Plan your Winter Hoof Care Strategy Now!
Autumn is here, with winter is just around the corner. It’s time to plan for your winter hoof care regime. Changeable conditions – one minute hard, the next minute wet can cause hoof problems.
Natalie McGoldrick MA VetMB MRCVS is an Equine vet and event rider. Natalie graduated as a Vet from the University of Cambridge and went on to set up her own practice. She is an advanced level event rider having represented GB on the team at 3* and has produced and evented horses up to 4*. 
Natalie says “The winter months provide many challenges for horse owners and keeping horses’ feet in good condition is high up on the list”.
“One of the most common call outs for ambulatory vets during a wet winter, is to foot abscesses. These are normally caused by horses standing in mud for many hours a day, and obviously for a horse living out 24/7 with no access to hard standing, the risk of developing pus in the foot is much higher than in a stabled horse”.
“There is nothing you can paint on the foot to prevent abscesses, and no amount of daily foot care will help. The key to reducing the risk of your horse developing a foot abscess, alongside good farriery and foot care, is allowing the hooves to spend some proportion of the day out of the mud”.
“A common site in most fields now, is an area of hard standing on which horses can be fed their hay, or if they aren’t fed hay, then a dry loafing area. This will allow the horse’s hooves to dry out for at least some of the day. These dry areas don’t require planning in most areas, if they are constructed with temporary slabs or mats that can be lifted and moved. If constructed during the dry summer months, a small dry loafing area can last a wet winter without sinking and provide your horse with some respite from the mud”.
“Another issue we face with our horses’ hooves during the winter months, is when the ground turns from wet and boggy, to frozen and rutted. If you have a stable, this is the time to avoid turn out, as the risk of injury to your horse is high. Not only are tendons at risk, but bruised feet are a common occurrence; your horse’s soles will be soft due to the previously wet ground, and thus extremely prone to bruising if he then canters over rutted ground”.
“If you don’t have the luxury of a stable, then my tip for avoiding bruised soles during frozen periods in the winter, would yet again be to try and construct a flat, dry loafing area. For those unable to get their horses out of the mud, my advice would be to ensure your farrier still visits regularly, and to make sure your horse is receiving the correct balance of vitamins and minerals, especially biotin, throughout the year”.
Both before and after turning out or exercising, pick out feet and where possible, allow feet to dry out after standing in muddy fields. As Natalie has said If your horse is living out 24/7, a field shelter with dry standing area will allow relief from wet conditions and likewise if stabled, regular skipping out will avoid wet patches from building up in a confined area.
Hooflex® Frog and Sole Care will help soothe the hoof and eliminate odours caused by bacteria and fungi. It is ideal for those in muddy conditions or spending increased time in their stables, it promotes normal hoof health without killing live tissues, whilst penetrating the frog and sole tissue without stinging, staining, or drying out the hoof.
The winter is not all about wet weather! Cold, dry weather can cause feet to dry out, with the increased risk of damage or cracking. It is important to maintain the moisture balance of the hoof and Absorbine ® Hooflex® Original Liquid Conditioner is just the ticket. It is designed to maintain the pliability of the entire hoof by providing essential conditioners, as well as encouraging health hoof growth. It will also discourage bacteria in areas where it can accumulate.
So, planning a regular Autumn and Winter hoof care regime can prevent issues before they arise, and we all know that prevention is better than cure!
