Hooves tend to grow more slowly in the winter months. However, the unshod feet should be trimmed regularly, 4 to 6 week intervals, with an emphasis on keeping the edge of the hoof sufficiently rounded. The hooves should also be painted twice a week with an appropriate hoof dressing. A little extra care and attention during the winter months when your horse is barefoot will result in a stronger healthier foot the rest of the year. However, there are more than a few of us who ride and compete in the winter months and pulling shoes is just not ever going to be an option. If you are like me and live in a snow filled winter environment you know that training outdoors, and trail riding, can cause problems for your horses feet. The main issue that I have to deal with when I am riding in the snow is “snow-balling”. This is when mixtures of snow, ice, mud, manure, grass, or bedding accumulate in the sole area. It can pack very densely into large rounded ice mounds that are almost impossible to chip out. When a horse is forced to stand or move on snowballs he has decreased stability in his fetlock joint. His weight is liable to roll medially, laterally, forward, or backward. It is extremely fatiguing for his muscles, tendons, and joint ligaments as he constantly tries to make adjustments to maintain balance. It is easy for a snowballed horse to lose his balance and wrench a fetlock. I have found a product that works perfectly for my horse, and is very easy for me to apply by myself. I use the Hoof-it Winter Snow Pad to keep my horse’s hooves clear of debris in the winter. With this pad in place I have full confidence in my horse’s footing while training outdoors in the snow, or trail riding. Let me know if you have tried Hoof-it Snow Pads and how they have worked for you.

Quick-Pad - Sole / Frog Pad Support

Dear HOOF-it:

The quick pad works great. I used it like the instructions said and it provides a great pad for the frog of my foundered mare. It is helping her become sound again.

This is a much better alternative than expensive tubes some farriers use. These are good for the horse owner who has one horse that needs the pads.

I do have some comments, and that is that one has to use it really fast or it sets up in the tips. I have had to use a few mixing tips per tube before I got the hang of it. I had good luck with the first hoof, but the second seems to set up somewhere at the opening and a bit drips out when I squirt it in.

Pattie

Hoof Care & Farriers

The horse’s foot is completely surrounded by a substance similar to your fingernail to protect it against having to sustain the wear and tear of having to carry one quarter of your horse’s weight over the varying terrain you may be riding him over. A horse’s foot consists of an outer layer of horn (hoof), inside which is contained the pedal and navicular bones, and the deep digital flexor tendon which is attached to the pedal bone. The foot also contains the digital pad, lateral cartilages, coronopedal joint, blood vessels, and nerves. The foot as a whole absorbs concussion and by its continuous growth, it is able to replace its striking surface which is lost through everyday wear and tear. As a horse owner, you can help assist your horse in this latter process by choosing the right farrier for your particular horse’s needs.

Farriery is one of the most vital of all the professions connected to the horse. If there were no farriers, the entire horse world would just about come to a stop; except for a few fortunate individuals lucky enough to be able to ride always and exclusively on grass, or in an arena completely void of rocks. Even these folks would find it difficult to keep their mounts sound and true if there were no one to trim, shape, and generally care for their pony’s feet.

The best way that I have found to increase my own knowledge of my horse’s feet is to watch my farrier shoe my horses. It will also be to your advantage to pay attention, and actively participate when your farrier comes out. Here are a few things that I always try to do to help out to make the whole process easier.

I always let my farrier know in advance if I am going to have any special shoeing needs, or if I have a youngster that is going to be shod for the first time. Horses being shod for the first time should be used to having their feet picked out and be familiar with having the wall and sole of their foot tapped.

You should ALWAYS present your horses for shoeing with clean, dry feet and legs. And always provide the farrier with a well lit area, and dry solid footing; undercover if possible.

The first time the farrier shoes your horse, let him know how your horse is going and what discipline you use him for: trail, cutting, endurance etc. Assuming the horse is already shod, he will look at the wear of the shoes and the growth of the hoof to determine wear and growth patterns. With your help, the farrier will then determine whether your horse has any problems such as overreaching, stumbling, dragging its toes etc. If such problems are discovered, your farrier will discuss alternative shoeing solutions with you.

The above ideas will help you and your farrier develop a relationship that will benefit you both, and more importantly, benefit your horse.

Q&A Tendon Ice Boots

Q: Are your Ice Horse cold therapy tendon boots long enough for a large warmblood's hind legs? Also, am I correct to assume that one would have to store these boots in the freezer prior to use? If yes, how long do the cold packs remain cold when put out at room temperature (say approximately 75 degrees F)?

A: There's nothing available in the traditional horse wrap market that I know of that's long enough to cover the hind leg of a warmblood from the base of the hock to the top of the fetlock. You could get an extra large ice therapy sheet (I found them once at Costco) and apply it with a standing wrap bandage if you need to cover the entire length. I use the ICE HORSE tendon wraps regularly on a warmblood that has some issues right above the suspensory branch on the left hind. They work great for him. I also use the hock ice wrap when I ice his hind legs. Although sometimes I toss the whole wrap in the freezer, I usually keep only the 2 ice inserts in the freezer and pull them out just before putting them into the wrap and applying them to the horse. The ice inserts that come with the wrap are designed not to be stiff when frozen so they mold to the leg without pressure points. (regular ice therapy sheets are stiff when frozen) When I need to use them on a horse that is located away from an available freezer, I keep them in a portable ice chest until I apply them to the horse to get the full benefit. If I need to use them again later, I put them back in the freezer or ice chest to refreeze which takes about an hour.

Laminitis III

Treatment:

Therapy is based on- 1. controlling pain 2. restoring blood circulation 3. stabilizing the coffin bone

Prognosis:

Keep in mind that prevention is always better then the cure. Mild cases will often get better quickly with rapid treatment and the right management. The problem is that many will recur unless very strict preventative maintenance is carried out. More sever cases will respond well to foot trimming and careful shoeing but can take many months to fully recover. The very worst cases are unlikely to be able to return to regular work.

For more valuable information on laminitis take a look at HOOF-it’s NEW educational line of books.

Laminitis II

What can cause laminitis?

• Overfeeding of any sort, especially grain
• Over-weight animals
• Illness - particularly digestive disorders, possibly after sever colic and other conditions such as liver disease.
• Mares that have recently foaled and retain their placenta. They will develop infection and consequently laminitis.
• Sever lameness in one leg from other causes resulting in excessive weight bearing in the remaining limbs and possibly, subsequent laminitis.
• Irregular or incorrect trimming of the feet and bad shoeing. Feet which are untrimmed are more prone to laminitis.
• Trauma to the feet due to excessive concussion from too much work on the hard ground causing laminar tearing.
• Drug Treatment side affects can result in laminitis.
• Hormonal problems, in particular those associated with an overactive pituitary gland in old ponies can result in laminitis.
• Stress of any sort.

Laminitis I

What is laminitis? The word laminitis means inflammation of the laminae. Laminitis is a common disease which affects a horses whole body and show up as a painful feet.

Types of laminitis:

Subacute laminitis is the mildest form where some signs are present, but they are not as severe as the acute case. Cases will most likely clear up without permanent damage to the feet.

Acute laminitis is the early stage of laminitis when the horse is uncomfortable and showing lameness, but major changes have not yet happened. It is an emergency and proper treatment needs to be started at once to prevent damage.

Chronic laminitis occurs when the coffin bone has rotated or sunk or if the condition has been going on for more the 48 hrs.

Founder is an American term used to describe a more severe case of laminitis where the laminae is tearing and the coffin bone is unstable and dropping.

Sinkers are the most severe laminitis cases where the laminar bond has been destroyed right around the foot, so that the whole pedal bone is loose within the foot. The pedal bone will drop and it can literally sink through the sole of the foot.

Equine Hoof Care

Hoof care is the most important aspect of horse ownership. The first time horse owner usually does not understand the complexity of the hoof, even most experienced horse owners don’t. The easiest place to start your introduction to hoof care is to ask yourself just exactly what you are going to expect of your horse, and then set out to try and find an animal that will suit your needs. Don’t buy a draft horse to play polo. Don’t purchase an Arabian and try to cut cows with him. No matter what you and your prospective equine partner are going to do, the best thing that you can do is always place conformation over love at first sight; even though this is sometimes hard to do.

Always strive to find a horse with straight legs and good bone structure. Remember, the better you start with the better chance that you will have to enjoy a long relationship with your horse. If possible, check out his sire and dam, or if possible any siblings that might be in the area. Keep this in mind, just because a horse is a pure bred it does not mean that he will be sound. Whether you are looking for a potential futurity winner or a trail buddy, soundness of the feet is the bottom line.

A pre-purchase veterinarian check is a must, whether the horse is going to cost $500 or $500,000. If you can have a friend who is experienced with horses be there to lend a keen eye. Most importantly, to me at least, is to have a farrier present at your vet check. Often, farriers will see things that the vet will not. Farriers look at feet in a different fashion than a vet, based on their work, and experience.

Also, do not fall in love too soon. All horses cannot be great athletes. In spite of what we may think, owning him does not make him a world beater. However, treat him like an athlete. Warm him up properly, feed a high quality ration, and keep him fit, not fat. The better that you treat him the better you will both work together.

If everything is going along fine, but you begin to become suspicious that something may be wrong with his feet, you should look for an on again, off again, lameness in the beginning. Look for a choppy or uneven gait, a shortened stride, and a lessening of his willingness to work. If you notice any of the above traits, check the feet for an obvious trauma, such as a wire cut. You can also check for swelling and inflammation. However, it is always going to be the best practice to call your farrier out to take a look. Usually your farrier can make the proper corrections to get your pony back on the right track. If the problem is severe your farrier will refer you and your horse to your vet for medical attention.

With a little care at the purchase of your horse, and a watchful eye during your partnership, your pony should have a minimum of hoof problems during his life.

About one and a half years ago I was showing in northern California when I realized my yearling mare was off on her front left foot. When I brought her home I called my Vet. He took x-rays and when the results came back, he told me she had foundered and had ten degrees of rotation in both front feet. I was extremely upset, because I was so careful with her feeding and training program. I called my horseshoer and told him what had happened and he came over right away. He immediately put on these plastic shoes with a liquid substance poured onto the sole of the feet called Hoof-It to create a pad. As soon has he finished she was walking a better. After a three month period I called my Vet to have another x-ray taken. He called me and told me that her foot was getting better. He also said to keep using the Hoof-It product because it was healing the foot better and faster than he had ever seen. Well it has been over a year now and she is walking and running normally during her turn out time. I asked my shoer if and when I could start working with her and if he thought I might be able to show her again. He gave me the go ahead about 3 weeks ago. I started working with her slowly. To make a long story short, I went to the 60th Annual Del Mar National Horse Show last week and I ended up Circuit Champion and Reserve Champion In my Division. This truly is a dream come true as I did not know if I was ever going to be able to show my mare again. I know for a fact that it was the Hoof-It Product that enabled my mares hoof to heal and grow so she could walk normal again. Thank You HOOF-it your products saved my Mares Life!!!!!!!! Peggy Sibley, Campo, California

BWFA Journeyman Farrier Tips

I am a full-time farrier in Maryland and shoe all types of horses doing anything from dressage to steeple-chasing.

I have used the Hippoplast shoes for six months now and am extremely pleased (as are the horses!).

They (so far) stay on better (they actually mold to the hoof over time) and longer than any other shoe I have ever used and seem to offer more comfort to most horses than any other shoe.

I have the most success when I fill the shoe cavity in with dental impression material and anti-bacterial granules from Eponashoe. With thin-soled horses, the interior of the shoe can "pinch" the sole without the "putty" protecting it.

Also, using e-head nails seems to be best.

I would love to see a more round (as opposed to oval) design included in your hippoplast standard product line (ie. a front and a hind pattern instead of a compromise).

Thank you very much for your time!

Jonathan Fell, BWFA Journeyman Farrier

Winter Snow Pads

Winter is the time when a lot of horse owners choose to pull their horse’s shoes and let the hoof regenerate. Pulling the shoes and leaving your horse barefoot enhances the overall health of the feet. Hooves tend to grow more slowly in the winter months. However, the unshod feet should be trimmed regularly, 4 to 6 week intervals, with an emphasis on keeping the edge of the hoof sufficiently rounded. The hooves should also be painted twice a week with an appropriate hoof dressing. A little extra care and attention during the winter months when your horse is barefoot will result in a stronger healthier foot the rest of the year. However, there are more than a few of us who ride and compete in the winter months and pulling shoes is just not ever going to be an option. If you are like me and live in a snow filled winter environment you know that training outdoors, and trail riding, can cause problems for your horses feet. The main issue that I have to deal with when I am riding in the snow is “snow-balling”. This is when mixtures of snow, ice, mud, manure, grass, or bedding accumulate in the sole area. It can pack very densely into large rounded ice mounds that are almost impossible to chip out. When a horse is forced to stand or move on snowballs he has decreased stability in his fetlock joint. His weight is liable to roll medially, laterally, forward, or backward. It is extremely fatiguing for his muscles, tendons, and joint ligaments as he constantly tries to make adjustments to maintain balance. It is easy for a snowballed horse to lose his balance and wrench a fetlock. I have found a product that works perfectly for my horse, and is very easy for me to apply by myself. I use the Hoof-it Winter Snow Pad to keep my horse’s hooves clear of debris in the winter. With this pad in place I have full confidence in my horse’s footing while training outdoors in the snow, or trail riding. Let me know if you have tried Hoof-it Snow Pads and how they have worked for you.

Shoeing the Performance Horse

No matter what kind of performance horse you might happen to have, cutting, reining, roping, or pleasure, one thing is a constant fact: your horse must be in balance with his body to perform at his optimal level. It is your farrier’s job to trim and shoe your horse to allow for optimal balance.

I have been lucky with my reining cow horse, Smoke ‘em. He has never needed any corrective shoeing. I simply have my farrier trim him flat and level based on the conformation of each of his legs. I have his feet trimmed short to ensure that he moves naturally. Horses with toes that are too long or heels that are too high do not stride naturally and do not look pretty to the judges. Eventually, excessively long feet cause problems that may require correction and even rehabilitation down the road. You can compare this problem to the human athlete. If a runner wore shoes one size too small, or too large, for even one training session he would feel a lot more stress and strain in the legs than with shoes which fit properly. The same is true for your horse.

The most important factor in the shoeing of your performance horse is to have him land level on the ground, You can notice this by observing your horse move at a walk. View him from the front and from the side. Does the inside or the outside of the shoe hit the ground first? Or, does he put the entire hoof down level? If his walk is level, he will most likely lope and trot level also. And, most importantly for cow horses, he will stop level also. If he does not land perfectly level his timing (and yours) will be off. This problem will only get worse as you work him at a quicker pace. Remember, all foot and leg problems intensify as the horse moves faster.

The best way to make decisions about your performance horse's shoeing needs is to watch him move from the ground, and learn to listen to your seat.

If you have any tips on shoeing the performance horse please post them here and share your experience.

Ice Boot Therapy and Laminitis

As an experienced horse owner, I know all too well the difficulties that one encounters when a horse goes down with laminitis, commonly known as founder. Other than a broken leg there is probably nothing that happens to our horses that forces everything to come to a halt until we can attempt to correct the problem. Through my own experience and research, and my talks with professional farriers, I have come to the conclusion that one of the first courses of action you should take at the onset of founder is to apply dry cold therapy to reduce the inflamation and ease the pain in your horse.

HOOF-it Technologies has collaborated with MacKinnon to create an ICE HORSE® product that has more than proven itself to be effective in treating the inflamatory phase of founder or laminitis, the Big Black Boot.

Laminitis is a painful condition of the feet. The disease is usually associated with digestive disturbances. The actual word laminitis means inflammation (itis) of the sensitive laminae of the foot. These laminae are the membranes which hold the bone of the foot (pedal bone) in place inside of the hoof. When laminitis occurs the laminae becomes inflamed. It is as if your horse has to stand on very badly bruised fingernails. The pain of laminitis must be similar to how we would feel after we accidentally slammed our fingers in a car door. However, it is much worse for our horse because he or she has to try to stand on the hurt hoof and take the pain, or in the worst case, go down.

Symptoms of laminitis include: rocking back on the haunches, lameness, reluctance to move, general stiffness, heat in the hoof, increased fetlock pulse, laminitic rings, sensitivity to hoof testers, and dropped soles. Laminitis most commonly affects the front feet, but cases occur in all of the hooves. Horses with laminitis stand in a characteristic way that lets you know the horse is trying to take weight off of their feet. In severe cases horses may constantly shift weight from one hoof to the other showing obvious discomfort. At some point the horse will go down so that no weight is on its feet.

Laminitis can start rapidly or slowly. I have walked into my barn and found a horse down with founder, lying in its stall and unable to rise due to the pain. Other times you may notice just a slight lameness and a little warmth in one or more hooves.

Generally, laminitis will start as an acute event. This means that it starts quite rapidly and causes a lot of pain. If such a condition is treated quickly it can be stopped in a reasonable time frame and be over in 10-14 days. If it is not treated quickly and effectively and if preventative measures are not used it can progress to become a chronic case. I have found the Big Black Boot ice treatment to be the perfect first treatment in acute cases of laminitis.

Chronic laminitis is a problem which drags on and on and never quite goes away. The horse in question has repeated mild attacks of founder and the feet are so affected that any change in diet brings on the problem again. A chronic laminitic horse may still suffer from acute attacks requiring immediate attention.

Cold therapy is the first recommendation for most acute or chronic injuries, including the localized heat, inflammation and swelling that occurs in laminitis. Standing your horse in cold water will help, but the water can be detrimental to the already traumatized hoof.

The ICE HORSE® Big Black Boot dry cold hoof therapy provides a safe way to get the vital first aid to your horse when he or she founders. If you are anything like me as a horse owner, you know that getting your animal out of pain and back to soundness are the most important things. I think that you will find that the Big Black Boot is an effective, easy to use, natural anti-inflamatory treatment for your foundered horse.

Dr. Daniel Montoya is a cowboy freelance writer who is doing research for HOOF-it Equine. Let him know if you have any questions about using the Big Black Boot. You can comment on this post or contact him at danny@hoof-it.com

HOOF-it Pads for Soundness

We had our farrier out yesterday to put new steel shoes on Greg's horse. The horse has over 1000 miles for the season and had 405 miles on this particular set of steel shoes. Greg and Qamaar had done 250 rocky miles - five days in a row, 50 miles each day- at Grand Canyon, and then three weeks later another 155 rocky miles at the Smokey Killen three-day ride in Nevada. The shoes were paper thin on the rear with the nail heads completely gone from the road side of the shoes. After trimming the hoof and paring out the sole, the farrier commented that the hooves looked like the horse was ridden in the arena! We used hoof-it pads all 405 miles, and the hoof-it was what kept the shoes on when they were paper thin. Many riders were very interested in what Greg was using to keep his horse sound over so many rocky miles, and how he could ride 405 miles in the same shoes. Cyndee Pryor

My foundered mare is walking great...

Thank you. The pour in pad worked just like you said it would. My foundered mare is walking great, thanks to a good farrier and your product. Pattie

Low Heel Problems

I purchased a set of Marathon shoes for my Peruvian mare (age 19) that has had a problem growing heels and does not do well with steel shoes. I put the shoes on in April and pulled them off in February. That set of shoes went through four resets before they wore out. The mare was taken on several mountain type trail rides as well as being ridden on the paved urban trail quite frequently during the summer and fall. The paved trail does give a way to dirt after the first 1/4 miles, so she wasn't on the pavement all the time. When the rain set in, she was worked in a covered dirt arena. My farrier was amazed with the heel the mare grew and I was amazed at how long the shoes lasted. I have used other composite shoes in the past but have never had these outstanding results. As a result of my trying the shoes and using them on two other Peruvians, my farrier is now recommending them to his clients. The majority of whom own trotting horses. This year we are shoeing several more horses with the HOOF-it composite shoes and I will be happy to let you know the results. They work well on our gaited horses because they do not inhibit the gait, nor do they enhance the gait. They do help keep the horses with flat feet or low heels from bruising which is a problem in our area because of the wet winters effect on the hooves. Thanks for a great product. Karen Kent, Washington

Contracted Heels

Which one of your shoes would you recommend for contracted heals? Leigh

Leigh,
The standard Hippoplast shoe works well for contracted heels. This is link for the Hippoplast:
HOOF-it Hippoplast Shoes