Hey bloggers,

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day and are enjoying the family day long weekend :) moving closer to the spring time, I thought it would be great to discuss hoof care in this week’s blog since muddy season is slowly approaching. 

When the ground is consistently wet from all the rain, thawing out from the snow and muddy, it is very important to make sure your horses hooves stay in good condition for both daily health as well as for the upcoming show season. It is impossible to avoid the wet ground and mud during the start of spring but at Baker’s we have a few tips for keeping your horses feet in great condition. Whenever you’re grooming your horse, try to wash away excess mud that gets clumped around the hooves of your horse. This prevents any dirt from drying up in the nail holes on the hoof, as well as getting into any cracks that may start to appear. It will prevent cracking from progressing and keep the hoof breathable. Make sure you pick the hoof to allow it to breathe underneath and to allow air into the hoof. This prevents thrush from developing, and keep the horse's frog healthy. During the warm parts of the year, the weather fluctuates from wet and dry causing hooves to suffer. Unfortunately, this is often the situation during the very months when you want to use your horse the most, which is in late spring, summer, and early fall. To help your horse during these conditions, there are two procedures you can follow after you have brushed off/ washed off the hoof. They are:  apply Tuff Stuff to the lower two-thirds of his hooves before turnout or after they horses come inside to reduce moisture absorption, and a daily application of Venice turpentine to toughen the soles of the hoof.  It is beneficial to occasionally paint on hoof dressing for horse shows or to keep the horses feet looking shinny but don’t use it on a regular basis. It is proven that if oily hoof dressings are used frequently then they can actually soften the hoof wall, and if applied before your farrier’s visit, they make the hooves harder for him to work on. 

To promote healthy hoof growth and care, it is important to remember nutrition. The proper daily nutrition is a key factor in maintaining health hooves as well as routine visits from your farrier. A DVM wrote a great article on how nutrition and making sure your horse is ingesting the right amount of vitamins and minerals makes the biggest difference in hoof care. Click the link to read the article --> http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/integrity-hoofs-hat-trick/

Like any person or animal, there is always an area where we are built weaker. For some horses, this pertains to their feet. Some horses have naturally great feet and good conformation, whereas some need extra help to keep their hooves strong. The best supplement for hoof care is Farrier’s Formula. We carry this product at Baker’s and it is, “the original hoof supplement, validated through independent university research, and the #1 recommended* hoof supplement by farriers for 12 consecutive years.” Farrier’s formula has a complete assortment of nutrients for the health of not only equine hooves, but also for their skin and coat. Another great hoof supplement and hoof product we carry at Baker's are Fiske's Animal Care Products. Check out this link for more info on Fiske hoof products and hoof care http://www.fiskes.ca/hoof-care.html

Baker's carries a variety of hoof supplements and products so if you have any questions please feel free to call us or ask us on your next visit :) Hope everyone has a great Family Day tomorrow! 

 

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