When spring or fall is upon us, we need to consider horse hooves and the environment(s) they are exposed to. Specifically how water and mud affect the hooves.

A wet environment (excessive moisture) compromises the integrity of healthy hoof horn, the horses hoof wall. A soft hoof has difficulty holding nails and remaining strong and supportive. Moisture balance is extremely important to healthy hooves. Too much moisture is far worse than a dry hoof. Stop and analyze the contents of your tack boxes and lockers, I would bet that you probably have cans, bottles, and jars of; “Miracle Growing”, “Crack Reducing”, “Moisturizing”, “Strengthening”, “Proven to work”, hoof products! Now, do you know what these products actually do? For the most part, they disrupt the moisture balance in your horse’s hooves. Horses maintain overall, a desirable hoof moisture balance. If nature should need a helping hand, remember that less is more. If your horse’s hooves are too soft from excess moisture, use a sealant. If they are too dry, then access to water is best. However, the effects of standing in mud or water, then being returned to the stall with shavings, which are very drying, can be very hard on hooves. Basically, over moisturizing and excessively drying the hoof wall day after day can be very damaging. Most cracks are due to an excessively moist and soft hoof, not a dry and hard hoof.

I’ve frequently heard people perpetuating the myth that “the mud must have sucked that shoe right off”. Mud does NOT suck shoes off. If you have ever tried to remove a shoe, you would know that the mud would have to possess an incredible force to remove a properly fit shoe. However, thick mud can affect hoof flight and timing. The foot coming from the mud takes flight slower than normal and the hind foot could land or slide up on the heels of the front shoe prying it loose or worse, ripping it off. The other explanation is, there is a shoe gremlin hiding in that greasy mud.

Ask your farrier for help in determining the moisture balance in your horse’s hooves. Everyone will be happier because you won’t be wasting time and money on products that could tip the scales of healthy hoof moisture balance. You will have less expense in corrective shoeing or other farrier work that might be avoided. Your horse and your farrier will have better healthier feet to work with.