Hoof Armor

[jawa]

Does anyone have any experience with this product?

I have 2 OTTBs that have transitioned to bare behind. I ride 20+ miles a week each and am looking for a bit of protection as the hoof growth begins to slow.

I am also considering going unshod up front in March as a break from shoes for a few months to help get a bit better hoof shape.

TIA

[LovieBird]

If you’re on Facebook, check out the group Hoof Care and Rehabilitation. Lots of good info there.

[luvmyhackney]

I’ve used it for a while now in the summer. I’m in NoVa and it’s a pain to apply in the winter so I just use boots in the winter for the very occasional ride. It works well to keep feet from wearing faster than they grow, but doesn’t provide protection from rocks or hard ground.

[BoyleHeightsKid]

David Jones the maker of Hoof Armor has a facebook page called the Successful Hoof Care Group and he’s great about asking questions.

I use Hoof Armor and like it a lot. If you want to use it in the winter, it helps to warm the feet with a torch and put your tube of hoof armor in a bucket of hot water to keep it warm so that you can put on a nice thin coat.

[wildlifer]

Yes, I use it. I actually keep it in the house & just take it out when I want to apply it, so don’t have any temp issues.

I like it better than Durasole since I don’t have to handle formalin as much. It has been helpful, but remember that it’s just a layer of epoxy – it won’t actually prevent bruises, it just provides a little sensory protection for the horse. I have also found it helpful for sealing little areas of separation, etc.

[jawa]

@LovieBird

If you’re on Facebook, check out the group Hoof Care and Rehabilitation. Lots of good info there.

I joined that group a bit ago. I just wanted to get some reviews from folks that I “know”. I have been on COTH a long time and feel I can trust the opinions and reviews of products from many of the regular members.

[jawa]

@luvmyhackney

I’ve used it for a while now in the summer. I’m in NoVa and it’s a pain to apply in the winter so I just use boots in the winter for the very occasional ride. It works well to keep feet from wearing faster than they grow, but doesn’t provide protection from rocks or hard ground.

I removed their hind shoes in March. They are doing very well as far as sensitivity to rocks. The only ones that cause an issue are the really big ones that haven’t been packed down very well. (#1’s - #3’s)

At this point, I am more concerned that they will wear their hoof faster than it will grow through the winter, which is the height of my mileage season.

[jawa]

@BoyleHeightsKid

David Jones the maker of Hoof Armor has a facebook page called the Successful Hoof Care Group and he’s great about asking questions.

I use Hoof Armor and like it a lot. If you want to use it in the winter, it helps to warm the feet with a torch and put your tube of hoof armor in a bucket of hot water to keep it warm so that you can put on a nice thin coat.

I have a heated tack room, so keeping the product at a good temperature won’t be an issue.

Would a hair dryer work for warming the hoof, or is a torch the best way to go?

[jawa]

@wildlifer

Yes, I use it. I actually keep it in the house & just take it out when I want to apply it, so don’t have any temp issues.

I like it better than Durasole since I don’t have to handle formalin as much. It has been helpful, but remember that it’s just a layer of epoxy – it won’t actually prevent bruises, it just provides a little sensory protection for the horse. I have also found it helpful for sealing little areas of separation, etc.

So far I haven’t had any issues with bruising. I’ve only had slight sensitivity to gravel over the really large ones. Sometimes I think that is more due to the instability of the gravel.

Ive used Durasole and Sole Freeze to help harden the hoof and thicken the sole. I’m hoping that this product will be more effective, cut down on the time of “dressing” the hooves 4-5 times a week, and possibly be cheaper.

[BoyleHeightsKid]

@jawa

I have a heated tack room, so keeping the product at a good temperature won’t be an issue.

Would a hair dryer work for warming the hoof, or is a torch the best way to go?

A hair dryer would probably work well

[wildlifer]

It’s definitely nice to use it less often. I have not found it lasts a whole cycle as is claimed (my farrier comes every 4-5 weeks) & of course it will depend on the surfaces your horses are on, but I get about 2ish weeks out of one application. My horses walk over a patch of bare soil with screenings/rocks/sand on it go in & out of their shelter.

The tube lasts me longer in the winter because I can do 3-4 feet with one tip in cooler temps – the one thing that annoys me is the applicator tips are so long that a lot gets wasted in there. I think I got 16 hooves out of one tube last winter. In summer, I can only do 2 per tip because it sets so much faster that I have to switch out tips more often.

[jawa]

@wildlifer

It’s definitely nice to use it less often. I have not found it lasts a whole cycle as is claimed (my farrier comes every 4-5 weeks) & of course it will depend on the surfaces your horses are on, but I get about 2ish weeks out of one application. My horses walk over a patch of bare soil with screenings/rocks/sand on it go in & out of their shelter.

The tube lasts me longer in the winter because I can do 3-4 feet with one tip in cooler temps – the one thing that annoys me is the applicator tips are so long that a lot gets wasted in there. I think I got 16 hooves out of one tube last winter. In summer, I can only do 2 per tip because it sets so much faster that I have to switch out tips more often.

Have you ever tried cutting the length of the tube down?

[Ponycatraz]

I switched from boots to hoof armor several years ago. I keep the hood armor on the house and never had a problems applying even in Michigan winters.

My thin sole horse does great with hood armor. He’s still not a gravel cruncher but is comfortable on rocky trails. For him what works best is a very thin application followed by a second thin application the next day. My normal soled horses have just needed one application per trim cycle.

I’m pretty quick with application and can do two sets of front hooves per tip with husband’s assistance

[wildlifer]

@jawa

Have you ever tried cutting the length of the tube down?

I have not yet tried that. I assume the length is related to mixing efficiency to create the reaction for the epoxy to bond (you can feel it heat). But I don’t know how quickly that drops off if length decreases.

[Archer]

@Ponycatraz

I switched from boots to hoof armor several years ago. I keep the hood armor on the house and never had a problems applying even in Michigan winters.

My thin sole horse does great with hood armor. He’s still not a gravel cruncher but is comfortable on rocky trails. For him what works best is a very thin application followed by a second thin application the next day. My normal soled horses have just needed one application per trim cycle.

I’m pretty quick with application and can do two sets of front hooves per tip with husband’s assistance

How do you prep the hoof before the second application on day 2? I plan to sprinkle powder after first application. My horse lives out 24/7. Anything special before applying coat 2?

[Ponycatraz]

@Pierogi

How do you prep the hoof before the second application on day 2? I plan to sprinkle powder after first application. My horse lives out 24/7. Anything special before applying coat 2?

Not really. I pick and wipe the foot with a rag to get it clean. I have lots of sand so I don’t powder I just set the hood in the sand when done.