I bought a horse 1 week ago. He is very skinny and malnutrished......which has caused his hoofs to be dry and brittle. They have cracked almost to the top of his hoofs. I am having the ferrier come out as soon as he can but is there anything I can give him or do to help. I have three other horses besides this one and they have never had problems with their hoofs. Oh and right now he has shoes on. So any advise will help. Thanks alot!
2006-09-18 01:18:42 · 9 answers · asked by helenh 3 in Sports ➔ Horse Racing
oh ****! wishing you the best of luck with that one, cracks of that length can get nasty. anyway, get hoof grease with bayleaf extract and apply it religiously. also get a good biotin (vitamin h/ b7) supplement and give it to your horse according to the instructions on the tub. feed him up with the best and most balanced feed you can possibly get, and make sure he is never without water. the shoes are a mixed blessing, on the one hand they might protect the hooves from further damage, on the other hand they could disrupt the healing process. generally shoes are not a good idea for brittle hooves, unless the horse is almost constantly walking on damaging ground. ask your farrier, they know about that kind of stuff. also call your vet and voice your concerns, if the horse is so malnourished he might well need medical attention too. good luck!
2006-09-18 01:34:42 · answer #1 · answered by nerdyhermione 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are plenty of supplements you can buy but I have had the best luck with Hooflex (in the green can) it is very greasy so it stays on longer. Apply it to the hair line just above the hoof and it will run down all day long. Also put it on the bottom of the hoof and pack it into the frog. If you are on a budget, the vegetable oil will help more with gaining weight but I like to use plain powdered gelatin. It is cheap and you can mix it with the feed. Good luck
2006-09-19 06:53:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Giving him a wet area to stand will do wonders to moisten his feet. Any oil hoof coating will seal any moisture in but it will seal more moisture out. Use a lanolin based conditioner like hoof maker to soften. Just feeding him well will cause healthy foot to begin to grow. It takes about a year to grow a whole new hoof. As long as his feet aren't stessed and stay trimmed the cracks should grow out without causing any problems. Hard dry gound in summer will suck moisture from the feet and frozen uneven ground in will break them up if they get long. Be patient there's no miracle cure. Some people have great luck with supplements some have none, it depends on the horse, no hurt in trying a few, give it at least a month before deciding its not working it can only affect the new growth. Good luck
2006-09-18 08:14:44 · answer #3 · answered by emily 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Oil.
Put a tablespoon of CORN OIL on his grain ration once a day, every day. This is a good practice to continue even if your horse shows no problems of any kind.
Using a 2" paint brush, "paint" each hoof with BABY OIL every day. Apply only to the outside of the hoof, all exposed areas of the hoof and well into the coronet - the area above the hoof.
2006-09-18 05:16:36 · answer #4 · answered by north79004487 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Start him on a biotin suppliment. There are several god ones pick one and get him started on it. It will take time to work but it really will make a difference with time.
Also get some Rain Maker hoof dressing and put it on every day.It is oily and will help moisturize the hoof.
Get him on regular feeding program and that too will help the hoof condition.
Good luck.
2006-09-18 08:11:57 · answer #5 · answered by tlctreecare 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i have a horse with the same problem but she is bare foot.
i would suggest putting her a supplement called farriers formula, it took my mare a month for it to kick in but works great.
my farrier noticed a difference in her hoofs.
also put hoof flex on her hoofs once a week, that will help, dose your horse really need shoes maybe trying taking the shoes off for awhile.
my horse had really bad hoofs and wouldn`t keep her shoes on and the farrier told me to take the shoes off of her cause there wasn`t any where he could put the nails in her hoofs were really bad.
But now her hoofs are much better.
the farriers formula and hoof flex will help.
2006-09-20 02:07:32 · answer #6 · answered by horses 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
start with good feed and water. mositure is good for the horses feet when dry. there are many creams or dressings for dry feet you can put on daily until they are ok A tooth brush is good to rub the hoofs top and bottom with the what your choice is.a vitimin can help too. shoes do help the breaking of hoofs. Please take off in winter and clean feet daily. keep up with this daily and enjoy your new friend.sounds like he needs you.
2006-09-18 19:17:44 · answer #7 · answered by Dancingsun 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Head and Shoulders is quite harsh, it strips the hair besides by way of fact the scurf so which you will finally end up with hair it incredibly is even drier interior the long-term. Hairdressers propose it to strip colour out of hair! Antibacterials, antifungals etc may well be very harsh too. have faith it or no longer toddler shampoos are additionally fairly harsh. you would be be extra effective to apply a shampoo from Eqyss and then use their Megatek stuff afterwards. they are actually not low-fee yet they do no longer comprise silicones so which you don't get the 'silicone burns' from making use of shampoos/conditioners with silicone in them. have you ever tried coconut oil (that is solidified interior the jar yet warms as much as an oil once you touch it)? rubdown it in and pass away it or rubdown it in 10 minutes formerly you wash.
2016-10-01 02:38:47 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mineral supplements and the best feed u can afford along with easy access to water.
2006-09-18 01:23:48 · answer #9 · answered by EFB 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋