It’s during the hot and dry days of summer that we typically see a rise in dry hooves. Dry and brittle hoof walls will often crack and chip, especially on solid surfaces. Then a thunderstorm arises and forces the horse to stand in mud for a prolonged time, making the hoof wall soft, with a loss of strength and increased wear. Then the weather gets hot and dry again, and so do hooves. It’s also very common for horses to be frequently bathed and hosed off during summertime.

This wet-dry-wet-dry-wet-dry cycle can take a toll on the hooves and promote cracking, chipping and peeling of the hooves due to rapid moisture changes in the hoof wall. And if you’re riding in a sand ring, then bathing, then immediately putting your horse in a shaving-bedded stall, you’re perpetuating this cycle. If you’re bathing with soap, you’re stripping the natural water- proofing oils and waxes from the hooves. 

To protect your horse’s hooves this summer, use a natural hoof dressing that preserves the correct moisture balance in the hoof capsule. There are several options in the market. Just make sure to avoid using caustic ingredients such as formalin (formaldehyde), iodine crystals, copper sulfate and solvents such as acetone and turpentine. These ingredients provide a type of hardening that greatly reduces hoof wall elasticity and shock absorption, which makes the hooves more prone to crumbling and cracking.

Life Data Labs has developed a topical hoof dressing that does not utilize tar, petroleum, or caustic ingredients. Farrier’s Finish^® is a liquid conditioner that maintains correct hoof capsule moisture balance in excessively dry conditions. It preserves hoof wall elasticity, shock absorption and its ability to breathe; all while making the hooves shine. Farrier’s Finish is also a disinfectant that destroys the bacterial and fungal invasions which cause white line disease, thrush, and poor hoof quality.

Scott Gravlee, DVM, CNS
Equine Nutrition Consultant
Life Data Labs, Inc