Horse Hoof Care in Droughts and Dry Weather
By Sarah Welk Baynum
You know the saying—no hoof, no horse,
With record droughts and extreme dry weather happening across the country, maintaining your horse’s health is that much more challenging—especially when it comes to hoof care.
Dry, cracked hooves are common in these conditions, along with a number of other hoof conditions due to the extremely dry weather.
In this article, you’ll gain a better understanding of how dry weather affects your horses’ hooves, and tips for keeping hooves healthy during even in the driest conditions!
How Dry Weather Affects Horse Hooves
A horse’s hooves are constantly exposed to whatever the weather brings, and dry conditions can significantly affect their hooves in several ways.
Especially during certain seasons that have significant dry-wet-dry cycles, this can take a toll on hooves because it promotes cracking, chipping, and peeling of the horse’s foot. Then, if the conditions become even more dry or drought-like, this only exacerbates these issues.
Like humans, horses have compound dermal tissue layers called phospholipids. These compound layers have a portion that repels and attracts water, respectively. This helps a horse’s hoof maintain the correct moisture balance. However, during excessively dry conditions, this layer becomes overwhelmed and does not function properly.
Dry weather, especially when paired with extreme heat, can wreak havoc on a horses’ hooves quickly. Dry, warm weather leads to hard ground, which can cause several problems for horses such as weather cracks or sore feet. This is because the flexibility and elasticity of the hoof is lost when dehydrated, leading to more shock and concussion on the hoof.
Overly dry hooves can cause deformation in the heel region, or contracted heels, which can lead to lameness. Incorrect trimming will make this issue worse over time.
For shod horses, losing shoes can be common when hooves are dry and brittle.
Doing everything you can to help support your horses’ hooves internally and externally will help prevent these common hoof issues during dry weather.
Tips for Keeping Horse Hooves Healthy in Dry Weather
Maintaining a regular farrier schedule is especially important during dry weather. This is because excessive, untrimmed growth also alters hoof balance.
Make sure your horse doesn’t go more than 8 weeks without a trim to help keep the mechanics of the hoof performing well, which means less cracking due to improper footfalls.
For horses who are foot sore when the ground becomes hard and dry, shoeing at least short term might be necessary. Hoof boots are another alternative, as they also help reduce concussion and shock from the hard ground.
Nutrition also plays a part in how healthy a horse’s hooves are. Things like feeding good quality hay and grain as well as properly supplementing any lacking vitamins and trace minerals in your horses’ diet is vital. Good nutrition leads to the gradual improvement of hoof health.
Keeping your horses hydrated with constant access to clean water will also help with keeping a horse’s hooves, and the rest of their body, as hydrated as possible during dry weather.
Of course, dry weather doesn’t mean there’s no fungal issues!
Horses can still obtain fungal issues in the sole or frog areas of the hoof. They can also contract things like scratches or greasy heel in areas just above the hoof during dry weather.
Cleaning out your horses’ feet regularly is also important, as this can help prevent things like thrush or stone bruises on already compromised feet. Be sure to clean around the sides of the frog and in the grooves, since this is where bacteria and debris collect and can cause issues due to the hoof’s soft, weak state in dry weather.
Some horses are born with naturally “bad” feet, which means they will need a little extra help internally and externally to keep their hooves moisturized and as healthy as possible.
Keep in mind that if you’re excessively bathing your horse, this could dry out the hooves even more. This is especially important to be mindful of when using solvent or chemical based shampoos that can over-dry. This affects the waxy, protective layer of the hoof, which leads to hoof cracking.
Applying a hoof moisturizer or sealant before and after bathing will help temporarily waterproof the hoof and protect it from over-drying shampoos.
Hoof Butter Moisturizer: A Dry Weather Horse Hoof’s Best Friend
When the outer layer of the hoof loses its moisture, it’s prone to a number for the issues previously discussed. This is why keeping the external hoof layers moisturized topically is so important.
The Blissful Pets Hoof Butter is a great way to soothe and add moisture back into dry, cracked hooves. The Hoof Butter is made from a combination of natural oils that will deeply replenish hooves, so they are healthier and more resilient.
It can also be rubbed not only onto the external parts of the hoof, but the frog as well.
Fortunately, for horses with existing fungal issues, The Blissful Pets Hoof Butter also contains oils that are a natural antibacterial and antifungal. Some of the fungal issues it can help treat and prevent are thrush, scratches, and greasy heel.